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Take your Yoga Off the Mat - Yama & Nyama in Action


The word yoga serves as an umbrella to depict various aspects of life: the spiritual, the physical, the everyday behaviors, 
the way we relate to others, and so much more. 
For some, yoga is purely a physical exercise, a way to get stronger, healthier and more flexible; for others it’s meditating each day, and for others it might mean chanting mantras. 
One thing is for sure, yoga serves as a transformative step into a deep sense of wellbeing that goes way beyond the physical, no matter what that may mean for you.
 
Yama and Niyama -described in the yoga sutra of Patanjali are  considered the “rules” of how to be in a constant state of yoga
(union of body/mind and spirit). 
They are defined as a moral code towards yourself and others; 
a way of taking your yoga off the mat and into your life. 
Following the yama and niyama forms the foundation of your entire practice, and honouring these ethics as you walk along life’s journey, means you are always being mindful of each action, and therefore cultivating a more present and aware state of being.  
The Yama are what guide you towards practices that have to do with the world around you, but often you can take them as a guide of how to act towards yourself as well. 

There are five yamas listed in Patanjali’s Sutras
  • Ahimsa: non-harming, non-violence in thought, word. and deed
  • Satya: truthfulness, honesty
  • Asteya: non-stealing, not withholding
  • Brahmacharya: ‘right use of energy’, temperance, self-discipline
 
The word ‘Niyama’often translates as ‘positive duties’ or ‘observances They are positive habits for healthy living and spiritual well-being. 
Think of them as practices concerned with yourself, although of course they affect the outside world, as well. 
Here is Patanjali’s list of the five nyama
  • Saucha: cleanliness of body, mind, and thought 
  • Tapas: discipline, austerity or ‘burning with enthusiasm”
  • Svadhyaya: study of the self and of sacred texts
Having a firm, consistent, and all-around yoga practice expands 
beyond the mat and into your life. 
As this occurs, it’s not just your body that gets worked, expanded and strengthened, but your mind and heart most of all. 
From that state of being, you can move ever closer towards wholeness and unity, and start to not just “do” yoga on the mat, 
but live and breathe it in each present moment, thus feeling the wholeness of being and a deep state of inner peace.
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