applying the yamas & niyamas

[regmarlew63]

In learning about the yamas & niyamas, guidelines for healthy living, I had a lot of eye opening moments. While being aware of the experiences of everyday living, I often was confused as to the “whys” of my actions and reactions. Now, understanding a bit more about the way we approach, act and react to our days and the events and people in our lives, I feel like I now have some tools to help me to be a better me, a healthier me, mind and body. Someone, who can not only benefit from these practices, but also someone who contributes to the world around me to make it a better place.
My tendency has always been to be a worrier, a fixer of others problems, and someone who was foolish in thinking I could control things. That by planning and ultimately “forcing”, I could keep bad or uncomfortable things from occurring to me and those I love. Incorporating and living by the Yamas, and Niyamas will be life altering.
One example is, with more focus on “CONTENTMENT” I can enjoy each aspect of any given situation. I can focus on each moment as it comes and goes, and be truly present in that moment. Being conscious of what gift that moment is giving and accepting it! What the experience is bringing me in that present time and what I have that I could give back in that present moment too. Striving to be grateful, no matter if it is what I thought it was going to be or not. There are gifts everywhere. If we look for them.
Another example, would be to “SURRENDER”. Whenever my best laid plan goes wrong (according to my own thought out course of action) I can easily get strong feelings of frustration. I will think “no, it’s not going to be the right, or best outcome if it goes different than I imagined it to be”. By recognizing that my Divine power, God, has the best laid plans already in place. I can trust more to practice the “surrender” guideline. It is not always easy, yet my mind knows for certain it is ALWAYS the healthy approach, for I have to “let go” and also when circumstances appear to turn out terribly wrong, I must “LET IT RAIN”.
I have tried to be more mindful of this thought process, especially when I want my plans to go just as I laid them out to be. As I continue to grow, I can feel the struggle whenever I do not let it rain. Also, I see the flip side of when I do not fight God’s plan: when I stop trying to force my plan, when I “surrender”, everything around me settles down. My thoughts, my energy, my awareness is so much calmer and in tune. It is refreshing. And ultimately, I accomplish even more than I would have dreamed.
In particular, I plan on taking these practices off the mat whenever I spend time with my precious mom. In her living with Alzheimers world at this time, I plan on being present in each moment along with her. She is nonverbal, but I know she is “telling” me alot! In so many ways, energy, expression, movement, gaze…she IS communicating with me. There is so much value in these moments with her. By really being in tune, I will receive so much and in turn be able to have it flow back to her with blessings beyond my understanding. She has been a gift from God my entire life, and every day continues to be. So, I will be “CONTENT & SURRENDER” when my best laid plan, results in only 1/2 of her haircut getting completed. Because i know, there is an awesome moment to be shared in the future moments we have with each other! These teachings assure me of that.

Regina

[melross1]

I am cleansing, it sounds so silly and simple but it’s refreshing. My food processor stopped working last night. I just threw it away. Found somethings in my closet that I haven’t worn in a while put them in a bag to donate when the truck comes on Monday. I have and my family has an over abundance of stuff, we don’t need or really want all this stuff. And it feels good to just let it go and be free of it. It seems so small. I threw away an oil this morning, sounds silly, this oil was something that was purchased over 20 years ago that we have been keeping just in case we might want to use it. Really!?!?! It felt great!
I’m also falling in love with me. No longer looking at all the things I do wrong or the flaws in myself or on my body. But rather when I start to, I stop and ask myself how I would react if someone talk to one of my daughters the way I talk to me? I have been so violent with myself. I am now treating myself with nonviolence and letting that spill out into the world and to others.

