Welcome to the completion of the second week of the Summer challenge - and the beginning of the third week already. It has been such an eventful past few days both at the studio and in my home that I feel extremely blessed to have yoga as a great balancing force in my life. With all that is happening at the studio, the build out, the physical changes, the many decisions that are still there to be made, it is wonderful to have a supportive community of students, teachers, studio assistants, contractors and a landlord that we can keep moving along. And with a big family union this past week also happening in my household, thinking and acting upon the Niyamas, the second limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga I feel also blessed to have a spiritual teaching I can relate to.
Why? You will see in a minute... Niyamas means "observances"; these practices extend the ethical guidelines provided in the first limb, (Yamas: how to treat the world around us) as the Niyamas are guidelines of how to treat ourselves. Just like the Yamas, there are five Niyamas:
Sauca - Cleanliness: this Niyama refers to our own cleanliness and the orderliness of our environment. It does not have to mean to always follow a ritual to reach optimal cleanliness, but on the mat, we want to carry a body that is taken care of, arriving with a clean body. But Sauca also refers to keeping our different energies clean and distinct; sauca ensures and protects the sanctity of the energy around us. Each mat represents each students' separate "universe" during practice. Stepping on each others' mats as walking across the room for props or to the wall can disturb and mix people's different energies, let alone hygienic issues as well. So try to respect both the physical and the energetic space of others as you are practicing your yoga. This awareness of both physical and energetic "cleanliness" will help you off the mat as well; keep yourself, your home and your surroundings tidy and respect your and others' energy of others. It will assist you to keep the mind clutter free and more focused as well.
Santosa - Contentment: santosa deals with to feel happy and content with what you have got. So often we meet people who come from privileged backgrounds, reached a lot in life but yet they want more and more, and they search in the material, outer world as they think that will lead to happiness. But that search is most often fruitless. It is important to embrace all the experiences life presents us with and to learn from them. On the mat, accept and flourish in what you already have, the practice you follow, try not to push too far with your own limits. Believe me, wherever your practice is where you should be in any given moment as long as it is infused with learning. Off the mat, accept and love the people around you, your family, your loved ones and appreciate your profession, job and learn from the messages the universe sends you to lead you on a path of long lasting contentment.
Tapas - Austerity: tapas means discipline of practice, to burn impurities that keep your body and mind healthy and in good shape. On the mat follow a rigorous enough practice that challenges you, find your edge wherever you are, but make sure you are not pushing too far. Effort is required to make anything bear fruit in the physical world, and yet we have to balance tapas with samtosha-effort, with contentment. If we try to force things, we will end up doing harm. Burn the energy on the poses, use prana, let the breath guide you as you get stronger and more flexible. Off the mat make sure that you support your physical practice by eating well, relaxing and sleeping properly.
Svadhyaya - Self-study: Sva means "self" and adhyaya means "education of". Svadhyaya is, in essence, the study of one's self, a process in which we observe, read, reflect and practice. The importance of this observation is to get to know yourself better and to understand your developments and improvements more clearly. On the mat when you practice, you are all alone, even though you are in a class full of people. You are not in competition with your neighbors. The focus during yoga practice should be internal. This approach not only nurtures self-knowledge, it also prevents physical injury because you will be more aware of what you are doing, and you will stop before you hurt yourself. Pay attention to the small changes in the body from class to class, as you are able to bend that knee deeper, stretch that arm farther, folding forward deeper. With regular practice these shifts will happen in no time and these results will make you feel uplifted and will help you a deeper understanding of your own aspirations off the mat as well.
Let me know if you have any stories to share about how the Niyamas relate to your practice or your life or both... Finishing with Isvara pranidhana makes me share with you what happened on Saturday morning. I have been aware of the Dalai Lama being in town and sharing his beautiful spirit with all of us, but because of scheduling conflicts I could not make it to the events. I was really heart broken over it, but kept reminding myself that right now it would do more harm, (i would not be practicing ahimsa) if I stretched myself too thin to go. I was looking forward to listening to his teachings through recordings... But the strangest thing happened. And it is not in any means the same as listening to his lectures, personally from him, but on Saturday morning we went to a restaurant (a sustainably managed and locally sourced, wonderful place called the Blue Duck) in a hotel, and as we were leaving, waiting for our car, security asked us to step aside as the Dalai Lama was about to leave the building through the lobby!!! Where I was standing... I could not believe it. I saw him for probably ten seconds, but he was less than ten feet from me... And he smiled at us. I felt somehow, that I trusted the Universe and it gave me this unexpected beautiful surprise. The Dalai Lama has such a presence (and smile :) ) that I will carry in my heart for a very long time... Till I see him and listen to him next...
Namaste,
Rita
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