We’ve spent the past six weeks exploring the Yamas and we have now come to the Niyamas. The Yamas alone will keep you busy with how you conduct yourself in society, but equally important and challenging is how you treat yourself, body and mind, when you’re alone. This is where the Niyamas come in.

There are also 5 Niyamas in this second limb of the Eightfold Path and they are:

1. Saucha

Often translated as cleanliness, saucha can also be interpreted as keeping different energies distinct as a way to keep the sanctity of the energy around us in tact. What this means in plain ol’ English is to put away your mats or accessories in a tidy way (a cluttered or messy room just makes for a cluttered or messy mind) or don’t step on another person’s mat.

When I first learned about the practical applications of saucha, I felt that it was a secret ploy by studio owners to get students to respect their accessories and to put them away neatly so that they wouldn’t have to. But the more I reflected on it, the more I realized that the way we treat our mat, the mats of others, and the accessories of others, directly reflects how we treat others (or others’ belongings) in the world. Consciously practicing saucha allowed me to be more aware of my surroundings and respect others’ resources, whether it be their time, belongings, or their needs.

2. Santosha

Translated as contentment, santosha is a simple teaching that is, of course, difficult to achieve. It asks us to be content with what we have already attained and to let go of the idea that we, in life and in practice, should be somewhere else other than where we are. As we live in a world that constantly tells us our lives are incomplete until we get the latest gadget or follow the most recent trend, it also becomes increasingly difficult to conjure up contentment on the mat.

Sarah Powers once told a group of us in a workshop that we often refer to one side of our bodies as bad and the other as good. But she encouraged us to stop labeling them as such and to try to look at one side as simply the side that needs more attention. Her justification was, “If you had two children, would you love one less? Would you label one of them the ‘good child’ and the other ‘the bad child’?”

That is something that has stayed with me. It has also allowed me to be more gentle and loving with the parts of my body that need more attention, as opposed to unhappily trying to force them to open. Shifting my way of thinking has even invited more love and contentment into my practice, regardless of where I am.

3. Tapas

Another goody, tapas is most known to mean heat, but more specifically it means perseverance. Often in my classes I say, “If you’re a perfectionist, pull back a little. If you’re far from being a perfectionist, try a little harder.” When I say “Try a little harder” I really mean bring in more tapas into your practice. In Buddhist practice, this is often related to Wise Effort.

Practicing tapas can be a slippery slope, however. As with all things, there needs to be a balance with tapas and santosha. During another workshop, Tias Little told us that for 15 years he desperately tried to achieve the cessation of the mind that defines Yoga (Yogah Chitta Vritti Norodhah) by ardently practicing to a point where it was near obsession. Tias called that “Stupid Tapas”.

Unfortunately, I haven’t quite figured this one out yet. What I am experimenting with is to simply do what you don’t feel like doing (to a certain degree). If you’re practicing and feeling a bit lazy, bring in some tapas. If you’re overexerting yourself in poses, bring in santosha.

4. Svadhyaya

With sva meaning self and adhyaya meaning education, the fourth Niyama is seens as the study of oneself, or careful self-observation. To me, this is a fundamental essence of Yoga. Not only does it prevent physical injury and encourage a supportive sangha (community) by asking us to not compete with our neighbors, it also nurtures self-knowledge.

We live in a society that distracts us so much from looking inwards, and these customs are now creeping into Yoga studios. With mirrors showing us from the outside-in what being in alignment feels like, we rarely feel what we feel from the inside-out.

In poses, scan your entire body, without just fixating on what is most obvious (usually we only feel the most tight or the most intense part of a pose). Watch your mental dialogue and how your body or mind wants to react. See what you can learn about yourself from this observation. After a pose, be still, feel the changes. A lot of times it is in the stillness between the poses that we can learn the most.

5. Ishvara Pranidhana

Most texts translate the last Niyama as surrender to God. For the first few years of my practice, I ignored this one because of the word “God”. But as my own personal practice deepened, there was a growing sense of a higher something. God is not a word I would use; I don’t even know what word I would use but whatever I choose, and whatever you choose, I interpert this Niyama to be surrendering to him//her/that.

By acknowledging a higher being, we can come to terms with the fact that the fruits (or results) of our practice don’t really matter at the end of the day, but rather, our intention and effort are what matters. This can be a relief for those who are especially fixated on results, achievements, and “getting there”. It can also help us step out of our bubble that labels “me, my, mine” and invite us to see the bigger picture of our practice.

One way I adore working with this Niyama is by dedicating my practice to someone else, or a group of people or beings before I start my practice. I got this idea from Seane Corn, who takes it one step further and before her daily practices, she watches the news to see where there is suffering in the world and she dedicates it there or to them. Doing this brings an uplifting energy and a fruitful motivation to the mat.

These practices are easy in theory but not always as easy when trying to apply it as a lifestyle. But once we do, the benefits outweigh the efforts. As Seane Corn’s program Off the Mat, Into the World asks us, I now transfer the question back to you – Why stretch when you can reach?