Rishimukh – July 2019

YOGA ASANAS

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and heart keeps the enthusiasm and fire of
Swadhyaya (Study of the Self) alive in me.

It is relatively easy for me to observe and
apply the obvious or gross aspects of yamas
and niyamas. My challenge and next step is
how to apply them at a very subtle levels, in
letter and spirit. Another challenge is how to
integrate them with ease, like a flowing river
that doesn’t get stuck despite any hurdles,
but finds a way to keep flowing no matter
what. And finally how do I make them part of
me; how do my very being radiate all these
beautiful principles. I know this requires
great skill, patience and most importantly
grace of the Guru.

Maharishi Patanjali had been generous to
give us such insightful guidance, He says -
“Sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara sevito
drudha bhumihi” (Sutra II- 14)

“This becomes firmly grounded or firmly
established in you when you attend to it for
a long time, without interruption and with
honor and respect.”

We all want to achieve the coveted position
where we have the greatest strength, but
also the greatest ease to practice yamas and
niyamas. As twenty-first century yogis, we
need to approach the yamas and niyamas
with honor and reverence; as a patient and
long standing practice with sincere trial and
error, with a recognition of the nuances

inherent in Maharishi Patanjali’s Sutras,

and, most importantly, a fairly constant self-

assessment that considers all 10 guidelines

and all other limbs simultaneously. Once

understood correctly and mastered, these

will slowly but surely become our natural

habits that can place us in that perfect state

of balance. I am extremely hopeful. Our on

the mat practices of asana, pranayama and

meditation will help us calm the mind and

increase self-awareness and thus will help

with practice of yama and niyama too.

I do not have the space here to discuss

each yama and niyama in depth (I highly

recommend you grab your copy of Sri Sri’s

commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutra for

some excellent discussions of individual

Yamas and Niyamas). Instead my goal is to

do regular swadhyaya (self-study) to reflect

upon each of them and write a series of

articles to come up with a general method

of incorporating these 10 principles in life,

so that they become a habitual part of my

decision-making process and interactions.

Read about ways of incorporating ahimsa

(non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya

(non-stealing), brahmacharay (abstinence),

aparigraha (non-accumulation) in your daily

life.

Learn more about yamas and niyamas at 200

HR YRT yoga teacher training program at Sri

Sri School of Yoga or at Sri Sri Yoga Deep

Dive Retreats.