| Yama and Niyama, the misunderstood yoga | | | | corner. It just doesn't work like that, and I find it |
| I think nothing about yoga could be more sadly | | | | very sadly unnecessary. |
| misunderstood than the principles of Yama and | | | | Back in those days I told a friend that my take |
| Niyama. As you may already know, according to | | | | on the various limbs of yoga was that "meditation |
| an ancient and widely accepted system set down | | | | is what really gets us to the goal and the other |
| by the yogi Pantanjali, there are 8 "limbs" | | | | stuff just makes the journey more comfortable". |
| (astanga) of yoga, which are arranged in an order | | | | His response surprised me. He said he always felt |
| suggesting that they might be steps towards the | | | | that "Asanas are the practice that gets one to |
| ultimate goal of union with God. Considering that | | | | enlightenment and meditation only gives us a |
| the translation of the sanskrit word "yoga" is | | | | glimpse of the goal." Well.... nowadays I think a |
| "union", that assumption seems reasonable. | | | | strong case can be made for yama and niyama |
| Problems arise however in the assumption that | | | | being the practices that actually get us to |
| the beginning limbs/steps of yoga are more easily | | | | enlightenment and the other limbs only serve to |
| understood. They are certainly the most familiar | | | | flesh out the basic structure set down in yama |
| concepts to us: the first limb being moral | | | | and niyama. What more could there be to spiritual |
| restrictions and the last limb being complete | | | | life than Yama and Niyama? Of course the other |
| merger with God. | | | | limbs of yoga are very important. They are the |
| The entire list is: | | | | nuts and bolts, the "how to" of the various points |
| Yama (moral restrictions; "don'ts") | | | | of Yama and Niyama. Similarly, within each of |
| Niyama (encouraged daily behaviors; "dos") | | | | these other limbs (asanas, pranayama etc) there |
| Asanas (special yogic physical exercises) | | | | is an ocean of knowledge which must be acquired |
| Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) | | | | from a competent teacher. |
| Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from the 5 | | | | So, Yama and Niyama are an indispensable base; |
| senses) | | | | furthermore an integral part and starting point of |
| Dhahran (concentration exercises) | | | | yoga, but in those roles they needn't be seen as |
| Dhyana (contemplation of God) | | | | an unfortunate impediment to juicing the joy out |
| Samadhi (union with God) | | | | of yoga. If you check the list of exercise classes |
| Surprisingly, to me the order suggests levels of | | | | at any local gym you will certainly find an asana |
| *decreasing* likelihood of misunderstanding what | | | | class, but I doubt you will find a class on Yama |
| the limb is all about, but for the moment let me | | | | and Niyama. You won't even find one at your |
| focus on Yama and Niyama for a couple of | | | | neighborhood yoga school, and that is kind of sad |
| reasons: | | | | to me, because there is so much joy hidden in |
| A. Practicing them is absolutely crucial to making | | | | Yama and Niyama. |
| any progress in yoga | | | | I know many men and women who have been |
| B. A proper understanding of how they work can | | | | regular meditating, asana-performing, vegetarians |
| alleviate a lot of unnecessary fear about them | | | | for 30 years or more and seem no happier or |
| Yama yoga consists of 5 things that a yogi should | | | | healthier than the meat-eating, couch potatoes |
| not do if he wants to get anywhere with his | | | | living next door to them. How the heck can that |
| yoga. | | | | be? Did the peace, love and yoga revolution of |
| 1. Don't hurt anyone (includes thoughts and words | | | | the 70s send us on a wild goose chase? Few of |
| as well as physical actions) | | | | us would say that I think, so what is the problem |
| 2. Don't lie for personal gain (also includes | | | | then? I used to think it was a lack of |
| thoughts) | | | | determination, but now I think it is a |
| 3. Don't take property that belongs to others | | | | misunderstanding of Yama and Niyama. Nothing |
| (also includes thoughts and words) | | | | can trip up a yogi more than a less than crystal |
| 4. Don't hoard unneeded things (also includes | | | | clear understanding of the liberating effects of |
| thoughts and words) | | | | Yama and Niyama. Determination is certainly |
| 5. Don't seek personal pleasure from the world | | | | required, but in order to make progress we must |
| (also includes thoughts and words) | | | | see results. What sort of results? The same sort |
| Niyama yoga consists of 5 things that a yogi | | | | of results we have come to expect from a great |
| SHOULD do if he wants to get enlightened | | | | meditation: peace, clarity, wisdom, a huge wave |
