Yamas and Niyamas - Week 6 - Saucha

As we move into the second half of this yoga session, we also move into the second limb of Patanjali's astanga yoga...the Niyamas.  There are five niyamas which are to help develop the internal disciplines or the individual rules of conduct.  They are the positive and help one to follow the yamas. If one is disciplined in niyama, the yamas will be easy to follow.

The five niyamas are: Saucha, Santosa, Tapas, Svadhayaya and Isvara Pandihana and are found in the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali in sutras II.40-II.45.

PYS II.40 saucat svangajugupsa paraih asamsargah

Sauca – cleanliness, purity of mind, body, thoughts, words, deeds and actions- The body acts as a temple for the soul within so it is important to keep it clean, pure and healthy. 

PYS II.41 sattvasuddhi saumanasya aikagrya indriyajaya atmadarsana yogyatvani ca
When the body and mind are clean they become fit for the intelligence to develop the power of concentration and attention to go inward to discover the core of the being.

Through the practice of yoga we hope to merge the individual soul with the universal soul.  Without a healthy body though, it is hard to have a healthy mind.  Therefore it is important to keep the body healthy physically, physiologically and intellectually.  Mr. Iyengar says in "Light on Life" that sauca is related to the cleanliness achieved through asana practice.  A yoga practice cleans the system and rests the nerves.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/