Yamas
Be kind (Ahimsa)
Traditional meaning: Ahimsa, non-violence.
We can think of non-violence as being kind to ourselves by not pushing ourselves beyond our means. It can be very tempting to force ourselves into asanas yet we are only hurting ourselves in doing so. We can also practice kindness in the way we talk to ourselves during our practice. Negative self-talk will only drag us down, we must try to appreciate what we can do rather than knocking ourselves for what we can’t.
Be truthful (Satya)
Traditional meaning: Satya, truthfulness.
Ashtanga yoga asks us to be very honest with ourselves about what we are capable of in the way that we can’t move forward in the sequence unless we have mastered the asana we are working on. We can’t lie to ourselves that we can bind in Marichyasana D! We must also practice the same honesty with our teacher, if they don’t know the whole story then they can’t help us move forward.
Embrace your own practice (Asteya)
Traditional meaning: Asteya, non-stealing.
Each practice is so individual that it is impossible to compare or compete with one another. The student next to you may have been studying for many years before you or they may have to do something differently as a result of an injury. We can’t steal anyone else’s practice, we have to follow our own path. Just do you.
Be conservative (Brahmacharya)
Traditional meaning: Brahmacharya, abstinence.
To abstain in our practice is to conserve our energy, to avoid wasting it on where it is not needed. This could be by letting our mind wander during class, by asking questions that could be asked before or after or by talking to the person next to you. In our practice we need to direct our physical, mental and emotional energy inwards as much as we can. This is hard enough at the best of times never mind if our head is somewhere else!
Go steady (Aparigraha)
Traditional meaning: Aparigraha, non-greediness.
It is very easy to become greedy in the Ashtanga yoga practice. We can find ourselves wanting more asanas, to do drop-backs and we let our ego come into play. To transcend this we must trust in the practice and our teacher. Our teacher and our own bodies will let us know when we are ready to move forward. All is coming in time.
Niyamas
Be clean (Saucha)
Traditional meaning: Saucha, purity.
This one is fairly self-explanatory. In Ashtanga it is widely recognized that we should show up to practice with ‘a clean body, a clean mat and a clean mind.’ Coming to practice in our cleanest and purest state allows us to separate our practice from everything else. We are choosing to wash off all the distractions of work, family, relationships and so on to make room for what our practice has to give.
Be content (Santosha)
Traditional meaning: Santosha, contentment.
No matter where are in the practice there is always going to be another challenging asana in front of us. There’s always going to be something we can’t quite do yet. It is in this way that we must find a way to be content at exactly where we’re at, no more, no less. It can be helpful to remind ourselves that it’s more about what we put into our yoga, wherever that may be, than how many asanas we can do.
Be disciplined (Tapas)
Traditional meaning: Tapas, self-discipline
To practice discipline is to commit. Yes life is always going to get in the way and we don’t have to beat ourselves up if we can’t make it to class 6 days a week. We’re only human. Rather discipline is being aware that only you can do the work and you get out as much as you put in which is quite empowering in the big picture. We can even start to find that the discipline we practice in Ashtanga starts to flow into our daily lives, we start to be more insistent on making time for what is important to us.
Be curious (Svadhyaya)
Traditional meaning: Svadhyaya, self-study.
Self-study can be anything that helps bring awareness to your own yoga practice, whether it’s writing it down in a journal or sharing a conversation with our teacher. Taking the time to reflect on our practice, both physical and emotionally can be helpful in many ways. It can illustrate how far we’ve come on days when we’re feeling like we’re not getting anywhere and it sheds lights on areas where we feel we’re ready to work on.
Let go and surrender (Ishvara Pranidhana)
Traditional meaning: Ishvara Pranidhana, surrender.
Ishvara Pranidhana is often argued to be the most important and fundamental niyama. Have you ever found on days where you let go of what happens are the days when your body opens up the most?
In the beginning we often start yoga because we want to be able to do a handstand or get into the splits. Yet over time it becomes less important what we do than what we are feeling when we are in the process of doing. We have to choose whether we want to surrender to what is or fight against it. At some point we have to let go of the need for results and just enjoy the journey.
In the same way that asana brings new levels of awareness to our physical body, yoga as a whole gives us the gift of becoming more aware of our behavior in our day-today lives. By simply choosing to be conscious of the principles of Yamas and Niyamas, we are already on our way to creating a deeper, more meaningful practice of yoga both on and off the mat. May we all find a way to look inside, to discover our own beautiful authenticity through this adventure that is Ashtanga yoga.