The Second Limb of Yoga: The niyamas

Last week, we completed the discussion of the five yamas: Nonviolence (ahimsa), Truthfulness (satya), Non-stealing (asteya), non-excess (brahmacharya), and non-possessiveness (aparigraha). These are the behaviors we use to self-govern our connections to others. Today, we move on to the second limb of yoga, the five niyamas. Carolyn Seiberling suggests that "practicing the niyamas is a spa day for the soul." I agree. Yet it does take practice Practice, practice, practice to imbue these principles into your daily life.

Where the yamas are more about things we should not be doing (restraints, shall nots), the niyamas are the things we should be doing (shalls). Where the yamas are about our interactions with the connections outside ourselves, the niyamas are the ethical practices that nurture us internally. The niyamas are all about the inner practice. This week we start with saucha.

Purity: Saucha

The first niyama gem is saucha, which translates to cleanliness or purity. Saucha is associated with order. By keeping your home clean, your car washed and your mind clear, saucha provides order to ensure purity of your personal inner workings. It provides the clarity of your mind. Saucha is about clarifying body, mind and spirit. Saucha is essential for a happy and healthy life.

As we bring saucha into our lives physically and mentally, chaos begins to melt away and becomes a lighter burden to carry.

"Purification brings about a brightness and clarity to our essence." Deborah Adele

Saucha in the Body

Physically, saucha refers to that which we inhale through the nose and/or take into our mouths. That is the food and the air we breathe should be as pure as possible to sustain life in an ordered, uncluttered manner.

"As we purify ourselves from the heaviness and clutter of toxins, distractions, and scatteredness, we gain clarity to meet each moment with integrity and freshness. We become [purer] in how we relate [to] each moment." (Adele).

This can mean that a healthy intake may be the foods that are easiest for your body to process (Seiberling). I recommend that when you shop for food, read labels. Maybe select the product with the least amount of ingredients (i.e., preservatives) or the one that omits an ingredient that your body is sensitive to. Watching your nutrient intake helps to purify your body by minimizing exposure to that which is toxic to you.

Physical purity also refers to the physical orderliness and cleanliness of our surroundings. Before starting a yoga or meditation practice, begin with uncluttered clean surroundings to get the most benefit from your practice. It is easier to focus the mind when physical surroundings are clean (Seiberling). For example, I have a million and one (exaggerated, of course!) yoga props, that are generally scattered around my mat so I can grab them at any time. Yet, I attempt to put them away into a large hamper that I keep in my closet. Before I start my next practice, I feel much more organized, clean and more creative with my practice. An posture yoga practice that is safe for you is also a method of purifying the body.

Purity in Thought and Spirit

"Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well." -- Mohandas K. Gandhi

We can interpret from this simple, yet brilliant quote, that when we take steps on this journey of purification we must work on keeping our thoughts and mind clear, since that will make every other activity that much easier to do.

Purifying our thoughts helps us to be in the moment. In this case, saucha means thinking in the positive. We make choices at every moment and by basing our thoughts on positivity will have a pure effect on how we behave to ourselves and toward others (Newlen).

One way to help with saucha is with a yoga nidra meditation. Yoga nidra helps to purify your thoughts by allowing the tensions of your life and body to release and let go.

References:
Adele, D. (2009). The yamas & niyamas: exploring yoga's ethical practice. On-Word Bound Books. Kindle Edition.
Newlyn, E. (2022). The Niyamas – Bringing saucha into your life. Retrieved from Ekhart Yoga.
Seiberling, C. (2018). Yoga's yamas and niyamas 10 principles for peace & purpose. Kindle Edition.

Upcoming Classes

Yoga nidra classes continue online at 7:30 ET Monday nights. Join me tonight for a beautiful relaxing journey that will help you to heal, relax, and de-stress for an hour. Tonight we will be doing a to a fruit orchard.

Yoga for Organizations

Using yoga and meditation techniques, I am available to support an organization's institutional mission and values tailored to the needs of employees. Meditation and yogic exercise have been shown to promote wellness that boosts employee morale, effectiveness, and productivity (Sheelu, Garg, & Rastogi, 2022). If you know someone who may be interested in setting up a meditation or yoga class for a retreat or as a regular amenity or employee benefit in their organization please forward this link to them.

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If we take good care of ourselves, we help everyone. -- Thich Nhat Hanh