Chapter 4 NiYamas: Private Codes of Conduct.

Niyamas

Private codes of conduct in yoga practice.

Saucha

Focus on purity in body, mind, and environment.

Santosha

Attaining contentment through meditation and acceptance.

Swadhyaya

Self-study and reflection for personal growth.

Ishvara Pranidhana

Worship and devotion to the formless God.

Tapas

Cultivating fiery determination and discipline in practice.

Purification of Environment

Creating a clean and clutter-free space for mental clarity.

Purification of Body

Cleansing practices like fasting and yogic kriyas for internal and external cleanliness.

Purification of Energy

Chanting Aum to purify the energy of the environment.

Purification of Mind

Settling the mind to access purity, wisdom, and intuition.

Wisdom and Pure Choice

Using wisdom to make decisions aligned with the soul.

Quality Control

Maintaining purity and detachment in the face of impure influences.

Purification of Mind through Meditation

Deepening the connection to the soul and Spirit through meditation practice.

Habits and Patterns

Represent impurity in yoga, formed by repetitive actions leading to compulsions and lack of conscious choice.

Purity

Refers to a state where every moment is fresh, actions are consciously and wisely decided, and one is fully present in the current moment.

Contentment

Internal feeling of satisfaction and joy that can be achieved without relying on external factors, leading to a state of having enough and no desires.

Santosha

Contentment in yoga, seeking joy from the soul, being generous, and residing within the realm of the soul, free from demands and fluctuations in emotions.

Swadhyaya

Study of oneself in yoga, aligning actions with the soul's desires, fostering personal growth, and evolving quickly through self-reflection and evaluation.

Buddhi

Wisdom utilized in yoga to examine actions, find answers, and make decisions, essential for self-study and personal development.

Living in the Third Person

Technique in yoga to step back from personal involvement, observe actions objectively, and make decisions from a place of wisdom and detachment.

Pause and Reflect

Taking a moment to pause and reflect leads to a calm and appropriate response, especially in emotionally charged situations.

Journaling

Writing journals or diaries helps in self-reflection, providing valuable insights and clarity by creating a separation between oneself and events.

"Who am I?" Meditation

A technique involving repeatedly asking oneself "Who am I?" to peel back layers of identity and eventually realize the true self as a soul.

Ishvara Pranidhana

Worship of Aum:Worship and adherence to the formless God, Ishvara, as light and energy, beyond forms, religions, and avatars.

Seven Variations of Ishvara Pranidhana

Complementary ways of practising devotion, sacrifice, surrender, respect, worship, work, and listening to the formless God.

Tapas

Fiery Determination:Tapas involves determination, courage, discipline, and redirecting energy towards spiritual growth and transformation.

Applying Tapas to Meditation

Using tapas in meditation to burn away negative karmas and samskaras, leading to spiritual growth and connection with the Spirit.