Pranayama demonstration by a Himalayan Yoga Master.  Pranayama is the 4th limb of the Ashtanga Yoga system of Patanjali.

“Purification is the keynote of Hatha Yoga, and the foremost practice of purification is Pranayama.”

 ”When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady.  But when the breath is calm, the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.” -Hatha Yoga Pradipika

“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God.  When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.”  -B.K.S. Iyengar

“Inhale and God approaches you.  Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.  Exhale, and you approach God.  Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.”  -Krishnamacharya

1

Vikki Graves would have us believe standing on your head is relaxing.

Those of you who are already familiar with my work for The Leither would probably not place me high on a list of people likely to sit on the floor with my legs crossed chanting ‘Hari Om’. However I am something of a dedicated yoga student and recently, having been forced to skip a few classes, I have found myself missing it. Really missing it, in fact.

I am a student of the school of yoga written down by one Mr B. K. S. Iyengar, or ‘Guruji’ depending on your levels of devotion. Light On Yoga, his illustrated guide to over two hundred yoga postures and the order in which to perform them was first published in the Sixties. Now, at the ripe old age of 91, Mr Iyengar, although probably still able to perform contortions of inhuman proportions, is taking a slightly more backseat role in the promotion of the discipline. There are, however, Iyengar centres all over the world, including our very own in Bruntsfield.

So what is it that makes a hardened cynic like me want to sit cross-legged on solid wooden bricks, join the palms of my hands together and pay my inward respects to Patañjali, the father of yoga? Am I nothing more than a show off who thinks standing on her head will impress my friends, or am I part way on my journey towards inner peace?

Believe it or not, standing on your head is surprisingly relaxing. Admittedly I am not yet quite brave enough to perform this manoeuvre too far away from a supporting wall. But there is something calming and also empowering about suspending your body upside down with only your own strength, balance and determination keeping you from falling.

All the slow, serene movements could lead you to believe yoga is simply a means of purging a few calories among ladies who lunch. But don’t be fooled by the quietness of it all – trust me, standing on one leg while contorting both arms behind your back is trickier than it looks.

Over the course of a two-hour class it can feel as though each and every muscle is being gently stretched over a rack. Yet this is a strangely pleasant sensation, as if your limbs have been awakened from an extended slumber. Excess air is forced from your joints with a satisfying ‘pop’ and every bit of your body feels somehow realigned into its proper place, ready to perform your brain’s next command.

Relaxation comes in the form of Śavāsana, or ‘corpse’ pose. The posture consists of lying on your back, feet flopping out to the sides, with your palms facing the ceiling. Easy? I wish. The point of keeping your body completely motionless is to enable you to concentrate on the stillness of your mind. Yes, that does sound a tiny bit silly and I must confess I have on occasion used the mental stillness and solitude of Śavāsana as an opportune moment in which to compose my shopping list. But it does make me wonder what a state of relaxation really is, and whether it is even possible. So, concentrating on relaxing is probably not the strongest element of my practice, but maybe this is the point. As I mentioned earlier, yoga is genuinely pretty hard, honest. Not just because it stretches the parts that other exercises cannot reach, but also because to do it, you have to watch, listen and think without letting yourself get distracted. Corpse pose shopping list compilations aside, there is something refreshing about setting aside a couple of hours to concentrate on something that is entirely directed towards you, be it inner peace, or inner groin strain.

Perhaps I am more philosophical about yoga than I thought. In the preface to Light On Yoga Mr Iyengar writes briefly about the Western scepticism sometimes directed at its spiritual elements. He does not pour scorn upon the amorality of the West, but he does remind his readers that back in ancient times, all man’s great achievements were believed to have happened as a result of spiritual assistance.

Although those spirits might not necessarily have been standing on their heads with their legs crossed behind their necks, he does have a point, and it is maybe this accepting approach to our values along with the clarity of his descriptions that has made his book endure for over forty years.

And now I am lost for words – I have found a topic about which I cannot bring myself to be cutting. I had thought up some wisecracks about middle class lunching ladies in leggings and carpet-headed, stoned hippies on the beaches of Goa, but strangely they seem inappropriate. Bring on inner peace.

