The Niyamas and Yamas

During January and February we are continuing with incorporating the Yamas and Niyamas into our practice, which are the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eight limb Yoga path.

In January we looked at three of the five Niyamas, which are observances or guidelines to assist us in living healthy and more fulfilling lives, both on and off the mat:

• Santosha - being content in the moment, acceptance of who you are and what you can achieve now, this will change as your practice and your life progress.

• Tapas - self discipline. Tapas literally translate as ‘heat’ and refers to the effort expended in any activity, in our Yoga asanas, meditation or indeed in everyday life.

• Ishvara Pranidhana - recognising that there is more to our lives than our own ego.

During February we are exploring the final two Niyamas:

• Sauca - purification or cleanliness, on the gross level this refers to our living conditions, our bodies, our homes, the planet. More subtly, it is using Yoga practices of Asana, Pranayama and Meditation to clear our bodies and minds.

• Svadhyaya - self study - learning about ourselves, learning about the history and philosophy of Yoga, reflecting and putting into practice what the masters have learnt and taught.

We meet every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:00, please do join us (note the Saturday class is full at present)