It does not infer laziness, as we’re still encouraged to work to meet our needs.

This niyama encourages us to be happy with what we have. It encompasses personal hygiene, cleanliness of our surroundings, purity of our food, and purity of our thoughts and emotions. The first niyama is saucha, or cleanliness. While the yama deal more with our behavior in society, the niyama have more to do with personal conduct. It is the opposite of greed and discourages us from taking or accumulating more than we need. The final yama is aparigraha, or non-collection. This may fit austere yogis, but for a common person, it means approaching sex in a non-obsessive, non-lustful way and with one partner.

In the strictest sense, Brahmacharya is celibacy. To pocket the money would have been the wrong thing to do. It wasn’t mine and I certainly didn’t earn it. Thinking back to this yama, I left it there. This is not limited to not taking what isn’t ours, but also refers to taking from others without giving anything in return.įor example, I recently found a $100 bill on the street. Thirdly is the principle of asteya, which literally means non-stealing. We should speak honestly and continually seek out truth. Truth is the alignment of our thoughts, words and actions. Secondly, there is the principle of satya, or truth. (To get started practicing this important yogic principle, try Ahimsa: The Number One Yama of the First Limb of Yoga.) Satya

Yoga dipika