Svadhyaya places the responsibility of learning on the shoulder of the individual.  Yoga is known as a “living philosophy” and the sadhaka (practitioner) sits at the feet of a guru (teacher).

Svadhyaya – or self-study – asks of a yogi to become a compassionate observer of Self.  To have devotion in aligning all of ones actions and non-actions to become balanced, of highest awareness and from this state of being, having a constant willingness to grow and learn and adjust to become more and more whole, more and more united from the inside out. This brings inner harmony and harmony with life and all of its experiences and difficulties.  It brings a higher understanding and a level of absorbing what is, without unnecessary illusions.  A quick and intelligent grasp of what is and what isn’t.    This process of reflection opens a gateway to living a life of divinity.  Constant reflection sharpens the intuition.  It brings a stability and fluidity of spirit.

Furthermore, Svadhyaya implies a continued effort towards self-education.  To seek the knowledge from sacred texts, from your guru, from reflecting on experiences to move away from ignorance and to gain more and more knowledge.  Experience and knowledge become the essence of your personal liberation from whatever it is that bonds or ties you down.  Svadhyaya is a never ending process with ongoing shifts in consciousness.  There is a beginning to this journey but no ending.

Learn, apply, adjust, grow.  Become more and more aware of every breath that you take, every motion you make, become completely contained and unscattered.  The asana practise is an undeniable tool in growing, with self-love as the basis, in self-awareness.  Off the mat, read with an eagerness and steadiness uplifting poetry and sacred texts.  Seek people that enhance your learning, a guru.  Love and Respect the experiences of life, even the difficult ones, Love and Respect the ones that give of their knowledge.  Honour the Ones before us, for the precious gifts of lessons learned and to be learned.

Tapas is a Sanskrit word meaning to burn, shine, suffer pain or to be consumed by heat.  Tapas can be applied on all levels of our existence, physically – the asana practice, completing a marathon or a tedious physical task.  It can also be the determination of a student over many years, to single pointedly become an expert on his/her topic.  It can also be applied to the Visuddha or purifying of speech and thought.

All of the above processes involves a certain amount of pain and suffering.  It is when the practitioner has a burning effort to achieve his/her goal, that this element of suffering turns from a red blazing flame, to a white purifying flame. Tapas is the basis of character building and turning your own life into a life of Love and dedication with purpose and a goal.  It is the vehicle to Self Realization and then taking the current down to Manifestation again.

A burning commitment is needed to find harmony and balance in both joy and sorrows, this in itself is a practise of Tapas, until the inner flame disappears into a white light.

Tapas gives one the characteristics of being straightforward, courageous, being exquisite in simplicity, having integrity, being trustworthy and wise.

Tapas brings an unshakable will and faith in the Unseen.

Celebrate your mind body and spirit with continued effort towards turning the flame white, from the inside out.

Contentment.  A difficult topic to write on when one stands at the foot of the mountain.  There are saints, special ones, that can find contentment even in the wake of illness, poverty or what ever difficulties they may face.  For an ordinary man or woman, such as myself it is an ongoing process when you still have to put many right actions into place in order to reach contentment.  As a yogi, one should not feel the lack of anything and be naturally content.

Contentment is not only a state of the mind but also a soul without yearnings and distracting conflicts.

Personally, I see contentment in direct relation to right action.  We have joy and peace when we do right and should also have it when wrong has been done towards us.

It is an ongoing process.  Without contentment, it is difficult to tap into the cosmic energies and higher thoughts.

We need a certain extent of freedom from sufferings to grow spiritually.

For one, knowing the truth about your own body and life, brings tranquility.

Therefore, I would also say, contentment is closely related to truth.

Saucha is the first of the Niyamas, a set of concepts on the inner relationship with oneself and how we cultivate our personal and spiritual development.

