In The Woman's Yoga Book, senior Iyengar Yoga teacher Bobby Clennell offers a comprehensive program of asana (yoga poses) and pranayama (breathing techniques) designed to support menstrual health from menarche to menopause, along with nutritional ... [Read more]
Of all the places and ways to do yoga, who would have thought? Yes, it's a natural combination-peaceful yoga poses done in the restorative climate of a warm bath. Two "master soakers" and yoga students have collaborated to create this un... [Read more]
The Runner's Yoga Book is an ideal companion for the weekend or professional athlete, for the reader who wants to stretch and relax, and for the developing yoga student who wants to establish a home practice. Drawing on over thirty years of teachi... [Read more]
An encyclopedia of yoga practices, practical yoga, and the philosophy and background of yoga. Included are three thorough sections on health and energy levels, postures, and a survey of yoga's history. [Read more]
A relaxing yoga sequence for toddlers Here is a soothing sequence of nine simple yoga poses perfect for helping young children to wind down before nap or bedtime. Toddlers will love moving along with Yoga Baby in poses that mimic nighttime animals... [Read more]
Yoga Baby spreads his arms out like a butterfly. Yoga Baby wobbles like a little bird. Yoga Baby says? time for rest ahh, shh, shh? A perfect introduction to yoga for toddlers Here is a playful introduction to nine simple yoga exercises for young ... [Read more]
Yoga can reawaken the body to its full potential and this illustrated introduction creates a complete class for the beginner. Now in a new edition, this fantastic guide is devised for a modern lifestyle and the problems that commonly come along wi... [Read more]
Yoga is everywhere these days: Hollywood stars take their personal instructors with them on location; newspapers and magazines hail yoga as the answer to the unrelenting stress in our society; and gyms everywhere are now offering a dizzying array ... [Read more]
Book Description: "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are an ancient, foundational text of Yoga. In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work o... [Read more]
Learn how to combine a relaxing bath with stress-reducing yoga for the ultimate restorative experience. Beautiful, full color presentations of water yoga and stretches, breathing exercises, and meditations help you discover an easy way to relieve ... [Read more]
This ingenious book uses the postures and movements of zoo animals to teach yoga movements to children. The first part of the book covers theoretical and practical information for parents and teachers working with yoga. Part two takes readers to e... [Read more]
This book offers the beginning and intermediate student a single-volume overview to the W.Y.Evans-Wentz Oxford Tibetan Series. It covers all four volumes - The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrine... [Read more]
This ingenious book uses the postures and movements of zoo animals to teach yoga movements to children. The first part of the book covers theoretical and practical information for parents and teachers working with yoga. Part two takes readers to e... [Read more]
The perfect training supplement for martial artists, The Martial Artist's Book of Yoga shows how the ancient practice of yoga was the genesis of all martial arts. It clearly illustrates how specific yoga poses can directly improve one's martial ar... [Read more]
The Yoga Adventure for Children is an illustrated manual for teachers at primary schools and yoga teachers who wish to create children's classes. Featuring 80 drawings of poses, the book playfully acquaints children with yoga stretches and posture... [Read more]
The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is the first comprehensive book about women's health issues and how to treat them with yoga. The authors offer a complete yoga program for general health as well as pose sequences that address specific health pr... [Read more]
This unique book by Swami Muktibodhananda is a different kind of yoga book. It helps you integrate your spiritual life with your worldly life. The book provides methods that will enable you to experience your mind, body and soul consciousness as a... [Read more]
This highly original book introduces a fascinating new approach to yoga and Torah by combining the practice of classic yoga postures with traditional and mystical Jewish wisdom. Each chapter begins by presenting a central Jewish spiritual concept ... [Read more]
Yoga provides not only an excellent, low-impact workout, it also helps young people in key areas such as body awareness, flexibility, concentration, stress reduction, and self-expression. The exercises and games in this easy-to-follow guide are sp... [Read more]
Yoga Onboard is a practical guide that offers creative alternatives to adapting traditional yoga postures to a sailing vessel. Using various parts of the boat as props, Kim demonstrates how easy it is to create a yoga practice on whatever size boa... [Read more]
Pranayama, the practice of breath control, is detailed here in an easy-to-understand and even easier-to-practise format. Professional yoga instructor Scott Shaw introduces 16 breathing exercises and shows you how to get the best benefit from each ... [Read more]
This introduction to yoga for children contains variations on traditional yoga postures that help children develop physical strength, flexibility, emotional calm, and self-expression. The games involve relaxation, trust, and cooperation. Included ... [Read more]
Since 1960, more than 1 million people have used this classic guide to tap the incredible power of yoga. The attractive new edition, in a new size, will appeal to a wide audience of contemporary yoga students. [Read more]
Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888 1989) was the most influential figure in the last 100 years in the field of yoga. Many of today's best-known yoga teachers including his brother-in-law B.K.S. Iyengar, his son T.K.V. Desikachar, and Pattabhi Jois, foun... [Read more]
Yoga is more popular now than it has ever been. Famous entertainers and other celebrities practice it and thousands or perhaps millions of other people are also doing yoga exercises in one form or another. Yet, despite this widespread popularity, yoga is still misunderstood. Many people think that yoga is primarily a physical activity, something that they can use to get their body in shape. While it is true that yoga has a great role to play in the physical realm, yoga is much more than this.
