The “Ten Commandments” of
Yoga
(Patanjali’s
Yamas and Niyamas)
1. Ahimsa: nonviolence;
compassion for all living things, including the Self
2. Satya: truthfulness (in
thought, speech, and action)
3. Asteya: non-stealing; not
taking anything that does not belong to us
4. Brahmacharya: non-excess
(often interpreted as celibacy) or sense-control
5. Aparigraha:
non-possessiveness, non-greed; only taking what we need and have earned;
letting go of our attachment to things
6. Saucha: purity; inner and
outer cleanliness
7. Santosha: contentment;
happiness; gratitude; being at peace
8. Tapas: self-discipline,
training your senses; disciplined use of energy
9. Svadhyaya: self-study, inner examination
and exploration
10. Ishvara Pranidhana: surrender
(to God); celebration of the spiritual; connection to our Oneness
Over the course of the next
several weeks, I will dedicate a post to each of these ten yamas and niyamas.
