{"id":13660,"date":"2024-05-31T04:48:20","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T04:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/?p=13660"},"modified":"2024-06-07T10:00:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T10:00:32","slug":"how-to-practice-yoga-off-the-mat-with-the-niyamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/how-to-practice-yoga-off-the-mat-with-the-niyamas\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Yoga Off the Mat with the Niyamas -Ram Jain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What are the Niyamas?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Meaning \u2018habits\u2019 in Sanskrit, the Niyamas<\/em> are five practices or positive habits for healthy living set out in yoga philosophy. These habits are designed to promote a holistic well-being\u2014mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually\u2014and make up the second limb in Patanjali\u2019s Eight Limbed Path to Enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Practice the Five Niyamas Daily<\/strong>?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although monks followed the\u00a0Niyamas<\/em>\u00a0centuries ago, these age-old actions are still profoundly relevant and beneficial for our well-being\u00a0today. The fundamental principles of\u00a0Niyamas<\/em>\u00a0remain the same, but we can adapt them to fit our unique lifestyles and tap into the same source of health and fulfilment. Below, we will explore the meaning of the Five\u00a0Niyamas<\/em>\u00a0in yoga philosophy as well as simple yet effective ways to incorporate them into our daily lives. Remember that consistency is key; each Niyama needs to be practiced daily to become a habit that creates real and lasting change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Saucha (Cleansing)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first Niyama, Saucha<\/em>, means cleanliness or purification. This not only refers to physical cleanliness, but mental as well. Physically, you can practice Saucha<\/em> by maintaining a clean and organised living space, which helps reduce stress and improve focus. It also involves personal hygiene and choosing wholesome, nourishing foods that cleanse the body from the inside out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to purifying our minds, we practice Saucha<\/em> through daily meditation and mindfulness exercises, which clears the mental clutter. Positive affirmations, chants, and mantras also help calm and clear the mind of negative thoughts. Lastly, avoiding negative influences, whether from social media or in our personal relationships, is crucial to a more balanced and peaceful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Tapas (Self-discipline)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Tapas<\/em> is the third Niyama<\/em>. It revolves around the concept of self-discipline and inner fire, helping us develop perseverance towards our personal growth and goals. This discipline isn\u2019t self-punishment. Rather, it\u2019s making conscious choices that align with our deeper values and long-term well-being, even when they require effort or some discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How you practice Tapas<\/em> will depend on your goals and circumstances. It might mean setting and following a strict routine, whether that\u2019s waking up early, dedicating time to meditation or exercise, or committing to a practice schedule. Essentially, it pushes us to focus on something difficult in our lives with passion and commitment, especially when it\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to the divine)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ishvara Pranidhana<\/em> is maybe the most challenging Niyama<\/em>, representing self-surrender to a higher divine power on a regular basis. In Ishvara Pranidhana,<\/em> we let go of the ego and dedicate ourselves to the divine or to a greater cause beyond our own desires and ambitions. We practice acceptance and understand the complexities of life with faith in divine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ishvara Pranidhana<\/em> may involve traditional religious practices such as prayer or worship to God or a higher power. For others, it might mean dedicating actions and decisions to the greater good, whether that\u2019s through selfless service or volunteering for a charity or a cause you believe in. However you practice it, make sure your connection to this higher power or purpose is genuine and constant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2. Santosha (Contentment)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The second Niyama, Santosha<\/em>, is about finding contentment in our daily lives. This principle encourages us to find satisfaction and happiness in what we have, rather than constantly seeking more or fixating on what’s missing. Practicing Santosha<\/em> can take many forms, but at its core, it’s about promoting a sense of gratitude and peace with the present moment, whether that\u2019s in cleaning the house or receiving a big job promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to integrate Santosha<\/em> into our routine is by starting or ending the day with a gratitude practice, like writing down three things we’re thankful for today. Santosha<\/em> also encourages us to free ourselves of negative self-talk and judgments. This can involve setting aside time for self-reflection, disconnecting from social media at night, or engaging in activities that bring joy and fulfilment without validation from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to note that Santosha<\/em> doesn\u2019t simply mean accepting what you have and never aiming higher. You can be content with your life or a circumstance and still strive for opportunities for growth and change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Swadhyaya (Self-study)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Swadhyaya<\/em> means self-study or introspection. This Niyama<\/em> encourages us to learn about ourselves, our behaviours, and our underlying beliefs. By understanding our inner selves, we can live more consciously and step closer toward Enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practicing\u00a0Swadhyaya<\/em>\u00a0means dedicating time each day to self-reflection. This can be through journaling, meditation, or reading philosophical or spiritual texts that challenge our perspectives and encourage deeper thought. It could also be as simple as asking yourself questions like: \u2018who am I?\u2019, \u2018what do I feel right now?\u2019, and \u2018why do I feel this way?\u2019. The goal of this practice is to question our identity, purpose, and how we interact with the world around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Living Yoga off the Mat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding and practicing the\u00a0Niyamas<\/em>\u00a0can open new pathways to personal growth and a balanced well-being. Following each of these principles might be overwhelming at first, so start small and take it one step at a time. Even if you can only make minor changes in your routine, being consistent and dedicated in each action develops a more conscious and mindful way of living; one that honours your inner being as much as your outer world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ram Jain, MSc. Yoga <\/strong>(ERYT 500, RPYT 500 & YACEP with 40,000+ hours of Teaching Experience) grew up in India in a Jain family with rich traditions. Having studied yoga since he was 8 years old, he founded Arhanta Yoga Ashrams in 2009 to share his profound knowledge of traditional Yoga and Vedic philosophy with others. Today, he is a Master Yoga Trainer, hosting online and in-person trainings at his ashrams in India and the Netherlands. His intensive courses focus on teaching traditional yoga in a modern world, helping 18 000+ practitioners become confident yoga teachers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What are the Niyamas? Meaning \u2018habits\u2019 in Sanskrit, the Niyamas are five practices or positive habits for healthy living set out in yoga philosophy. These habits are designed to promote a holistic well-being\u2014mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually\u2014and make up the second limb in Patanjali\u2019s Eight Limbed Path to Enlightenment. How to Practice the Five Niyamas Daily? Although […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[308,260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-may-2024-philosophy","category-philosophy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13660"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13714,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13660\/revisions\/13714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}