Our daily choices create effects in the world that we may never know. This may be the most important reason for embarking on a path of awakening. When we are conscious of our motivations, we can choose wisely. When we choose wisely, our lives and the lives of those around us are more harmonious. We cannot know how many lives we nourish by living consciously.
Just as we can see to the bottom of a lake when its water is still, when we quiet the mind we see the situations that arise in our lives with greater clarity and can make wiser choices.
The yamas are guidelines, a framework from which we can begin a process of inquiry. They are not commandments, nor are they intended to be followed mechanically. Practicing the yamas simply because they are written in the Yoga Sutra does not lead us to greater wisdom. Understanding of the yamas comes from considering them in the context of each situation that arises in our lives and being mindful of the consequences of our actions.
As in all other practices, we will sometimes stumble or fall. Conscious reflection helps us to see where we might have altered our behavior. The yamas are like any other skill we want to develop: we must practice. Over time, with conscious practice, our understanding of the yamas becomes more refined.
When people embark upon a formal Buddhist practice, they begin by committing to follow the five ethical precepts outlined by the Buddha. In the same way, as we commit to practice yoga we can set the intention to let the yamas guide our life choices. Jack Kornfield describes the evolutionary process of practicing the precepts: “At first, precepts are a practice. Then they become a necessity, and finally they become a joy. When our heart is awakened, they spontaneously illuminate our way in the world. This is called Shining Virtue. The light around someone who speaks truth, who consistently acts with compassion for all, even in great difficulty, is visible to all around them.”
Intention is the impulse that precedes all action and colors everything we undertake. When we see our intentions clearly, we can more easily determine whether actions we are considering will bring happiness or harm.
the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The yamas can be seen as specific guidelines that teach us how to practice this universal precept. When we are faced with a moral question in our lives, it can be helpful to consider the possible viewpoints of all beings involved. The next time you have a difficult decision to make that will affect someone else, put yourself in the other person’s place. When you reverse your perspective, note what you feel. What emotions arise? Can you accomplish what you want in a way that is sensitive to the needs of everyone? Changing your viewpoint can help you clarify a skillful course of action.
We are not alone in this world, and everything we do has an impact. Being aware of the yamas and solidifying our intention to practice from their foundation allows us to live wisely and compassionately. The fruit borne through actions rooted in the yamas is sweet, nourishing the earth and all its inhabitants.
When we cultivate the niyamas, we clear our environment as well as our bodies and minds of those qualities that create agitation, while we strengthen those qualities that uncover our essential quiet mind.
The second limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is niyama, five daily practices which taken together form a solid, fertile foundation in which to cultivate the settled mind. They are shaucha, purity; santosha, cultivation of contentment; tapas, simplicity, discipline, or enthusiasm; svadhyaya, self-study and the study of sacred literature; and Ishvara pranidhana, surrender to grace.
The niyamas are practices that help us clean and cultivate our physical, mental, and emotional palates. When we tend a garden by feeding and watering the plants we wish to cultivate, and weeding out those that compete for nutrients in the soil, our chosen plants grow strong and healthy. In the same way, when we cultivate the niyamas, we clear our environment as well as our bodies and minds of those qualities that create agitation, while we strengthen those qualities that uncover our essential quiet mind.
“Patanjali has offered us guidelines that will allow us to have enhanced emotional and mental well-being and a more fulfilling and meaningful life,”
Much is contained within this ultimate guide to virtuous transformation, including the eightfold path of classical yoga (or ashtanga yoga), which suggests a program of ethical restraints or abstentions (yamas), lifestyle observances (niyamas), postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and absorption into the Divine (samadhi). They are designed to lead you, step-by-step, toward everlasting contentment.
Patanjali doesn’t tell you how specifically to “do” the yama and niyama—that’s up to you. But if you align your life with them, they’ll lead you to your highest aspirations: peace, truth, abundance, harmonious relationships, contentment, purity, self-acceptance, love, and meaningful connection to the Divine—the essence of happiness.
Rather than thinking of the yama and niyama as a mandatory “to-do list,” view them as invitations to act in ways that promote inner and outer peace and bliss. They also provide a mirror in which to study your practice and your Self. they represent the qualities of an integrated human being. You get there through practice, contemplation, meditation, and working to transform yourself. “The path of practice begins with understanding and refining the different dimensions of who you are, and it unfolds progressively, not all at once,” says Kraftsow. “The whole goal of yoga is Self-realization, which can also be called freedom.” The yama and niyama give you infinite opportunities to truly transform your life.
