Niyama: Rules of Conduct

Shaucha Santosha Tapaha Svadhyayeshvara Pranidhanani Niyamaha

Niyama comprises

Shaucha, cleaniness of body, mind, and spirit as well as our surroundings. According to BKS Iyengar, good habits like bathing purify the body externally while asana and pranayama purify the body internally. Meanwhile, purging the mind of disturbing emotions like hatred, anger, lust, greed, and delusion are even more important.

Pure food is also needed, not only in the way it's prepared but how it is obtained. Factory farming methods often swamp the ground with pesticides and high levels of phosphates, which may find their way into the skins of the fruits and vegetables you eat. Factory farmed animals are often raised and slaughtered in inhumane conditions, which leads not only to disease among the animals, but to a lower quality of protein. Improperly run slaughterhouses have been known to transmit disease to humans, and often cause repetitive stress injuries to the workers who are also working long hours in stressful conditions. Many yogis become vegetarians or vegans (no dairy or eggs); those who do not, endeavor to find animal products from sources labeled "free range" or "humanely raised".

Food should be simple and nourishing, according to Iyengar; avoid eating too much or too little (one teacher told me that a meal should fit into your own two hands!).

Santosha, contentment, is the ability to be comfortable with what we have and what we don't have, according to TKV Desikachar. It must be cultivated, a difficult thing to do in a consumer society where the constant message of television is buy the newest, shiniest, biggest bling...

Tapas, translates from the root word for "fire". It can translate as fervor, drive, austerity, self-discipline, character building; it removes impurities in the body and mind through all of these things as well as other good habits as sleep, nutrition, and relaxation according to Desikachar.

Svadhyaya, or study of the Self, allows you to review your progress along your path while you work on drawing out the best that is within.

Ishvarapranidhana is surrender, or dedication to God(dess), a higher power, a higher intellegence, or the higher nature of humanity. We surrender the fruits of our efforts to something greater than ourselves, for the greater good of all humanity and All Our Relations. When the sense of "mine" disappears, the individual soul can reach full growth.

Daaina, and so it is!