[Beth]

I was already inspired by what Melanie and Regina have said, I’m so glad you’ve both been learning about yourselves. It helps me so much to hear about other women’s experiences and “aha” moments about themselves, it is really empowering. Of all the yamas and niyamas I think the one I’m applying the most in the past two weeks has been Svadhyaya or self-study. I am meditating daily now, sometimes twice a day and beginning to uncover things about myself. My migraines, I believe, have a root source or cause that goes far back into my past. I visiting an Ayurvedic practitioner recently and he asked me to focus my mediation on my head and neck, wherever there was pain. He asked me to study myself during mediation until the source of my headaches was revealed to me. Now, I was trained as a biologist in college and I am as skeptical as the next person, but I am beginning to see the science behind the mind-body connection. I am beginning to see through studying my physical self, how my pain is connected to my thoughts and how stress manifests in my body.
It is fascinating to study this connection because during meditation in savasana or at home on my cushion, I am beginning to remember back 20 years and having memories before I had migraines. I believe this is part of my journey to learning how my stress over years and my perception of myself and my life has caused my current ailment. I am encouraged by the idea that I can heal myself, or at least undo the damage done to my mind and body over the years. I like to think of this work as mentally “cleaning house”, because it is work and it is overwhelming. My “house” in my head is cluttered, dirty and there are many rooms. I believe once I’ve done the really hard work of “donating” or getting rid of what I don’t need in my head, and cleaning it out, I can then keep it maintained. This may be the key to keeping my headaches at bay and keeping balance in my life.

[dooley]

I began my journey with the Yamas & Niyamas in a workshop. I was so impressed with what I read but didn’t focus too much on it. When I was exposed to the material again by attending the book club it reopened my yes to the true meaning of the principles of the Yamas & Niyamas. I went home and began my journey with completing the weekly question to each fabulous jewel. I was amazed I what I learned about myself. This was a difficult journey because I had to face some challenges/fears in my life that I didn’t want to acknowledge but knew I needed to. By focusing each week on a certain aspect of the jewels helped me to face those challenges/fears with confidence. I am able to keep incorporating these principles in my everyday life. I have put sticky notes around my house to help me focus on a particular aspect of the jewel, for instance fear and confidence is a challenge I face whenever I want to accomplish a goal I have set for myself, especially if that goal is out of my comfort zone. Having these sticky notes with words or phrases allows me to tell myself I can do this and this will allow me to make positive changes in my life and be a better person. The one phrase that I have used mostly is “Courage is found by facing our fears”. I have even put these phrases on my phone to help me when I am not at home. The sticky notes and keeping a journal have helped me stay accountable.

It is hard to just focus on one of the Yamas & Niyamans because they intertwine with each other. When you have understood the Ahimsa: Nonviolence you a can start understanding the Salya: Truthfulness and apply what your have learned about yourself from the previous Yama and keep building a better road to who you want to become. The cycle continues throughout the rest of the jewels and you find your mind, body, and spirit as at a new level that you thought you could not achieve.

Along with my yoga practice, the Yamas & Niyamas have changed my life forever.

[heatherfly]

I love reading all of your responses. They’re so thoughtful and create a high bar for this discussion. I feel challenged by you all to go deeper and be more curious. I’m thankful for that. It’s like a version of tapas.

I’ve been a sort of seeker all my life. Early anxieties and fears combined with a low tolerance for mental suffering offered me two options: try not to feel or seek the way through. And I was always emotional so seeking became the easier route to take. And it’s been so beneficial to me. And hopefully to those in my orbit. It is a natural and constant effort for me to orient toward less suffering. But I’m a naturally solitary being. My peers – school moms, other therapists.. going back a while, folks in bars 🙂 weren’t talking about what I was thinking about so it has been a solitary, inward effort. But in the last few years I have had the thought several times that I need a teacher. I can only take myself so far. I can only figure out so much on my own because my view is limited by my own being.

Reading the Yamas and Niyamas is so rich. It’s like a gentle push to see more. It’s like those cues from a yoga teacher to open up a little bit here, bend a little there and see what happens in the pose. I want to take my time with it and work through it the way many of you have. I feel like it’s the text book for the work I want to do with myself and you all, sharing your own perspectives offers me a bigger view of the Yamas and Niyamas than I could get myself. So maybe I’ve found my teacher(s)?

[Author]

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