yama & Niyama
a year of self inquiry
a guided exploration of patanjali's yogic principles for life
Many yoga teachers will have studied the yama and niyama in their Yoga Teacher Training but this online course delves deeper, really giving the time, guidance and support necessary to allow these principles to become deeply understood, practised and embedded in your daily life, creating a basis for in-depth self inquiry and spiritual transformation.
Over the course of this year, you will have the opportunity and support necessary to break unhelpful habits and establish news ones in a way that will set you up for a life aligned with your spiritual Self.
Participants will be encouraged to use weekly journaling (written or spoken) as a method of deeply inquiring into your inclinations and motivations, working to observe and change the physical and mental habits that prevent you from living a life of the bliss and freedom which is your true nature.
- the different levels of meaning of each yama and niyama. From the straightforward and obvious to the subtlest, most spiritual aspect;
- how they can be interpreted in a way that makes them relevant and helpful in your daily life, always prioritising their practice leading to a greater sense of lightness and freedom rather than constriction;
- how they fit into some of the broader concepts of yoga philosophy, such as the laws of karma, the three gunas (qualities of nature) and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita;
- what the specific results of practising each of the yama and niyama should be according to the original Sanskrit verses of Patanjali and how this compares with your own experience;
- how adopting these practices and attitudes can help expand your understanding and awareness of Pure Consciousness, the direct experience of which is at the heart of all traditional yoga practice;
- time for sharing and discussing personal reflections;
- each session will end with a short guided meditation.
There will be a private WhatsApp group for those participating to share their experiences, support each other and ask questions as they come up, which I will frequently be checking in on and answering questions in writing or with video. In order to create a safe space for sharing, you are asked not to discuss other’s personal comments outside of the group.
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If you have any further questions about this course, I’d be happy to answer them. Please get in touch via my contact page.
About the yama and niyama
The yama and niyama are the first two limbs of the eight limbs of yoga, as set out in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
They form a solid foundational framework for a life lived according to yogic principles. The five yama focus on the ‘external’ behaviour recommended to live a peaceful life with the people around you and to have a peaceful state of mind. They are: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-control (or celibacy), and non-possessiveness.
The five niyama are the practices/attitudes recommended in order to cultivate an internal sense of peace. They are: purification, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and devotion to the highest reality.