Second limb of Raja Yoga - Niyama

The second limb of RayaYoga is Niyama. Niyama consists of five elements:

• Saucha (purity)
• Santosha (contentment)
• Tapas (Austerities)
• Svadhyaya (study) and
• Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God)

Anybody willing to pursue the path of Yoga must cleanse his body and mind. It is very important to note that keeping your mind clean is equally important to bodily cleanliness. It is very easy to get mind dirty with lots of impurities (See my previous post The six enemies). Unless your body-mind equipment is not clean and strong you can not attain Yoga.

How many of us are completely satisfied and happy with what we have today? Possibly very few. Everyone wants "something more" than what he has today. If you are not happy and peaceful you can not practice Yoga correctly. That's why contentment is very important. Contentment is happiness with one's condition and situation in life, or the state of being satisfied.

Tapas means practices of strict self-discipline and self-denial. Note that Tapas does not mean torturing your body or mind. It is tuning your body and mind to face touch conditions.

Svadhyaya refers to studying of various Yogic kriyas and  scriptures. The most important thing in attainment of Yoga is untired practice of Yogic kriyas. In addition studying scriptures is recommended because they give you wisdom and new attitude for living. Don't thing about timeframe. Don't worry about when you will get the "fruits" of Yoga. Just keep practicing and one day you will see the light.

Ishvarapranidhana is offering everything - good as well as bad - to God. Once you cultivate such devotional attitude you will find that slowly your wrong deeds, bad habits go away. Somewhere in mind you feel that - "I am offering my all deeds to the God. How can I offer such wrong, bad things to the God?". Naturally your offering to the  God becomes purer day by day.

Unless Yama and Niyama are perfected it is difficult to attain Yoga.