For more information about Iyengar Yoga visit eastscotlandyoga.org. For details of classes at the Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre in Bruntsfield visit yoga-edinburgh.com

Published in The Leither October 2009

Meditation isn’t to disappear into the light. Meditation is to see all of what we are.
Stephen Levine

Yoga and meditation are practical disciplines. Pantanjali, the great sage who brought together teachings about the path of yoga into one volume -  ‘The Yoga Sutras’, outlines a straightforward method to reach enlightenment – the end of suffering. It’s not about being ‘away with the fairies’ or in another world, it happens here, in this world, working with the tools you already have right now – your mind and your body.

There are eight limbs of yoga. They aren’t a ladder where you start at step 1 and finish that before moving onwards. Each limb is as important as the others.

yama – the laws of life
niyama – the rules for living
asana – physical postures of yoga
pranayama – breathing practices
dharana – steadiness of the min
dhyana – meditation
samadhi – the settled mind

Alistair Shearer has written a fabulous translation, the little book is worth reading, even if you only get around to the introductory commentary.
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In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras he gives us a list of guidelines for how we should treat ourselves, in order to explore our own self worth and to enable us to take care of the self.  These guidelines are called the niyamas and can be found in Yoga Sutra II:32.   Santosha is listed as one of Patanjali’s five niyamas and the English translation of Santosha is to feel gratitude or contentment with life.  This is not as easy as it sounds and is something that needs to be cultivated.  It’s very easy for us to concentrate so hard on the things that we feel we don’t have and desperately want, that we miss seeing all of the wonderful things that we do have.  Santosha reminds us to continually come back to a feeling of gratitude for what we do have in our life, to not dwell on what we feel is lacking, and to try and cultivate that sweet feeling of contentment.  Ahhh, sweet Santosha.  If you want a clear and concise translation of the Yoga Sutras, I would definitely recommend Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: With Great Respect and Love by Mukunda Stiles.  He somehow makes this classic easy to read and doesn’t interrupt the translation with continuous explanation – he allows it to be read like a beautiful poem.

Todays mediation was with ease. One cannot stay at ease in the higher self, as long as the lower forces keep pulling you down. When the lower forces, are cleaned out, sort of purged from you, they can no longer pull you down. You see the lower forces but merely observe it.

Interestingly, you realize that everyone around you is acting based on these lower forces. Often times, the lower forces are attracted by the wrong thoughts we harbor. This is why Patanjali stated, wrong thoughts carry the same penalty as wrong deeds. Wrong thoughts, attract the wrong lower forces and carry out ruthlessly, pain and anguish. However, these results are not seen right away but for an advanced disciple, the wheels of Karma are seen clearly.

Unfortunately, I am forbidden to talk about many of these karmic effects. This explains why many times the family and even cities and towns of great saints have suffered! They were unable to act with the proper love and respect for those great souls, and the results of their negative Karmic debt was ruthlessly carried out. This is stated very clearly in Maha Yoga Vigyana also. Lord Shanker has repeatedly stated, that someone who praises great saints, walk away with their Punya and anyone who hurts them, walks away with the sins of the saint (sins they incurred prior to becoming established in God).

One last thing, the power to read other peoples mind comes easier, in this state. It is like it is a natural extension of being in the higher self, unaffected and not pulled down by the negative forces!

God bless all

There is something very physical that turns over. The yogis called it turning over of the Kundalini and according to Aurobindo that is birth of the psychic. When this happens, we see yellow, green and white light in the upper part and black and red light in the lower half. The 5 lights, in yogic terms refer to the 5 tattvas.When this happens you dont see theforce but you are in the force. This is the beginning of Sayama. (from Muktashastra the description of Dhyana). At this point the breathing is down to 9 finger breaths.

Remember, acording to Patanjali, Chitta vritti nirodha iti yoga. Meaning being able to control the chitta is yoga. When in this force, when there is this reversal or turning over of the kundalini we finally have the force to control the chitta.This is no longer an imagination. This is the beginning of yoga. This very force can truly still the prana. Once the prana is stilled, the heart no longer has to work or beat. Once perfected, one can go in Samadhi – the body finally lifeless to the observer but fully awake within! This is not imagination but something which must be realized. At this time, breathing is down to 6 finger breaths!

Besides being able to control the prana, we finally begin to understand karma and the effect of karma. This is the beginning of Yoga.

