Welcome to your final day of The Yamas & Niyamas, a 4 Week Journey.
I wonder, which of these restraints (yamas), or observances (niyamas), resonated most strongly with you?
Was it one of the yamas such as ahimsa, (non-violence), or satya, (non-lying?).
Perhaps asteya, (non-stealing), or bramacharya (moderation), or maybe aparigraha (non-attachment) spoke most strongly to you?
Or was it one of the niyamas such as saucha (purity), or santosha (contentment).
Maybe tapas (self discipline), or svadhyaya (self-study).
Or the very last of the niyamas, isvara pranidana (surrender to the divine, universal energy, cosmic consciousness, God.)
I love how they are all so intimately connected, similar to a row of dominos if you pull one out the integrity of the whole is compromised.
For me ahimsa feels like the ground on which we all must learn to stand, a place firmly rooted in non-violence.
When we are rooted in this place it’s easier and more natural not to lie or steal or take more than you need or attach to/grasp after what you don’t really need.
When you’re grounded in compassion (another common interpretation of ahimsa), you are more likely to practice purity (cleanliness of body, mind, spirit and surroundings), for this is a compassionate act towards yourself, others and the world.
You’re also more likely to experience contentment, to practice self discipline and Self knowledge and to surrender to God, for these are all expressions of deep compassion, of the wellspring of infinite love and compassion that in our hearts we are.
Like a circle where the last meets the first, compassion and surrender to the divine kiss each other, ahimsa and isvara pranidhana the most intimate of lovers. For God is love, and each of us is divine…
Begin by letting go to who you really are from a place of compassion and trust.
Let go in this moment as you listen to the words of this poem by Safire Rose. Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith… And in that leap we surrender into the embrace of the divine.
She Let Go
I invite you to surrender to the healing energy of life, universal energy, love, cosmic consciousness and the divine, in this yoga nidra variation.
White Light Healing Yoga Nidra
Yamas & Niyamas Journal Prompt
Return to my questions at the beginning of this page.
Which yamas & niyamas resonated most strongly with you?
Why?