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293. Niyamas overview. Organizing our Inner Life.
शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः
Niyamas1:32. śauca-santoṣa-tapaḥ-svādhyāya-īśvara-praṇidhānāni niyamāḥ
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Niyamas are the inner disciplines of yoga. If the Yamas describe how we relate to the world around us, the Niyamas describe how we relate to ourselves.
They are practical, grounded practices—not moral rules or spiritual ideals to perfect. They're ways of organizing our inner life so that clarity, steadiness, and freedom become possible.
Patanjali offers five Niyamas. Each one is a practice of attention. Each one asks us to take responsibility—not for controlling life—but for shaping the quality of our inner experience.
Today, we'll briefly name each Niyama and then explore them one by one, not as theory, but as lived practice.
The Five Niyamas – Concise Setups1. Saucha — Cleanliness Saucha is about clarity and purification—of the body, the mind, and the environment we live in. It asks a simple question: What am I allowing in?
2. Santosha — Contentment Santosha is the practice of being at peace with what is, without giving up the desire to grow. It's learning to stop arguing with reality.
3. Tapas — Disciplined Effort Tapas is the steady heat of practice—the willingness to stay with discomfort in service of growth, not punishment. It's where transformation happens.
4. Svadhyaya — Self-Study Svadhyaya is honest self-reflection. It's the courage to look inward, notice our patterns, and learn from them rather than run from them.
5. Ishvara Pranidhana — Surrender Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice of letting go—of control, of ego, of the belief that we're doing this alone. It's trusting something larger than our personal will.
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By Jeff Lichtyशौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः
Niyamas1:32. śauca-santoṣa-tapaḥ-svādhyāya-īśvara-praṇidhānāni niyamāḥ
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Niyamas are the inner disciplines of yoga. If the Yamas describe how we relate to the world around us, the Niyamas describe how we relate to ourselves.
They are practical, grounded practices—not moral rules or spiritual ideals to perfect. They're ways of organizing our inner life so that clarity, steadiness, and freedom become possible.
Patanjali offers five Niyamas. Each one is a practice of attention. Each one asks us to take responsibility—not for controlling life—but for shaping the quality of our inner experience.
Today, we'll briefly name each Niyama and then explore them one by one, not as theory, but as lived practice.
The Five Niyamas – Concise Setups1. Saucha — Cleanliness Saucha is about clarity and purification—of the body, the mind, and the environment we live in. It asks a simple question: What am I allowing in?
2. Santosha — Contentment Santosha is the practice of being at peace with what is, without giving up the desire to grow. It's learning to stop arguing with reality.
3. Tapas — Disciplined Effort Tapas is the steady heat of practice—the willingness to stay with discomfort in service of growth, not punishment. It's where transformation happens.
4. Svadhyaya — Self-Study Svadhyaya is honest self-reflection. It's the courage to look inward, notice our patterns, and learn from them rather than run from them.
5. Ishvara Pranidhana — Surrender Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice of letting go—of control, of ego, of the belief that we're doing this alone. It's trusting something larger than our personal will.