A stage comes when the dream world is actually felt to be within you. Initially it is felt to be in your head!. The whole universe is within you and is within your head. (I do not mean this as an imagination or as a play of words). The world is within you but you are not part of the world! What a paradox! This is the meaning of Shiva linga puja! That is the stage where one can understand Shiva Manas puja – there is a line therein which says, Puja te Vishaya upbhoga rachana meaning prayer is to enjoy the wordly pleasures!

When in that stage, we begin to learn that all seemingly opposite statements are the same! For eg. God can only be reached by those who strive for him. God can only be reached by those who make no effort!

This force, this place, this reversal of consciousness, this new birth, whatever you want to call it is addicting. Once you are there, you want to go there again and again. It is intoxicating! It gives you a buzz, just like alcohol and drugs can do. It gives joy to the mind. This makes me wonder, was the person who wrote Star Trek Generations – the movie about Nexxus was he inspired?

I principi del Raja Yoga sono stati enunciati da Patanjali nei i suoi “Yoga Sutras”. Nei suoi aforismi,Patanjali divide il Raja Yoga in otto stadi:

1.  Yamas, le cinque adempienze con il mondo esterno

2.  Niyamas, le cinque osservanze con la propria dimensione interiore

3.  Asanas, le posizioni per dare solidità e forza all’ organismo fisico

4. Pranayama, il controllo dell’ energia vitale e della parte emotiva 

5. Pratyahara, il dominio e il superamento degli organi dei sensi 

6. Dharana, la concentrazione fissa e l’ attenzione della mente 

7. Dhyana, la meditazione o dominio completo della mente 

8. Samadhi, o supercoscienza cosmica, l’ aspetto trascendentale e e liberativo più alto e realizzante.

Vedremo prossimamente in maniera più approfondita gli stadi di Yama e Niyama

Did you know the majority of people on planet Earth are at war?

It’s true.

But it’s a war with no name. And it’s silent and sneaky. Very few people talk about it. There’s no protests, or political action to bring it to an end. But it takes plenty of hostages and casualties. It cuts a path of destruction on all seven continents. There’s no place it does not reach…

This my friends, is the Great War. The murderer of souls. The sniper of happiness. The assassin of freedom. The destroyer of self-acceptance.

That’s right. I’m talking about the collateral damage we drag through our lives. The absolutely violent thoughts and actions we take against ourselves every day. The unkind words. The self-neglect. The hyper-critical and unfair attitude we have about our actions and/or appearance. The public and/or private flagellation we suffer at our own hands.

Let’s not forget the way we pass our own misery on to the next generation so that it may flourish… through our actions, we show them how to be self-defeating and self-loathing. We teach them that that’s how life is for most people.

One of the worst fall outs of this war is the way we’re so willing to believe anything negative about ourselves at the drop of a hat, while being unable to accept a compliment or be proud of our achievements.

We are displaced people. Displaced in our sense of Self.

And I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of it. Because all of this adds up to an unacceptable abuse of human rights.

Worse – most of these campaigns of self-hatred are conducted behind closed doors. Of course, some do make it out into the streets too, where we drink excessively or take drugs, or lay our self-disgust at the feet of others.

But almost everyone else is engaged in their own internal warfare. And so we try to relate the best we can, limping along, tending to our war as well as those belonging to the people we love.

And sometimes we mistake other people for combatants in our war. So, we take the fight externally and make them the enemy. At last, someone tangible to fight with – the driver of the car that cut you off, your lover, your friend, your parents, your boss, the rude waitress… and so on.

Appalling isn’t it? And yet, so very difficult to control. This war has agents everywhere!

The big question for me is this: How are we ever going to make peace with other people if we can’t even make peace with ourselves?

Y’know, Ahimsa (non-violence/non-injury) is the first of the five Yamas (restraints) of Patanjali’s system of yoga. The very first discipline to master, for developing consciousness on the path to enlightenment.

And yet, it seems to be one of the hardest things to do. We can sympathise with the trials of others. We give money and/or service to charities. We’ll give a guy on the street food or cash. We’ll help someone change a flat tyre.

But we can’t stop looking in the mirror and thinking about all the ways we are “deficient”. Can we?

And to win, we have to find a way to make peace with ourselves. Have to!

I’m still working on it. What about you?

