Tag: yoga

Niyamas – Saucha

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Saucha is the first of five Niyamas in the 8 limbs of yoga. When we talk about the Niyamas we talk about practices regarding ourselves. The word Niyama is often translated as ‘positive duties’.

In the second book of the Yoga Sutras, sutra no. 40 it says:

“By purification arises disgust for ones own body and for contact with other bodies”

A sentence that may seem scary, but let me elaborate. When purity is observed one will feel that even our own body is unclean. Impurities are eliminated every second. Through the breath we excrete carbon dioxide and through the skin comes sweat and then we have urine, feces and saliva. No matter how much perfume we put on, it only hides the impurities. No matter how well we try to hide it, it will come back. By realizing this, we create a new relationship with the body. We do not neglect it, but our bodily focus will disappear. Our attractions for other bodies will diminish, which will save us a lot of time and energy. As we spend more time on deeper aspects of life than our bodies, and go into the spiritual, we will gain an understanding that we are not our bodies. The real unity is not created between two bodies. What we call a masculine and feminine body are just two different pieces of meat. We will not achieve nirvana by putting two pieces of meat together.

People misunderstand Tantra yoga as something that has to do with sexual unity. In the Tibetan tantric system, shiva and sakti are discussed – where shiva is the masculine aspect and sakti the feminine. It is not about our physical form, but about the positive and negative forces in each individual. In hatha yoga we call it sun and moon. Ha means sun; tha means moon. The inner sun is in our solar plexus; the moon is at the base of our spine. To be united, these must come together. This is known as the ‘Prana-Apana union’. The energy that flows down must turn up and be returned to its source. The heat produced in meditation rises and affects certain glands, which then produce ‘nectar juice’. This flow from the bottom of our spine through the nerves, builds them up, makes them more alive and helps them become almost immortal. The word nectar (amrta in Sanskrit) means ‘immortal’. The body will be filled with light (ojas and tejas and will be converted into a ‘yogic body’).

The second book of the Yoga Sutras, Sutra No. 41 states:

“Moreover, one gains purity of sattva, cheerfulness of mind, one-pointedness, mastery over the senses and fitness for Self-realization.”

First you understand the body, then the heart becomes pure as well. When your heart is pure, you are always happy. Concentration of the mind happens automatically, without you having to try. Only an unclean mind runs from end to end, forcing us to bring it back again and again. The senses are also controlled and then comes ‘atma sarsana yogyatvani’, ready for Self-realization. These are all benefits of following Niyama’s first compliance.

Yamas – Aparigraha

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Aparigraha is the fifth and last of the five yamas in the 8 limbs of yoga. It means non-greed, non-possessiveness and/or non-attachment. The essence of this yama is to take only what we need, keep only what serves us in the moment, and let go when the time is right.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says ‘Let your concern be with action alone, and never with the fruit of action. Do not let the result of action be your motive, and do not be attached to inaction’.

If we do things because they are the right things to do, the outcome does not really matter.

The second book of the Yoga Sutras, sutra no. 39 states:

“When non-greed is confirmed, a thorough illumination of the how and why of one’s birth comes.”

Greed and gathering of things you do not really need reinforces the feeling that life is not already complete. This is also about receiving gifts. Often when you receive a gift, it comes with an underlying expectation that ‘since you received it, you can do something for me’. By receiving gifts, we often bind ourselves and lose our neutrality. If, on the other hand, we are strong enough to withstand the “obligation” we can receive gifts. This obligation can often be very subtle and difficult to detect. As we have seen in the other Yamas, it is not just about the materialistic things, but it could also be about our behaviour. We can be greedy for attention, affirmation, love, compassion etc. If we dont find fulfilment within ourselves we will start looking outwards, and since this will only give us temporary effects, we become greedy for more. 

The vast majority of us have much more than we need. We keep things longer than we need, and we collect more than we need. There are several reasons why we have things we do not need. Some things have sentimental value, other things remind us of something from our past, other things we have not used in 20 years, but it could be that some time in the future, we would need them again, or maybe it’s just nice to have.

Yamas – Brahmacharya

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Brahmacharya is the fourth yama in the 8 limbs of yoga. It means ‘right use of energy’, and often translated to celibacy. It actually translate to ‘behaviour that leads to brahman’ which in other words mean behaviour that leads to a higher power/the divine/god.

