Yama and Niyama two pillars of Yoga practice

The profound journey of Yoga begins with two key principles, Yam and Niyam, from Sage Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. These principles form the initial steps of an arduous 8-fold path aimed at liberating us from suffering. Yam focuses on virtuous qualities, while Niyam emphasizes disciplined practices that should be upheld throughout our lives.

Let’s delve into these ten techniques and uncover their relevance in facing the current pandemic.

Yam – The Great Virtues:

a) Ahimsa – Ahimsa, meaning non-violence, is the embodiment of pure love for all beings. When love prevails, harm dissipates.

b) Satya – Satya, or truthfulness, can be practiced simply by relinquishing the habit of lying.

c) Asteya – Asteya, the opposite of theft, calls for honesty and refraining from taking what doesn’t belong to us.

d) Brahmacharya – Brahmacharya advocates abstinence, providing vitality and replacing weakness with resilience on the demanding path of Yoga.

e) Aparigraha – Aparigraha is the absence of greed, curbing the tendency to accumulate worldly possessions and experiences.

Niyam – The Great Disciplines:

a) Sauca – Sauca emphasizes cleanliness, both externally by maintaining hygiene and social distancing, and internally through the use of mantras, meditation, and prayers.

b) Santosa – Santosa is contentment, finding comfort and fulfillment with what we have. The true wealth lies in contentment.

c) Tapas – Tapas involves constant effort to purify our physical and mental systems, nurturing beneficial habits such as balanced sleep, exercise, nutrition, work, and relaxation.

d) Svadhyaya – Svadhyaya encourages self-study and being well-informed, fostering receptivity, stillness, and silence through the acquisition of Vedic wisdom and self-realization.

c) Isvarapranidhana – Isvarapranidhana is the reverence for a higher intelligence and the acceptance of our limitations in relation to the all-knowing divine.

While Yam involves refraining from certain actions, Niyam requires regular practice in all circumstances. In the face of the pandemic, two formidable tools from this ancient wisdom are Sauca and Tapas. By embracing cleanliness, hygiene, social distancing, and adopting a nutritious diet with regular exercise, we can triumph over the virus. However, let us not forget that adherence to all ten principles of Yam and Niyam is essential to prevent future suffering.

May the profound teachings of Yoga guide us towards health, resilience, and an enlightened existence