~Svasti

Our yoga program has been carefully developed over decades by Dana Sara to offer the perfect yoga practice for every individual.   Our intention is to offer expert instruction for the beginner to the seasoned practitioner.  We aim to advance each student safely, assist in cultivating  home practice, enrich other classes attended and improve overall quality of life and performance in life and athletics.

Each class provides a full body, mind, spirit workout for your level and style.  Academy Yoga Improv classes are in the moment, tailored to those present and incorporate practices from the many systems of hatha yoga, ashtanga, tibetan and kundalini yoga.   The Yoga Improv classes are offered for 60, 90 and 120 minute Warrior Yoga  sessions.   Gentle classes are suitable for those wishing to to stretch, breathe and reprieve and finish with rewarding restorative poses.

We also offer traditional classes in ashtanga as taught by S.K. Pattabhi Jois, and Kundalini as taught by Yogi Bhajan both of whom Ms. Sara trained under.

Classes are always fun, challenging, rewarding and enlightening.

In the few months we have been open we have had a great time and students are progressing  beautifully.

>> View More of Our Yoga Class Pictures ~ Click Here

I’m almost finished reading Crush It, by Gary Vaynerchuk, a book about how to monetize your passion.

The big message of this book is: You’ve got to love what you do, work hard, and have patience.

There’s lots of other marketing advice too, but these are the big themes he pounds over and over, or I should say he “crushes.”

He uses the word “crush” like people use the word, “Win,” or “Nail”, or “Kill.”  As in: “I nailed that shot, OR, “My speech at the conference killed.”  Gary Vee wants us to “crush it,” in everything we attempt to do in life.

(All righty then!)

I absolutely love this guy’s exuberance.  This book is one of those fast, breathless reads, where I almost got whiplash from nodding my head in agreement so hard.  (ouch.)

Oh me and my “enthusiasms” as my mother used to call them.  “There goes Kath again, off on one of her enthusiasms.”

(Whatever, mom.)

But being the person I am, the one who is always trying to find mash-ups between yoga and life, as I was reading Crush It I was reminded of one of my favorite of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

(Patanjali, for those non-yoga people, is to Yoga, what Buddha is to Buddhism.) It’s this sutra that came to mind: (the translation is Mukunda Stiles’)

1.14

That practice

Is indeed firmly grounded

When it is pursued incessantly,

With reverence,

For a long time.

When Gary Vee said you must totally love what you do, that’s what Patanjali meant by reverence.  When Gary Vee said you have to work till your eyeballs fall out, that’s Patanjali’s “incessantly.”  And when Gary Vee said you gotta have patience, and that this “Crushing It” may take a while? This is Patanjali’s “for a long time.”

I love it when marketing guys channel Pantajali.  Don’t you?

Gary Vee and Patanjali (pronounced Pah-TAHNGE-a-lee).

So. Cool.

(Yeah, and shut up, mom.)

Gestern war im Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institut in Pune die Feier zu Ehren Patanjali’s,
Guruji – Herr Iyengar hielt einen beeindruckenden langen Vortrag über das Verständnis von Sadhana – der Art zu üben – in den Schriften Patanjali’s.
Ich fuhr mit Ruzan, dem Bruder Zubin’s und Sunjay einem Schüler Zubins.
Es gab ein frohes Wiedersehen mit Anke und Otto, sie sind seit 2 Wochen in Pune. Sowie mit Kevin und Erika, die auch beim Iyengar Yogabhyasa Jubiläum in Mumbai waren, ebenso mit Frank aus Bad Neuenahr.
Ich traf Zubin’s Eltern Zarin und Parvez, und half ihnen mit Arushi und Vivan – Zubin’s und Parizad’s Kindern, Ruzan und Eddy aus Amerika den Übungsraum jedes Jahr dekorieren, was sie jedes Jahr auf neue tun, sowie nette Yogaübende aus aller Welt.

Gleich mehr zum Üben in Mumbai.

Bei Fragen nach Begriffen oder sonstigem hinterlasst ein Kommentar oder schaut mal bei Wiki (z.B. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patanjali)

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds.

Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.

Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be”

~ PATANJALI

(This passage was taken from the book ‘Wisdom of the Ages’ by Wayne W. Dyer)

Yama y Niyama

• • “When a yogin becomes qualified by practicing Yama and Niyama, then the yogin “Cuando un yogui se califica mediante la práctica de Yama y Niyama, a continuación, el yogui

    can proceed to asana and the other means.”    — Yoga Bhashya Vivarana (II.29) puede proceder a la asana y otros medios. “- Yoga Bhashya vivaraNa (II.29)

• • Yama and Niyama are the ethical precepts set forth in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as the first and second of the eight limbs of yoga. Yama y Niyama son los preceptos éticos establecidos en Yoga Sutras de Patanjali como el primero y segundo de los ocho miembros del yoga. They are the foundation of our practice without which no spiritual progress along the path of yoga can be made. Ellos son el fundamento de nuestra práctica, sin la cual ningún progreso espiritual en el camino del yoga se puede hacer. Many people come to yoga initially as a physical exercise and only later begin to understand the profound spiritual effect it has on our lives. Mucha gente viene al yoga inicialmente como un ejercicio físico y sólo después empezar a comprender el efecto espiritual profundo que tiene en nuestras vidas. But to establish these spiritual effects firmly upon our mindstream, to embed them within our consciousness, they must be grounded on the bedrock of ethical behavior. Sin embargo, para establecer estos efectos espirituales firmemente en nuestra mente, para integrar dentro de nuestra conciencia, que debe basarse en la base de un comportamiento ético. Our practice begins with Yama and Niyama, and extends into asana and the other limbs of yoga. Nuestra práctica se inicia con Yama y Niyama, y se extiende hasta asana y otros miembros del yoga.

• • Yama:   Precepts of Social Discipline Yama: preceptos de la disciplina social

• • Ahimsa — Non-violence. Ahimsa – no violencia. Not harming other people or other sentient beings. No dañar a otras personas u otros seres sintientes. Not harming onesself. No onesself dañar. Not harming the environment. No dañar el medio ambiente. Tolerance even for that which we dislike. La tolerancia, incluso para que no nos gusta. Not speaking that which, even though truthful, would injure others. No hablar que, aunque la verdad, perjudicaría a otros.

• • Satya — Truthfulness. Satya – Verdad. Note that sometimes we may know our words are literally true, but do not convey what we know to be truthful. Tenga en cuenta que a veces podemos saber que nuestras palabras son literalmente verdaderas, pero no transmiten lo que sabemos que es verdad. This is a child’s game. Este es un juego de niños. Satya means not intending to deceive others in our thoughts, as well as our words and actions. Satya significa que no tengan la intención de engañar a los demás en nuestros pensamientos, así como nuestras palabras y acciones.

• • Asteya — Non-stealing. Asteya – No robar. Not taking that which is not given. No tomar lo que no es dado.

• • Brahmacarya — Sexual responsibility. Brahmacarya – la responsabilidad sexual. Regarding others as human beings rather than as male and female bodies. En cuanto a los demás como seres humanos más que como los cuerpos masculino y femenino. The spirit of this precept is conservation of energy for the purpose of spiritual practice. El espíritu de este precepto es la conservación de la energía con el fin de la práctica espiritual. This includes not only sexual restraint, but protecting our energy for instance by avoiding endless chattering with no clear purpose. Esto incluye la moderación, no sólo sexual, sino la protección de nuestra energía, por ejemplo, evitando el parloteo sin fin, sin un propósito claro.

• • Aparigraha — Abstention from greed. Aparigraha – Abstenerse de la codicia. Not coveting that which is not ours. No codiciar lo que no es la nuestra. Avoidance of unnecessary acquisition of objects not essential to maintaining life or spiritual study. Prevención de la adquisición innecesaria de los objetos no esenciales para mantener la vida o estudio espiritual.

• • Niyama:   Precepts of Invididual Discipline Niyama: Preceptos de Invididual Disciplina

• • Sauca — Cleanliness. Sauca – Limpieza. Not only external cleanliness of the body, but attending to internal cleanliness such as avoiding the impurities of anger and egoism. No sólo la limpieza externa del cuerpo, pero que asisten a la limpieza interna, tales como evitar las impurezas de la ira y el egoísmo. Moderation in diet. La moderación en la dieta.

• • Santosa — Contentment. Santosa – Contento. Not spiritual complacency, but acceptance of the external situation we are allotted in this life.

    No es la complacencia espiritual, pero la aceptación de la situación externa que se asignan en esta vida.

