Niyama: Śauca (शौच)

Niyama: Śauca (शौच)

By Lucia Yess   The first niyama in Patanjali’s text is Śauca, also spelled Saucha or Shaucha. It represent purity and cleanliness. When you hear those two words what comes to mind? Perhaps a shower, brushing your teeth, honest thoughts and words. Of course...
Yama: Ahimsa (अहिंसा)

Yama: Ahimsa (अहिंसा)

By Lucia Yess   Ahmisa is the first Yama in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras. Ahimsa is non-violence.  As a living being we are apart of a union with other living things. So the thought with this yama is that when you harm another you are hurting yourself. This...
Yama and Niyama

Yama and Niyama

Yamas, and its complement, Niyamas, represent a series of “right living” or ethical rules within Yoga. These are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules of living. The five Yamas of Patañjali’s classical yoga system are committments that...