Niyamas

The Niyamas

The word "Niyamas" can mean "rules" or "habits" for living more harmoniously with oneself. These are recommended practices for a healthy and holistic life. To fully benefit from the Niyamas, it's important to integrate them into our daily routine.

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Shaucha - Cleanliness

Shaucha is the practice of both mental and physical cleanliness. Physical practice includes habits of hygiene that keep your body and living space clean. Mental cleanliness involves avoiding or eliminating negative intentions, harmful thoughts, and unnecessary emotions. Practicing Shaucha naturally brings more peace and satisfaction, potentially leading to deeper meditative states.

Examples for Practicing Shaucha:

• Keep your environment and physical body clean.
• Avoid things that might be impure, such as toxic products, and take precautions against infections.
• Make wise choices regarding food and drink to help your body’s natural waste elimination process.
• Meditate or spend time quietly in nature to allow your mind to calm.

Mental and physical cleanliness habits should be practiced daily. Just as neglecting to bathe for a week would have noticeable effects, the same applies to mental hygiene. It's important to do something positive and calming for the mind every day, even if only for a few minutes.

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Santosha - Contentment

Santosha means contentment, but it doesn’t imply practicing blind gratitude without seeking change. Practicing Santosha involves being happy and grateful for what we have while working towards what we desire. It also doesn’t mean accepting harmful situations. In some cases, the best way to practice Santosha is by leaving an unfavorable environment to create new, positive circumstances.

Examples for Practicing Santosha:

• Feel gratitude for what you have while pursuing growth and change.
• For instance, if you want to change jobs, be thankful for your current job, the salary that pays your bills, and other positive aspects. Simultaneously, network or seek training that could lead to a better position.

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Tapas - Self-Discipline

Tapas involves practicing self-restraint to improve discipline. This practice helps us learn not to give up when faced with challenges. The goal of Tapas is to gradually reduce and control our bad habits. While monks may practice extreme forms of discipline, ordinary individuals can engage in Tapas without giving up all possessions or meditating for hours in harsh conditions. Practicing Tapas means doing things that aren't always fun, easy, or immediately rewarding. These can be important tasks or small actions that are easier to overlook.

Examples for Practicing Tapas:

• Attempt a challenging yoga pose or task that you tend to avoid.
• Limit negative thoughts so they don't prevent you from trying difficult things.
• Practice a new skill repeatedly to improve.
• Accept that progress takes time and commit to it, such as adopting a healthier diet.
• Regularly complete beneficial tasks, even if they are boring or inconvenient—studying, writing, exercising, or going to bed earlier.

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Swadhyaya - Self-Study

Swadhyaya means contemplating and meditating on the Self, the core of our being. It involves the process of learning—or striving to learn—who we truly are. Understanding our true inner self helps us gain a sense of direction and purpose, bringing us closer to enlightenment.

‍Examples for Practicing Swadhyaya:

• Take time each day for self-reflection.
• Ask yourself questions like: Who am I? What am I feeling right now? Why do I feel this way? How did I react to something that happened today, and why?
• Avoid self-criticism and judgment. Negative thoughts about ourselves are harmful. Practicing respect and honoring what we discover through self-study is a way to incorporate both Saucha (mental cleanliness) and Ahimsa (the Yama of non-harm).

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Ishvarapranidhana - Connection to Something Higher

Each individual has their own idea of what is divine. For many, this might be a god—Krishna, Allah, the father of Jesus, or any other deity you consider the greatest. It might not be a named god at all. Perhaps you believe that nature is the highest divine presence in your life. Ishvara is whatever you believe in and have faith in. Pranidhana means connected. It’s about a constant awareness, knowing that the Ishvara entity is always present in our lives. Instead of calling upon our divine entity only when we have a problem, we should be mindful and connected to it at all times. This constant connection helps us understand our purpose in life.

Examples for Practicing Ishvarapranidhana:

• The most important aspect of practicing Ishvara Pranidhana is ensuring you have a regular daily routine that includes expressing this connection. If we only remember this connection when we have problems, we are not truly practicing Ishvarapranidhana. By making this connection genuine and constant, our lives will benefit.

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Exercises to Apply the Niyamas in Your Daily Life:

1) Rank the Niyamas: Arrange the niyamas from 1 to 5, with 1 being the one you most want to improve.

2) Identify Areas for Growth: For each niyama, list 2-3 specific aspects you want to work on to improve them.

3) Take Action: Over the next few days, focus on one of these aspects and actively work on it.

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