| 1. Do keep your body, mind and environment | | | | of relief and dare I say "bliss?" These are our |
| clean (includes thoughts and words) | | | | birth right, and the benchmark of a great |
| 2 Do maintain a peaceful/cheerful mental state | | | | meditation, but this same joy and peace is right |
| (obviously includes thoughts and words) | | | | there for us the moment we deeply grasp the |
| 3. Do study spiritual books (ideally involves | | | | meaning of ahimsa (non-injury; the first point of |
| thoughts, words and action) | | | | Yama). We might meditate in vain for hours on |
| 4. Do make personal sacrifices for the welfare of | | | | end accomplishing nothing more than wearing a |
| others (includes thoughts and words) | | | | painful spot into our psyche rehashing for the |
| 5. Do make God the purpose of your life | | | | hundredth time how we might have avoided |
| (obviously involves thoughts, words, and action) | | | | getting insulted at the office last week; or we |
| There are already plenty of books going into | | | | might spend the time cleaning up a cluttered |
| great detail on these points. My purpose is only to | | | | room, discover a plant in need of water and |
| point out something about these "rules" that I feel | | | | thereby discover our true nature in a moment of |
| has been sadly overlooked, and that is the | | | | peaceful clarity. |
| tremendously liberating effect they can have. My | | | | Now, if any of this has struck a chord with you, I |
| guru often said "a yogis is a practical man," and all | | | | heartily recommend going back to the beginning |
| the limbs of yoga are part of a scientific system | | | | of this essay, finding the part where I listed the 5 |
| designed to bring great joy to the practitioner, | | | | principles of Yama and the 5 principles of Niyama |
| not frustration and guilt. Yama and Niyama are | | | | and giving them a good going over, noting in |
| not a set of rules set up to make life more | | | | particular my parenthetical comments. See if |
| convenient for parents, teachers and heads of | | | | anything clicks for you. Also, it might be better to |
| state. They are a direct tool for the liberation of | | | | think of yama and niyama as practices rather |
| true intellect. And most amazing of all is that the | | | | than principles. They make up 2 of the 8 limbs of |
| effects are immediate; assuming you really "get" | | | | yoga. If my math is correct, that is 25% of the |
| the principles and practice them in your life. One | | | | entire body of knowledge we call yoga, and it is |
| of the areas where most religion has failed us is | | | | called yoga for a reason. That reason being that it |
| giving us the notion that if we behave properly | | | | is a science, a very practical and exacting science. |
| now, we will reap the benefits somewhere way | | | | Heck, let's call it technology. It is a bunch of |
| down the road. To paraphrase: good behavior | | | | techniques; very specific techniques with |
| now will give us only frustration in this life and we | | | | predicable outcomes and that is just as true for |
| are left to hope that a reward will come in the | | | | yama and niyama as it is the deepest meditations. |
| afterlife. Some people find comfort in that; most | | | | When I first really witnessed ahimsa in action, I |
| folks, however, are looking for more from life | | | | felt like I was having a personal consultation with |
| than that way of thinking can offer us, resulting in | | | | God. |
| the completely unnecessary lack of popularity of | | | | As children, our first experiences of morality were |
| religion these days. | | | | tragic. Parents, teachers, religious and political |
| Back in the 60s and 70s when Eastern religion | | | | leaders all exploiting moral principles and our |
| became very popular in the West, young people | | | | biological tendency towards guilt to manipulate us |
| got all excited by the more practical possibility of | | | | for their own convenience. It's no surprise that |
| enlightenment, but unfortunately threw the baby | | | | we reach adolescence with aspirations no more |
| out with the bath-water and rushed briskly past | | | | lofty than being free of moral restrictions. Well, I |
| moral principles, so they could quickly get on with | | | | think yoga can offer us much more than that, but |
| the veg diet, fasting, yoga asanas and meditation. | | | | we can't just ignore yama and niyama and expect |
| In my mind, this was a major mistake and | | | | to get enlightened. We need to grasp their true |
| possibly the very reason the whole Eastern | | | | meaning and practical utility in the pursuit of |
| religion boom fizzled out leaving us with nothing | | | | *true* liberation, the realization of God in all things. |
| more than commercial yoga schools on every | | | | Baba Nam Kevalam. |