Lesson 11 - Self
Disciplines
In Lesson 10 you learned about the social disciplines
that a Yogi needs to follow. Social disciplines is just one part of the story.
The other part being self-disciplines. This lesson is going to introduce
you with five
self-disciplines.
The self-disciplines or Niyama as they are called in
Yogic terms, are five in number and are listed
below:
Cleanliness is a very important attribute. Often
cleanliness is observed only about physical body. However, equally important is
mental cleansing. For higher awakening the body and mind equipment must be
clean. Impurities degrade spiritual progress. Bodily cleansing involves keeping
external and internal body parts clean. Hatha Yoga includes a practice called
Shatkarma that helps a lot to remove impurities caused by Kapha, Vata and Pitta.
I will explain Shatkarmas in later lessons. Mental cleansing involves removing
Tamasic and Rajasic thoughts and cultivating Sattvic qualities. Practices such
as Pranayama and Japa help to cleanse your mind. These practices will be
explained in later
lessons.
Many of us are always unhappy with their present
situation. Such unhappiness gives rise to craving. If you are constantly craving
for material pleasures then your mind can not remain stable. Spiritual progress
can not be made with mind full of material desires. Hence, one must learn
to be satisfied with his own condition. Life gives us good as well as bad
experiences but they should not disturb balance of our mind. Contentment teaches
you to accept the life as it comes and focus on spiritual
progress.
Austerities burn impurities from your mind and body.
They also make you strong. It is important to remember that austerities does not
mean torturing your body. For example, observing fast one day is completely safe
and beneficial. However, if you starve your body by fasting frequently then it
will prove to be harmful than
good.
Yoga is a practical science. If you read thousands of
books about it but practice nothing then it's of no use. That is why self-study
is important. People often interpret Svadhyaya as study of scriptures however
mere reading is useless. Svadhyaya refers to studying and implementing what
you learnt in your life. Sincere and tireless practice is the key to
success.
When we do some work we expect some returns. Thus "I"
works and "I" gets the fruits. This is an attitude found everywhere. However, it
feeds ego. Once "I" becomes strong then all activities are done for
pleasing "I". Ishwarapranidhana refers to offering everything - good as well as
bad - to the God. You work for God and fruits of your work are also offered to
Him. This way you become a Karma Yogi free from the bondage of
Karma.
In summary self-disciplines ensure that you live a
controlled life. They ensure that your core focus is not wandered away because
of material craving. They also make your mind-body equipment strong and healthy.
In the next lesson I will explain the Shatkarma kriyas of Hatha Yoga that will
help you to root out diseases and keep the body
clean.
May the Peace be with
you.
Bipin Joshi is an independent software consultant and trainer by profession specializing in Microsoft web development technologies. Having embraced the Yoga way of life he is also a yoga mentor, meditation teacher, and spiritual guide to his students. He is a prolific author and writes regularly about software development and yoga on his websites. He is programming, meditating, writing, and teaching for over 27 years. To read more about him go here. More details about his Kriya and Meditation online course are available here.