Yoga chitta vritti nirodh, which means Yoga is the neutralization of the waves of feeling. Some of you might wonder why I started this episode with this quote. As we are about one month away from International Day of Yoga due on June 21st, I would like to dedicate the next three or four episodes on the topic of yoga. And today’s episode would be the continuation episode dedicated to Yoga, which I will delve deeper into the concept of Yama and Niyama. These episodes will be loosely based on the book The Art and Science of Raja Yoga written by Swami Kriyananda.
As I have explained earlier, Yoga is the neutralization of the waves of feeling which helps to return man to his natural state. And the word Yoga also means “Union”. On the physical level, this signifies the complete harmony of all parts of the body, a balanced support of all the members for one another in such a way that disease, or disharmony, is faced with a united defence and can hardly make inroad into the body.
The first two stage of Patanjali’s eightfold path are known as yama and niyama. Yama means control, niyama means non-control. Literally, they are the list of Do’s and Don’t’s on the spiritual path. Since each list has five subcategories, they can also dubbed as the Ten Commandments of Yoga.
The rules of yama (the Don’ts) are five; Non-Violence, Non-Lying, Non-Stealing, Non-Sensuality or Brahmacharya and lastly Non-Greed or Non-Attachment. It is interesting to note all of these virtues are listed in negative terms. The implication is that when we remove our delusions, we cannot be but be benevolent, truthful, respectful of others’ property, because we are programmed by nature to be good. Unfortunately, we act the opposite not because it is natural but because we have embraced an unnatural state of egoistical inharmony.
The rules of niyama (the do’s) are Cleanliness, Contentment,Austerity, Self-Study or Inspection and Devotion to the Supreme Lord. Each of these principles, when practiced to tee, bestows definite spiritual rewards. So five yamas and five niyamas combined forms the Ten Commandment of Yoga.
