Tag Archives: eight limbs

The Niyamas – Soulful Living At The Second Limb

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In the simplest of terms, yoga is like a tree comprised of eight limbs. Each one of these limbs represents a different level of the practice. The yamas and niyamas comprise the first and second limbs respectively and are ethical precepts that apply to how one relates to oneself and to society. By the most essential definition, the yamas are restraints while the niyamas are observances.

In a nutshell, the niyamas are as listed below :

Shaucha – Purity

Santosha – Contentment

Tapas – Burning Enthusiasm

Swadhyaya – Self-Study

Ishvarapranidhana – Celebration of the Spiritual

Easy enough then. Practice all of these things and you’re good to go.

Well, not really. It’s been said that practice makes perfect. But whoever said that was delusional and possibly cruel, as perfection is an illusion and cannot be achieved.

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The Yoga Practice: The Benefit Of Moving Through Life On Eight Limbs Rather Than Just Two

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Every so often when someone hears that I teach yoga, they respond with, “Oh! I do yoga!”

This response always makes me cringe a little. While it’s certainly preferable to, “Oh! I find puppy eyes to be a delicacy!”, what I usually surmise from the phrase “do yoga” is that the practitioner’s practice doesn’t extend far beyond the physical, if at all.

So why should I care? Aren’t they moving their bodies and getting exercise? Yes. And that’s all fine and good. It really is.

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