What are the Niyamas?
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
It is time to gently gaze inward to connect with one's self.
Niyamas
(Lesson — Edge Yoga School Educational Library)
🌿 Overview
The Niyamas invite us to turn inward and explore the relationship we have with ourselves. Our thoughts, feelings, habits, and inner patterns shape the way we move through the world. By tending to our inner landscape, we cultivate a more grounded, peaceful, and soulful way of living.
📘 Define It
The five Niyamas offer guidance for our personal attitudes and self-discipline. They help us develop healthy internal habits so we may live with greater clarity, compassion, and intention. Through these practices, we bring steadiness to our inner world and align our actions with our deepest values.
💛 What It Means to You
The Niyamas are personal commitments—acts of devotion to your own wellbeing. They support the cultivation of self-love, honesty, and gentleness, which inevitably radiate outward to the people and communities around you. By practicing the Niyamas, we choose daily behaviors that nurture our growth.
🌱 Applying Niyamas in Daily Life
1️⃣ Sauca — Purity
Purity of body, mind, and environment.
Cleanse the body through mindful movement and breathwork.
Cleanse the mind through meditation and the release of unhelpful thoughts.
Clear your surroundings to reduce tension and create space for peace.
2️⃣ Santosha — Contentment
A state of acceptance and inner ease.
Be present with what is rather than longing for what is not.
Practice gratitude for the body you have today.
Notice how contentment grows when comparison falls away.
3️⃣ Tapas — Discipline
The intentional use of our energy.
Take consistent action toward positive growth.
Release habits that no longer serve you.
Honor that transformation can be powerful and gentle—progress, not pressure.
4️⃣ Svadhyaya — Self-Study
Understanding who you are—both your strengths and your shadows.
Reflect on patterns, choices, and beliefs.
Use journaling, meditation, or teachings to deepen self-awareness.
Celebrate your growth while honoring areas that need compassion.
5️⃣ Ishvara Pranidhana — Surrender
A celebration of the spiritual and an offering of our actions to something greater.
Release the need to control every outcome.
Trust the unfolding of your path.
Remember that humility and devotion soften the heart.
🌟 Benefits of Practicing the Niyamas
When we redirect our attention inward, we gain stability and clarity.
Inner conflict begins to dissolve.
Our choices become more aligned.
Peace and resilience develop from the inside out.
Alongside the Yamas, the Niyamas provide a practical framework for living a meaningful, heart-centered life filled with intention, ease, and love.
📘 Educational Note
This information is for education purposes only and always seek your medical team for physical and emotional support.
Students enrolled in our program may send a Slack DM to Michelle or those interested in enrolling are invited to send a CHAT to begin a conversation.
