Loving Life With The Niyamas

Posted by Feride on Saturday, 20 December 2025

6 min read

One of our recent themes in my yoga sessions was about the Niyamas. The second limb of yoga in Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga. Whereas the Yamas are considered as ethical restraints, the Niyamas are personal observances. There are five Niyamas: Santosha, Saucha, Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana. Let’s explore…

Santosha (contentment)

We often hear that we should be happy with where we are in life and what we have. But how easy is that to practice in our modern world, where so much seems to be reflected on achievement of material wealth or constantly looking for perfection in everything we do.

Yoga is a personal journey, constantly developing and changing from one day to the next; challenging our self comfortably, without causing injury to the body; never comparing ourself with other students wherever they are in their journey. Contentment with where we are in our asana, gives us the opportunity to take a moment to observe our breath and tune into our inner wisdom.

Seeking that inner contentment also helps us release any negative energies that no longer serve us, leaving us to enjoy the present moment in our everyday life with gratitude for what we do have, without feeling that we are missing out from what we do not have. Becoming a distant witness by not allowing our Self to be affected by external influences, enables us to relax and just absorb the serenity of being in the present moment, trusting that we have everything that we need.

Saucha (cleanliness or purity)

This is an interesting one. When we talk about being clean or tidy, we usually think about or physical body or our environment. But Saucha means so much more. Purity of mind, thought, speech, food, all resonate with Saucha through yoga and in daily life.

Yoga aims to purify the body through asana but also through Pranayama and Dhyana. Our prana (life force energy) increases and we start to become more self-aware, sensing improvement in our physical, mental and spiritual body. Healthy eating is also Saucha because it helps us to notice what we eat and how certain foods affect our body and mind, as well detoxing our body.

Our discourse is a mirror to our inner Self. Noticing that what we say (or write) affects us as well as others. Focusing on Saucha helps us to be considerate of our discourse whilst on our pathway to inner calm. We can do this by being mindful about the words and tone that we use so that it is kind and positive, turning away from negativity and gossip.

Purity of spirit comes from awareness of our emotions, whether negative, hateful, angry, jealousy, fear, criticising our Self and others. These types of feelings create turmoil and leads us away from inner peace. Noticing our emotions and understanding where there come from helps us to release them so that they no longer affect our inner being.

Tapas (discipline)

Tapas is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as ‘heat, fiery passion, burning desire or dedication’.  That spiritual inner fire drives away our perceived limitations, bringing personal transformation, clearing away negativities, and renewing our inner strength so that we can develop our personal growth, make positive changes in life, as well as deepen our spiritual practice.

Devoting my Self to a regular, consistent practice of asana, pranayama and meditation helped me to gain strength of purpose and effort because I had that inner desire to, and not because I had to. I set that intention and I had autonomy on how and when I practiced. Of course, we need to balance Tapas with Ahimsa and Santosha, but through that commitment to my Self, I reached a place of inner peace and stillness that only a disciplined approach enabled me to reach. Setting an intention to practice regularly, even for a few minutes builds inner strength and inner peace and in turn, helps us navigate our daily challenges in life. We can even practice Tapas by going for a regular walk, spending time in nature, having a hobby. And you may find that you notice an internal transformation in your thoughts and feelings, moving towards your authentic Self.

Svadhyaya (self-study)

Study in the sense of getting to know your True Self, your feelings, thoughts and emotions. Understanding why we do the things that we do. When we are less focused on our asana practice, or we are working towards a new and more challenging pose, it sometimes feels easier to give up. If we observe our breath and draw our senses inwards during the pose and when moving from one pose to another, we begin to sense what our body is trying to tell us. Do we sense feelings of agitation or happiness? Do we notice tension in the body? Are we noticing a new aspect of our Self that we did not realise before? All of these sensations reveal clues about our inner being. With Svadhyaya, we learn not to be judgemental with our Self. We move towards being compassionate and releasing habits that no longer serve us, moving towards deeper spiritual connection.

Sometimes reading sacred or spiritual texts can help in understanding our True Self, just as much as enhancing our philosophical understanding. If that is not for you, maybe some modern-day self-help books, taking new courses or journaling. If you don’t enjoy reading, how about meditating, chanting or repeating mantra, all of which can help draw our senses inwards and reveal clarity of thought and understanding.

Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender)

The surrender of the ego is probably one of the most challenging of the Niyamas. Surrendering to the Divine or the Universe. Cultivating a sense of ‘oneness’ or non-duality. Our modern world leaves us little room to practice the art of surrender to the natural flow of daily life because we are so used to finding a reason to do something, achieve something, resolve something, with little time to actually take a step back and let life transform as it should. We tend to become attached to the outcome that we desire instead of letting the outcome arise naturally, through a devotion to something bigger than the ‘I’.

Focusing on the present moment and knowing that we cannot control the outcome, helps us stay grounded. Ishvara Pranidhana can be practiced in asana where we can surrender to the flow of our breath, the way our body moves through the asanas, releasing the need to find the perfect shape for the pose and surrendering towards the true meaning of yoga - to ‘yoke’ or ‘unite’ - bringing together all facets of the True Self through asana, pranayama and dhyana (meditation). Drawing our senses inwards with meditation, noticing our sensations, noticing clarity of mind and releasing patterns of thought that are not conducive to positivity and Pranayama which, helps us remain grounded and calm.

Going with the flow in daily life, having gratitude for what we have and knowing that every moment is a present, a gift, from which we learn and give thanks for is all part of Ishvara Pranidhana.

Let peace, joy and happiness fill every moment of your day.

References:

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Translation and Commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Integral Yoga Publications 2020