Niyama

Having worked on restraining the bad habits from our system, we must now focus on observing the good ones. Niyamas or observances are five such good habits, that take you a step further on your yogic journey. You don’t need to master the Yamas before you practise these. You could multitask and just do them all together! The five Niyamas are: 

1. Sauch (Cleanliness)
2. Santosh (Contentment)
3. Tapa (Fortitude)
4. Swadhyaya (Self-Study)
5. Ishvarapranidhan (Leave it all to God)

Sauch (/ɕaːucə/): I’m sure that attention to hygiene and cleanliness has created a permanent spot in our daily lives in the times of the Corona. Cleaning your body, cleaning your surroundings, and maintaining hygiene leads to a healthier mind that is more adept at concentrating on other yogic practises. After all, you work better when you’ve showered, and cleaned your space and trashed the half-eaten pizza slice from two days ago that sat on your desk.

Santosh (/sənt̪oːʂə/): For the average person, contentment is a feeling that’s most difficult to find. We all want a little more, an extra hour of sleep, that gorgeous dress online that is a little too steep for my budget, but we can’t have it all. Practising Santosh makes us content with what we have, and that feeling of contentment is what controls our cravings and indulgences. I know it’s tough, I know. But, try?

Tapa (/t̪əpə/): A more seasoned ear will hear the word Tapa and think of the sages and saints who stand on one foot on a mountain, meditating with no food or water for days on end. While that is one form of Tapa, for you and me, it is more about the little things. Tapa is a discipline that you follow, where you decide to do something good, or to leave something bad behind, and you stick to it. You decide to go for a morning jog everyday, you do not snooze that alarm to glory, and get off that bed to go get some exercise, no excuses!

Swadhyaya (/svɑːd̪ʰjɑːjə/): Well, I’ve told you about so many things that you should follow. But, how do you know that they are the right ones for you? Now, for that, you have to do some studying for yourself, and read scriptures, educational books that help you increase your knowledge of yourself, your mind, and affirm the practises that you already follow. Self-reflection is also a big part of Swadhyaya, that allows you to be inquisitive, question and examine yourself, and learn from the plethora of knowledge the universe has to offer. Read a verse from the Yoga Sutras everyday, or a verse of the Bible, or a verse from whatever book of knowledge you believe in, but reading it is important.

Ishvarapranidhan (/iːɕvərəprəɳid̪ʰɑːnə/): So, after having gone through all that effort, to practise the restraints and the observances, you’ve done your part. The results are no longer in your hands. This practise encourages you to inculcate faith, and leave the rest to God, or whatever Higher Entity you believe in. After all, the recipe for a happy healthy life is a cauldron of effort, with a teaspoon of faith.

While the Yamas are practises that you can consciously, or subconsciously make yourself do at all times, the Niyamas help you to structure your life into a healthy routine. Spend a half hour cleaning your room, set an everyday goal for yourself, and read a little bit, all while being content with what you have, and having some faith.