The Yamas and Niyamas - Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice

Hello and welcome to Wise Life Tools. Today I'm reviewing Deborah Adele's

yamas

and nyas. This book explores the

ethical

practice

of

yoga

, which is the basis of all yogic thought. There are five

yamas

that can be defined as guidelines and five

niyamas

that are defined as observances the first Yama is non-violence and serves as the basis for all other guidelines it is about establishing a non-violent relationship with others and with yourself Adele says that How we treat ourselves is how we treat those around us we must look at our own lives and become aware of the subtle ways in which we are violent towards ourselves through harmful thoughts and habits.

Lack of awareness will increase our ability to be non-violent towards others. Practicing gratitude. Trusting in the moment. Thinking about others can help us move to a state of non-violence. The second Yama. What is truthfulness? The truth demands Integrity in our lives and in ourselves. Truthfulness prevents nonviolence from becoming a weak excuse, while nonviolence prevents truthfulness from becoming a brutal weapon. Adele says we can begin to understand the deeper dynamics of truthfulness when we are real rather than kind. When we choose self-expression over self-indulgence and when we choose growth over the need to belong, truth has boldness and leads us to freedom.

Car Young once said that a lie would be meaningless unless the truth was felt to be dangerous. the next Yama does not steal Adele says that Yama guides our Tendencies to look outward for satisfaction, we not only steal from others and the Earth, we steal from our own lives, also all self-sabotage, lack of self-confidence, low self-control . judgments of esteem, criticism and demands for Perfection are forms of self-abuse to

practice

not stealing we must learn to Value ourselves the fourth Yama is non-excess that is often interpreted as celibacy or abstinence, however its literal meaning is Walking with God that It involves an awareness of the sacred in all our actions and an attention to each moment that brings us to a state of Holiness.

It is about letting go of excess and living within the limits of enough, whether we overdo it with food, exercise or sleep, excess is often the result of forgetfulness. The sacredness of life This guideline reminds us that we must begin each day in every action with a sense of Holiness instead of Indulgence so that our days can be lived in the Wonder of the sacred instead of the misery of excess the last Yama is The non-possessiveness that frees us from greed is about not attacking. This does not mean that we do not care or that we somehow isolate ourselves from the pleasures and joy of life in each other.

Detachment frees us to immerse ourselves in the appreciation of life in the other. We are asked to let go of clinging to things, not the enjoyment of things themselves, the first niyama is Purity and refers to the cleanliness of our bodies, minds and actions. Adele says that there is a great energy that lies largely latent within each of us: this is the energy of Consciousness or Awakening. Cleansing strengthens the body and mind, preparing us for the Awakening of that inner energy. We can practice Purity through simple things like exercise, drinking more water, fasting, or cleaning out our closets.

Being pure with ourselves means that we are not afraid of our thoughts or feelings and We do not have to hide anything from ourselves, the second Nama is contentment and can only be found in acceptance and appreciation of what is in the moment. Adele writes that as long as we think that satisfaction comes from an external source, we can never be happy practicing. Gratitude helps us stay focused on joy and abundance. It is also important to learn to be content with our discontent and that in itself is a gateway to the calm depths within. Next is self-discipline and its literal translation is heat.

It is anything that impacts us to change. It carries the sensation of cooking in the fire of discipline to transform ourselves in the heat. We have two options: break or open the fourth. Nama is self-study, which is the search for knowing ourselves, studying what drives us and what shapes us. . It is about knowing our true identity as Divine. Meditation is an important aspect of self-study. It helps us witness our thoughts and improves our ability to watch ourselves act in response. The more aware we are of our emotional disturbances, the better prepared we will be to deal with them.

For them, the final Nama is surrender and reminds us that life knows what to do better than we do, it presupposes that there is a Divine Force at work in our lives. Surrender invites us to be active participants in our lives, fully present and fluid in each moment. As we appreciate the magnitude and mystery of what we are participating in, if we trust in this hidden purpose, life will always exceed our own expectations. Thanks for watching, if you want to see more please subscribe and like below.