The Yamas and Niyamas - Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice

Transcript

hi and welcome to wise living tools today I'm reviewing the yamas and nyas by Deborah Adele this book explores yoga's ethical practice which is the foundation of all yogic thought there are five yamas which can be defined as guidelines and five niyamas which are defined as observances the first Yama is nonviolence and it serves as a foundation to all the other guidelines it's about establishing a nonviolent relationship with others and with yourself Adele says how we treat ourselves is how we treat those around us we must look into our own lives and become aware of the subtle ways in which we are violent with ourselves through harmful thoughts and habits dis awareness will increase our capacity to be nonviolent towards others practicing gratitude trust in the moment and thinking about others can help shift us into a state of nonviolence the second Yama is truthfulness truth demands Integrity to our life and to our own self truthfulness keeps nonviolence from becoming a wimpy excuse while nonviolence keeps truthfulness from becoming a brutal weapon Adele says that we can begin to understand the deeper dynamics of truthfulness when we are real rather than nice when we choose self- expression over self-indulgence and when we choose growth over the need to belong truth has a boldness to it and it leads us to Freedom car young once said a lie would make no sense unless the truth was felt to be dangerous the next Yama is non-stealing Adele says the Yama guides our Tendencies to look outward for satisfaction not only do we steal from others and from the Earth we steal from our own lives as well all self-sabotage lack of belief in ourselves low self-esteem judgments criticisms and demands for Perfection are forms of self-abuse to practice non-stealing we must learn to Value ourselves the fourth Yama is non excess which is often interpreted to mean celibacy or abstinence however its literal meaning is Walking with God which implies an awareness of sacredness in all our actions and an attentiveness to each moment which moves us into a of Holiness it's about letting go of excess and living within the limits of enough whether we find ourselves overdoing food work exercise or sleep excess is often a result of forgetting the sacredness of life this guideline reminds us to enter each day in each action with a sense of Holiness rather than Indulgence so that our days may be lived in The Wonder of sacredness rather than the misery of excess the last Yama is non-p possessiveness which liberates US from greed it's about non-attacking M non- clinging and non-grasping it means being able to let go this guideline invites us to experience full intimacy and contact with the moment and then let go so the next thing can come it doesn't mean that we don't care or that we somehow shut ourselves off from the pleasures and joy of life in each other non-attachment frees us up to be immersed in the appreciation of life in one another we are asked to let go of the clinging to things not the enjoyment of the thing itself the first niyama is Purity and it refers to Cleansing our our bodies minds and actions Adele says that there is a great energy that lies mostly dormant 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 energy within we can practice Purity through simple things like exercise drinking more water fasting or cleaning out our closets being pure with ourselves means we're not afraid of our thoughts or feelings and we don't have to hide anything from ourselves the second Nama is contentment and it can only be found in acceptance and appreciation of what is in the moment Adele writes that as long as we think satisfaction comes from an external Source we can never be content practicing gratitude helps to keep us centered in joy and abundance it's also important to learn to be content with our discontentment and that itself is a gateway to the calm depths within next is self-discipline and its literal translation is heat it's anything that impacts us to change it carries the sense of cooking ourselves in the fire of discipline to transform ourselves in the heat we have two choices to break down or break open the fourth Nama is self-study which is the pursuit of knowing ourselves studying what drives us and what shapes us it's about knowing our true identity as Divine meditation is an important aspect of selfstudy it helps us to witness our thoughts and enhances our ability to watch ourselves act in respon respond the more aware we are of our emotional disturbances the better suited we are to deal with them the final Nama is surrender and it 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 life totally present and fluid with each moment while appreciating the magnitude and mystery of what we are participating in if we trust this hidden purpose life will always surpass our own expectations thank you for watching if you'd like to see more and like below