Yogic Principles in Action
In the second book of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali introduces the practice of raja yoga, which includes eight, interdependent limbs that support one’s path to freedom or self-realization (Saraswati, 1976). The first of these eight limbs are the yamas, one’s ethical constraints or how we relate to and interact with others. The yamas include the following standards: ahimsa (non-harming), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (abstinence), and aparigraha (non-grasping) (Desikachar et al., 2005). The second limb lists the niyamas, one’s self discipline or how we relate to and treat ourselves. The niyamas include the following observances: shauca (cleanliness of body and mind), santosha (contentment), tapas (cleansing), svadhyaya (self-study or reflection), and ishvara pranidhana (devotion or surrender to a higher power) (Desikachar et al., 2005). Becoming aware of our attitudes and behaviors and making the appropriate adjustments to how we relate to ourselves and to others is how one embarks on the ethical inquiry of yoga.
Like the panchamaya kosha model, the eight-limbed path from the yoga sutras of Patanjali impacts an individual’s wellbeing from a more gross to a more subtle level. There is a similar fluidity between the limbs and the koshas that enables a practice or a disciplined effort in one kosha or limb to have a ripple effect into others (Srinivasan, 2021). Beginning outside the body, the yamas examine how one relates to things, circumstances and others around them. The practice of ahimsa includes non-harming or non-violence with one’s physical actions, thoughts, and words. The choice to be vegetarian, for example, could be based on the principle of ahimsa, ensuring that no injury or harm is brought even to animals. It also refers to how one treats their environment, locally and globally, and how they choose to communicate with others. Closely related to ahimsa is satya, truthfulness or right speech. Speaking the truth should be in harmony with the practice of ahimsa and not inflict harm or injury with words. Words should be clear in meaning and intention and without judgment. Asteya is the next yama and refers to more than just not stealing physical things from others. When I think of asteya, I often think of the concepts of time and energy. We should not take time and energy away from those in our community, but also we should not allow others to take time and energy away from ourselves, essentially learning how to establish healthy boundaries. Brahmacharya is translated as “walking in awareness of the highest reality, remembering the divine, practicing the presence of God” (Taneja, 2014, p. 70) and can be the justification for sexual abstinence. I relate to this yama in a more secular way, preferring to interpret the meaning as conservation of energy or essence or self-restraint. I strive to not let people, experiences, or responsibilities totally deplete my energy or essence and get in the way of my own self-care. The last of the yamas is aparigraha, or non-attachment or non-covetousness. This yama distinguishes the practice, the effort, the path from the goal or outcome. We should avoid getting attached to a goal or outcome, whether at work, in life, or on a yoga mat, and instead enjoy the learning and growth that happens along the way.
The niyamas, the second limb, move inward from the external relationships and bring awareness and guidance to one’s self-discipline or personal care of body, mind, and spirit (Taneja, 2014). Saucha refers to cleanliness or purity of body or mind and begins with personal hygiene. Along with good hygiene practices, one should reflect on cleanliness in diet, lifestyle and overall health. Santosha is the contentment we cultivate in our lives, our work, and even with our material possessions. This practice asks us to acknowledge the things we have, the roles we play, and the lives we live in the current moment without judgment and choose contentment over dissatisfaction. Tapas refers to heating and burning off impurities through disciplined practice. An asana and pranayama practice, or another physical endeavor, is a great way to develop tapas and purify the body. Through the lens of tapas, I appreciate the growth and insight that comes from committing to a yoga practice or anything else that feels scary or challenging, like returning to school. Svadhyaya, which is self-study, is closely related to tapas. From our disciplined endeavors and continued study, we come to know ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, our joys and struggles. With this knowledge, we are able to identify and eliminate unhealthy triggers or habits that cause distress to our system (Desikachar et al., 2005). Ishvara pranidhana is the last of the niyamas and refers to devotion and surrender to God or a higher force. In my own practice, I connect to this niyama through feelings of love, a universal spirit, and faith. I feel driven to act with integrity and with compassion for myself and others and to see universal light, love and connection in all of my interactions, even - or especially - the more challenging ones.
According to the International Association of Yoga Therapists, yoga therapy “is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and wellbeing through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga” (Rothenberg et al., 2016, p. 7). It is a yoga therapists’ duty to know, apply, and teach these broader, ethical practices of yoga, beyond asana, which encourage reflection and connection to one’s body, but also to one’s sense of self and to others. In fact, one study found that “an integrated yoga practice, including the ethical practices of yoga (yamas and niyamas), had a greater effect on anxiety-related symptoms and salivary cortisol than physical postures (asana) alone” (Sullivan et al., 2018, p. 43). Equally important to seeing measurable improvements in wellbeing, establishing an ethical framework helps to engage an individual in their own plan of care, empower them to take an active role in their wellness, and “redefine their relationship to the illness, including identity, agency, meaning, and value” (Sullivan et al., 2018, p. 44). The yamas and niyamas, therefore, are essential tools for yoga therapists who are uniquely trained and skilled at incorporating all of the practices of yoga into a dynamic, personalized plan of care to promote an integrative approach to health and wellness (Weber & Sculthorp, 2016).
To be a successful yoga therapist, the yamas and niyamas need to remain part of my own personal practice. They are not distant stepping stones along the way to samadhi. Instead, they are pervasive, informative, and entwined within each of the other six limbs. I believe it is important to continue to reflect upon these ethical practices, especially ahimsa, satya, shaucha, and svadhyaya, and adapt my own yoga practice and work as a yoga therapist based on the evolution of that continued learning and growth.
The yamas and niyamas provide the psycho-social-spiritual inquiry essential to the biopsychosocialspiritual model of care. And, they can influence all of the koshas from the panchamaya kosha model of care that is integral to yoga therapy. From these perspectives, I truly see the necessity of treating each client uniquely with respect, hearing their issues and concerns through a thorough, collaborative assessment process, creating an integrative, holistic plan of care that requires both discipline and a sense of contentment, inspires their own ethical self-inquiry, and empowers them to become advocates for their own health and wellness.
References
Desikachar, K., Bragdon, L., & Bossart, C. (2005). The yoga of healing: Exploring yoga’s holistic model for health and well-being. International journal of yoga therapy, 15(1), 17-39.
Rothenberg, R., Tebb, S., Allitt, S., Criswell, E.,Gueth, R., Knox, H., McManus, M., & Schmitt, J.S. (2016). Educational Standards for the Training of Yoga Therapists. International Association of Yoga Therapists page 7. https://learn.muih.edu/courses/11436/pages/yoga-therapy-an-emerging-profession?module_item_id=429357
Saraswati, S.S. (1976). Four chapters on freedom: Commentary on the yoga sutras of Patanjali. Yoga Publications Trust.
Srinivasan, T.M. (2021). Ethics in Yoga. International journal of yoga, 14(2), 87-88.
Sullivan, M., Moonaz, S., Weber, K., Taylor, J.N, & Schmalzl, L. (2018). Toward an explanatory framework for yoga therapy informed by philosophical and ethical perspectives. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 24(1), 38-47.
Taneja, D.K. (2014). Yoga and health. Indian journal of community medicine, 39(2), 68-72.
Weber, K.K. & Sculthorp, B. (2016). The yamas and niyamas in population health. Yoga therapy today, Summer 2016, 28-30.