Saucha is a Sanskrit word meaning Purity, Cleanliness and also includes the concept of “this. not that”, of knowing what you are to bring into your life to vibrate and progress to a higher consciousness, and what needs to be eliminated or moved away from.  To the untrained mind this might bring the conclusion home of depriving when it implies the opposite.  Once one makes finer choices in all walks of life, experiences becomes heightened and pure.  For example, inviting gentleness and gentle people into your life brings possibilities for finer  soul-sharing experiences.  Choosing not to consume fast foods, meat, food that is prepared without love and care, refines the palette and nourishes both the body and soul and intellect.  The smell and taste of a fruit becomes exquisite and appreciated.

We also choose our thoughts and keep what we think positive and clean, non-harmful towards ourselves and others, as we realize the power of thoughts and how it affects Self and Others.  We choose to stimulate the intellect with positive knowledge and learning that moves us forward in all aspects of our being – in thought, conversation, health, art, freedom of movement to be who we truly are – manifesting a beauty from the inside out.

Saucha is a complete philosophy and no longer the ignorant perception of washing the physical body.  Once we vibrate in purity, we extend this consciousness to our personal surroundings.  Our homes become fresh, uncluttered and filled with Light.  We contribute this to our environment, in our interactions with others.

Purity is beauty.  Real beauty.  It is for everyone to have and to share.  Start in manifesting “this and not that” in your body, mind, people in your life, environment.  Experience the essence of  whole food, whole relationships, a whole body, whole soul and all things beautiful and simplistic!

Anyone that turns serious about Yoga, will at some stage become knowledgeable about the Yamas and Niyamas, as this is the first step for a yogi.  Being a Yogi in no means implies living separate from the world.  Therefore, refining whom we are towards others, from the inside out, with a consciousness to purify and care, comes as the very first step in yoga.

The last of the Yamas – Aparigraha – means non-hoarding, – living free from a type of greed where one’s own material gain or happiness inflicts hurt, loss or injury to any other human being, life form or nature.

It also touches on the art of giving and receiving. Now, this in itself is a huge topic.  Only once one has been in the situation of needing charity, can one fully grasps what it means to give and to receive.

Aparigraha can also be applied to emotional wellness – the ability to let go, freeing oneself from longings, wanting and emotional dependency.

Aparigraha thus implicates, once again, self-restraint – not to hurt anyone with greed and secondly, letting go (not holding on), and also the art of becoming a giver and receiver, with fine wisdom and insight.

Our needs are different at various stages of our life’s.   How we will use money and material belongings changes as we advance in life.

Someone that take what’s not his – filled with greed to accumulate at the price of another’s well-being – is causing direct and indirect harm, as hoarding or with-holding wealth has a detrimental impact on the lives of others.  Once conscious of the extend of harm greed inflicts,  will one also realize that it is greed that turns a man into a thief.

Should you have been affected by a harmful act of greed, become grateful even for the sufferings that are calling you on and forward, in this way renewing yourself, filling your life with new experiences.  Nothing is ours, we are merely passing through.

Also, when one give it means giving.  The receiver is free to do as he pleases.   Giving implies the giver has no control or expectations in giving.  Otherwise, it is merely an extent of greed, to have control in the life of someone else.

To receive is humbling.  Be wise with what you receive.

This brings the posts on Yamas – the first steps towards social refinement and consciousness, to a close.

Could it really be necessary to speak about Asteya, (non-stealing) when the ones present has everything they need?

Unfortunately the answer is yes.  The desire to possess more than we need, to enjoy even what is not ours (in a sacred contract), the stealing of ideas that is driven by a hungry ego- these are the very actions in society that we deal with daily.  The ever-hunger urge “to have what is mine and what is yours is also mine, is also what I want or want to become” is a common mindset amongst us.

The yogi gradually reduces physical needs to the minimum and gathering what is not needed compares to the actions of theft.  The world is in a constant crave for power, enjoyment and indulgence.  This urge for satisfaction only separates one from tranquility.  Life becomes a battle with frustration and endless wanting.  Holding on to more than what is your share cripples one.  Your possessions becomes who you are, your power, your walls of protection, your weapon against the simple man or woman, it becomes your crutches and it consumes the Light inside you.  It becomes suffocating.

No one should go without the basics – a home, a warm bed, food, healthcare – but this happens in all walks of life far more than what we would like to acknowledge or know about.

