The Yamas and Niyamas as outlined in Maharishi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are considered to be the foundation of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Yoga Sutras as a whole can teach us how our consciousness and understanding of ourselves and others evolves overtime. It provides necessary insight and understanding into the realm of human existence and provides us with a roadmap in which to journey through life. The Yamas & Niyamas are like the road itself; paved, stable and hopefully, not full of potholes or traffic cones! Sometimes we may veer off of the path and feel as though we are wandering aimlessly through the wilderness with no direction. The good news is that we may call upon our internal guiding light at any time. This is the 5th Niyama of Isvarapranidhana (surrender to Divine will; call upon a power greater than ourselves). These internal reference points guide us away from what may cause us harm and toward that which is good and right for our overall health, happiness and conscious evolution. They make us fit for the path of yoga and exploration of the higher aspects of our inward reality.
In the Video lesson Yama & Niyama, the Foundation of Yoga, We emphasize the importance of this concept as a key that unlocks the door to our understanding of the unity in all things. In our What is Yoga lesson, we explain that yoga can be thought of as moving away from our reptilian brain to our more conscious brain. This is by way of observing Yama & Niyama. For example, it is virtuous for an animal to attack in order to survive but it is not always true for the human being. It is based on the circumstance of course. It may be right for a person to defend themselves, therefore, not allowing others to be violent towards them.
Yama is the process of restraining the reptilian and mammalian brain while Niyama is moving us toward our neocortex, human brain and higher consciousness. First we have to know what not to do, then make the conscious choice to do what is right.
Know that Yama & Niyama are a three-way street:
- How we treat others
- How we allows others to treat us (our use of boundaries)
- How we treat ourselves (self-worth)
We discuss each Yama and Niyama in detail within the courses and reflect upon how they apply in our own lives. There will be many thought exercises and journaling activities to come!
Start your journey today by enrolling in the Foundation One Course!