• • Tapas — Austerity. Tapas – Austeridad. Deep commitment to our yoga practice. Profundo compromiso con nuestra práctica de yoga. “Blazing practice with religious fervor.” “Blazing práctica con fervor religioso.”

• • Svadhyaya — Self-study. Svadhyaya – Auto-estudio. Spiritual self-education. Yo espiritual, la educación. Contemplation and application of the scriptures or sacred texts of our chosen path. La contemplación y la aplicación de las escrituras o textos sagrados de nuestro camino.

• • Isvara pranidhana — Surrender of the self to God. Pranidhana Isvara – La entrega de sí a Dios. Acknowledgement that there is a higher principle in the universe than one’s own small self. El reconocimiento de que existe un principio superior en el universo que uno mismo propia pequeña. Modesty. Modestia. Humility. Humildad.

At first glance, saucha looks quite easy.  Saucha simply means “cleanliness”.  However, it goes beyond merely having good hygiene and keeping your home clean.  Saucha is more about feeling gratitude for your environment, and ultimately for all of creation.  It’s about keeping your energy fresh and uplifted.  I love what Aadil wrote about saucha:  “To become cleaner is to become lighter, to become brighter, to shed a layer of yesterday and become more present in the moment.”  This is crucial to progress on the path of yoga.

Here are some ways to practice saucha in your life.  Pick one or two, then try it for 21 days to see how you feel.  Focus not only on your physical body, but the way you feel inside.  Ask yourself how your attitude towards life, toward your home, toward yourself has changed.  Come back an post your experiences, and feel free to add your own ways to practice saucha!

• When you enter your home, leave your shoes outside.
• Wash your hands immediately upon entering your home.
• Shower as soon as you get home for the day.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Eat organic food.
• Keep your car clean.
• Keep your bathroom spotless.
• Keep your fingernails and toenails clean.
• Always wear freshly washed clothing.
• Use non-toxic household cleaners.

En vändning i mitt yogaliv kom när för 2,5 år sen gick en kurs i “Yoga som livstil och andlig disciplin” med Swami Maitreyi, en lärare från Satyananda-traditionen. Det var två heldagsseminarier och så fick vi ett kompendie där vi varje dag under 60 dagar skulle praktisera asana, sjunga mantran och reflektera över yogiska begrepp. Mina kollegor hade väldigt roligt åt mina kom ihåg-lappar som jag hade i fickan för att komma ihåg att reflektera över dagens uppgift…

Kursen fick mig att inse att i yogafilosofin finns allt redan. Det var häftigt att se att de mänskliga behoven och frågorna om livet och lycka är desamma nu som för 2000 år sen och att allt det jag läst och gått kurser om i personlig utveckling finns inom yogan.  Att försöka ha ett yogiskt tankesätt och förhållande till allt jag gör i vardagen har sedan dess varit viktigt för mig. Och även om det är svårt, mycket svårt, så har jag kommit en kort, kort bit på vägen.

Patanjali

De yogiska begrepp vi reflekterade över var bland annat Yamas och Niyamas, moraliska regler for att leva yogiskt – en slags yogans uppförandekod. De finns i Patanjalis Yoga sutras, som är 196 verser som beskriver yogans mål, praktik, psykiska krafter och hur man når frihet. De lärde tvistar om när Patanjali levde, men de flesta verkar enas om 400 fKr, och om sanningen ska fram är man inte helt säker på om Yoga Sutras skrevs av Patanjali, eller vem han var. Men det spelar kanske ingen roll? Det är en spännande (fast svår) text och här beskrivs yogan för första är det första gången ordentligt.

Vad är då Yamas och Niyamas?
Yamas är vårt förhållande till andra i våra handlingar, tankar och tal:
Ahimsa – ickevåld
Satya – sanningsenlighet
Asteya – att inte stjäla
Brahmacharya – måttlighet i vårt agerande, självdisciplin
Aparigraha – inte vara girig, inte samla på sig

Niyamas är våra attityder mot oss själva:
Saucha – renlighet
Santosha – förnöjsamhet
Tapa – ihärdighet, brinnande entusiasm, enkelhet
Swadhyaya – studier i självkännedom
Ishvara pranidhana – hängivet överlämna sig till det gudomliga

Att reflektera över yamas och niyamas är ett otroligt bra sätt att få in yogan i vardagen, så nu är det dags att ta tag i det igen. I bloggform. Framöver…