May we become less and less the slaves of our desires, cravings and a false sense of power.

May everyone have the wisdom to find balance in their needs.  May there be a flow of what is needed to all beings.

May we become real about ourselves and our actions, real about what we take for ourselves.

The one that is free from greed, becomes the trusted with all treasures.

Let go of the hunger for more.  It is a false hunger.  See how wonderfully you are taken care off already.  Work to have just enough to have the freedom and time to develop spiritually and intellectually.

Blessings is ours.

How many of our actions goes without fruits?  And why does this happen?  How is it possible to stay trapped in the state of a puzzled human being when one is giving all of ones actions, physically, mentally and the deeds of the spirit in a situation, yet, it stays barren land?  For how long will this continue?

Here is the Universal Truth – this happens when we are working where there is a lie present.  We might be in denial, blinded by the dishonesty of another or really without the ability or past experience to identify what the lie is and how to fix it.  If we continue on this path, we will find ourselves in a barren land, planting trees that never bear fruit.  More than this, the lie will manifest in our bodies on a cellular level.  Our success in all aspects of life, from relationships, with self and others, in our careers and spiritual development is directly related to Truth.

We are each born with a Dharma – an aptitude, we can call it, of what is within our means to be and become.  Secondly, there is the direct fruits of our actions.  Both Dharma and Karma and the way we take our genuine onus in this, ripples out from the self on a cellular level, to affecting our families, work colleagues and society as a whole.

Untruthfulness traps one in a physical form of labour and greed, lust – an ongoing sowing of seeds in barren land.  The bliss lies in darkness within and we steal from our own lives and the lives of others.

The biggest quest and the only mystery to unravel is the mystery we hold within.  Liberation can only come once you have faced the truth.  Listen to your body, it holds many answers.  Observe yourself and your actions.  See beyond what is clear, as the lie is always concealed.

Be ready for your own personal truth no matter at what earthly price it may come.  Liberation awaits and the fruits will come.  We can only be happy where there is an ethic of non-violence and genuineness, honesty, truth and sincerity.

The wheel of life continues. We affect each other, life after life. Truthfulness is the field to labor with Love and Consciousness. May all individuals be Blessed with Dharma and righteous action.  Start today to live in truth, and truth only.

The first yama, (social norm of action and behavior) is to stay clear from harmful behavior, in thought, speech and action against any form of life.

Ask yourself:  “What would be the cause for me to act in violence, ignorance and harmful towards others.”

In observance and in self-reflection, the answer would be that violence comes from a lack of Respect and a lack of Love.  Other causes are fear, selfishness, anger and a lack of confidence.  These underlying currents within will be the very tools one use to create a personal culture, a personal refinement or lack thereof, towards oneself and towards Nature – all living beings with us, on this journey on earth, and even towards Earth.

Non-violence, harmless living, is the opposite of these tendencies.  Non-violence and living free from harmless action onto the self and others comes from Respect for others.  When a person lacks respect and have a distorted view on self this reflects in behavioral patterns of harmful actions. 

It is for everyone to observe their own actions, thoughts and words and to create a personal ethic to not cause injury, harm or violate anyone’s rights in this world.

Cultivating of a culture is a process.  With time and devotion can we grow and refine our personal ethics.

Grow in this consciousness and make it part of your asana practice.  The practice should not bring injury or violate breath-stability.  Become aware of the way you treat yourself, the asana and the breath on the mat.  Keep this reflection in your daily actions.  Alignment in body bears fruits in life with the integration and alignment of all the levels of our existence and consciousness (the five koshas).

See all living beings as equal.  Show and give respect.  Show and give love. When we ourselves becomes whole and integrated in our personalities, it becomes our knowing that we are one.  By harming self, we harm others.  By harming others we harm self – we harm our true nature, we inherently harm Nature.  Every action, spoken or unspoken, contemplated or executed, contributes to the escalate residue of harm and disrespect that is so prevalent on a global platform (nations, race, religion) and also in the micro cosmic cell (families, inter-personal, towards our pets, animals, exploiting nature).