Yoga is, in its deepest sense, the science of human perfection. It is the means by which a person can attain his or her fullest development: physical, mental and spiritual.
Human perfection? This is a tall order. It does not come with just a few stretches of your thighs. While yoga has its external practices and exercises, its true foundation is proper conduct. Proper conduct means living a life that will put you in harmony with the society around you and with your own inner self.
When I first began practicing yoga, I told one of my friends about it. He became interested and wanted to begin. I wasn’t a teacher at that time so I recommended a book. He looked at me and said, with all seriousness, “Where can I steal it!”
Well, you can’t begin yoga like that because stealing is not a way to get in harmony with society or with yourself. In yoga disciplined or controlled conduct is known by its Sanskrit term, “samyama” and this controlled conduct has two parts “Yama” and “Niyama.”
In many yoga books Yama is sometimes defined as “abstinences,” meaning things that you shouldn’t do. Niyama is sometimes translated as “observances,” referring to things that you should do. These rough translations are not quite correct.
A better way to understand Yama is to think of it as a discipline that will help you to find harmony with your external environment. Niyama, on the other hand, are those practices that will help you to attain internal harmony.
Let’s look briefly at the various parts of Yama and Niyama. In future articles of this series I will focus in more detail on each aspect of Yama and Niyama.
Yama has five parts. They are as follows.
1. “Ahimsa” means to refrain from harming others with your thoughts, words or actions. Consciously we should not do anything that will harm others or block their physical, mental or spiritual progress. If you want a two or three-word English definition of this Sanskrit word just remember “non injury” or “non-harming.” But there is more to Ahimsa than just two words. What about self-defense? What about our relations to other living beings? These are important issues and there are a variety of viewpoints. I will discuss them at length in the next article in this series.
2. “Sayta” is generally referred to as truthfulness. A better definition given by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti is “action of mind and right use of words with the spirit of welfare.” Whatever we think or say should be done with the spirit of helping others. It generally means to tell the truth, but if the exact truth will create harm to someone, then we have to choose our words carefully. That is why a good two-word definition would be “discriminating truthfulness.”
3. “Asteya” means non-stealing. We should not take possession of something that is owned by another. We should not even think of stealing something and we should also refrain from depriving others of what they are due.
4. “Brahmacarya” literally means to “remain attached to Brahma (the Supreme Consciousness). The idea of this practice is to treat every living and non-living entity as an expression of God.
5. “Aparigraha” is defined as non-accumulation of physical objects that are superfluous to our needs. According to your circumstances you should acquire what you need to live your life, but you should not accumulate luxuries that go beyond your real needs.
These are the five parts of Yama.
Just as there are five aspects of yama, niyama is also composed of five principles. Practice these five and you will achieve inner harmony. Briefly, they are as follows:
1. “Shaoca” (pronounced: Sha-o-cha) means cleanliness and purity. Keep your environment clean and your thoughts pure. The old proverb says “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” and it is true.
2. “Santosha” is contentment of mind. Work hard, do the best you can, and then remain contented with what you have.
3. “Tapah” signifies the practice of penance to reach the goal. It doesn’t mean suffering for the sake of suffering. Rather, look around and you will find people with difficulties. Take on some of the burdens of others and you will not only help society but your own inner self will be purified.
4. “Svadhyaya” is the study and true understanding of uplifting literature. Whenever possible seek out the company of spiritually minded people. When that is not possible read and absorb the teachings contained in books written by enlightened teachers.
5. “Iishvara Pranidhana” literally means to take shelter in the controller of the universe. It is practiced through daily meditation on the ultimate goal of life.
In the following articles of this series I will explain each part of Yama and Niyama with more detail.
Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior yoga and meditation teacher with the Ananda Marga Society, http://www.anandamarga.org He is the author of Yoga Weight Loss Secrets, http://www.yogaweightlosssecrets, and Start Meditation, Stop Smoking, http://www.start-meditation-stop-smoking.com