The second book of the Yoga Sutras, sutra no. 38 states:

“By one established in continence, visor is gained”

Brahmacharya means ‘the way to the Divine’. We are all looking for happiness and joy, whether it is consciously or unconsciously. When we do not find it, we often settle for pleasure. Pleasure can be beautiful but is very limited. The deeper we go into pleasure, the deeper we attach ourselves to it. If the thing or person you have attached yourself to is taken from you, you will be crushed. When we live in this way, our existence becomes one of great attachments, which creates a lot of suffering. When one practices brahmacharya, it means that we are not setteling with pleasure, but rather want to find the source of inner happiness.

In brahamacharya, it is the sexual temptations that are most talked about. Maybe it’s because they are the hardest temptations to resist, or maybe it’s because it’s the biggest pitfall. Many people associate brahmacharya with celibacy, but it is mainly about having self-discipline to resist pleasure because one has a desire to achieve something greater.

Brahmacharya challenges us to make more conscious choices and to be more present in what we do and why we do it.

The reason why sex can be a big pitfall is because here one will be very deeply involved and therefore it creates very large amounts of karma. By conserving our sexual energy, we also preserve not only physical energy, but also mental, moral, intellectual and spiritual energy. When this energy is preserved, it is transformed into a subtle energy (ojas), which tones the whole personality, builds nerves, improves brain power and calms the mind. This energy again is what becomes our glow or aura.

Yamas – Asteya

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Asteya, the third yama in the 8 limbs of yoga. It means non-stealing. It sounds simple, but its because we usually think of stealing in the terms of materialism only. There are so many other things we can steal. Attention, credit, space, time, peace and so on.

When we look at Asteya it relates to behaviour caused by thoughts, or fluctations of the mind(Vritti). ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I don’t have enough’. The practice of yoga is about uniting and in many ways becoming whole.

In the second book of the Yoga Sutras, Sutra No. 37:

“To one established in non-stealing, all wealth comes.”

When we talk about stealing, we look at it from a deeper perspective than from society’s constructions. On a universal level, everything you take, without giving anything back is stealing. It could be the neighbor’s car, a bar of chocolate from the store, a flower from the meadow or a breath of fresh air. In order for us to survive, we have to take resources from nature, either directly or indirectly. When you just take without giving anything back, we carry an attitude where we take it for granted and that our life is more important than other forms of life. If we are to synchronize with unity, this attitude must go away. It’s not about counting every breath and making sure we give back what we owe, but if we find gratitude for everything that is available to us, we will naturally find a way to repay it. Without food, it is said that people die after approx. 30 days, without water it can happen in less than a week, and without air we only talk about minutes. Being aware of how fragile our lives are and how dependable we are can bring tremendous gratitude. By integrating gratitude into life, giving back will happen effortlessly, and our lives will become lives of service to others. 



Yamas – Ahimsa

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Within the 8 limbs of yoga, the first limb is called Yamas which means ‘control’ and represent a series of ethical guidelines. There are five yamas, where the first is called Ahimsa.

Ahimsa means non-violence or non-harm and should be applied to every living being, including oneself. It may be harming thoughts, behaviour or how we speak. Sometimes we cause harm indirectly, which is why many yogis become vegetarian or vegan. Some of the things we buy may often cause harm to the planet as well, so buying local and organic food is also a way of practicing Ahimsa.

As we reflect over our own behaviour, we may become aware of the fact that we are the cause of harm or violence to some degree. With this awareness you can react with guilt and shame, which is just another way of causing harm, or you can respond with compassion and forgiveness and choose to move forward in that direction.

As a yoga teacher I see a lot of people who try to push their bodies into postures that their body simply isn’t ready for. This is a way of causing harm too, but its not the only way people harm their bodies while practicing asanas. When your mind wanders your awareness of your body fades and so you don’t even notice that you’re harming yourself. Awareness is key!

Mahatma Gandhi was a great yogi who was and is still known for his devotion to Ahimsa. He said, “Truth is my religion and ahimsa is the only way of its realisation”.

In the second book of the Yoga Sutras, sutra nr. 34 says:

“When negative thoughts or acts such as violence, etc. are done, caused to be done or even approved of- whether incited by greed, anger or infatuation- whether indulged in with mild, medium or extreme intensity, they are based on ignorance and bring certain pain. Reflecting upon this is also pratipaksas bhavana.“

In the second book of the Yoga Sutras, sutra nr. 35 says:


“In the presence of one firmly established in nonviolence, all hostilities cease”