Behavioral Change

Living With Certainty in an Uncertain World

Yamas and Niyamas

The cycles of seasons continue their revolutions, time ticks, and is precisely measured on an atomic clock; but the “I am” expressed through Steven knows no boundaries until ego surfaces, yielding two sides of the coin, the inner (Niyamas) and outer (Yamas) attitude, angle, perspective, belief, disposition, mood, philosophy, and reaction I adhere to in this plane.  “The Tree of Life,” is represented in all Mythology and so its symbolism may not always be coherent but the message remains.  The tree is rooted in the underworld, reaches to the heavens sun and moonlight, consumes Gaia’s mist and downpours through it roots.  It’s said to represent the cosmic connection that human beings also possess.  The arbor vitae breathes in what we breathe out; giving us shade, building material, in-addition to eight limbs or lessons (Yamas and Niyamas the 1^st two) to create more awareness of the sacred geometry beneath our bare feet, at eyes gaze, the nose filters, tongue flavors, and the ears hear when it falls.  Ayn Rand said, “The truth is not for all men, but only those who seek it.”

The physical environment in the West is seen as the be all of reality with the scientific method guiding true and false, so let us do unto others, Yama style in the 3^rd dimension.  The 1^st limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, is Yama; and is made of five principles.   Aparigraha, asks us to avoid hoarding and greediness.  When I met a strange man from Italy named Thomas in Sedona, AZ on the Mid-Life Crisis Tour, he reinforced that scarcity is man-made.  We live in a world of abundance; that is until we tell ourselves we don’t, and break another Yama, Asteya, and steal.  “Living in America,” like James Brown belts, is full of opportunity but one must become more conscious of this story.  I heard on a program, once an individual lives in thankfulness instead of lack they adhere to the 4^th dimension.  Just as Willie Nelson said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole turned around.”

Brahmacarya, observes to consciously direct energy, sexual.  Instead of giving into earthly desires to form bonds, one is encouraged to, “form relationships on the highest truth,” says T.K.V.  An individual may get lost in the powers of the flesh, not that sexual energy is good or bad but too much of a crutch leads off the path off school, family, and finally free to be a monk described in the Heart of Yoga.  Others interrupt  Brahmacharya as the energy that guides to the creator, thus freeing oneself from the material world. Listening to your body in order to achieve balance advances to directing one’s energy more consciously and growth can occur in the ‘now’.  

Ahimsa, is usually thought of as non-violence but its true translation is, absence of injury.          A conscientious objector or a Saint comes to mind when I contemplate Ahimsa because of the non-violence that has resonated so many times over ‘absence of injury.’  But if I ponder it further, if I was never “hurt,” there would never need to be a time to act of violence.  Ghandi was able to take down the British and MLK helped conquer Montgomery, Alabama with Ahimsa; even though violence against them persisted.

The last principle of Yama is Satya and represents truthfulness of speech but with a filter. Something I have trouble with, due to overriding emotion to be heard, can be refined by calmly collecting each word before the vibration of an expression is pushed into your aura.  “Hurting people say hurtful things,” was spoken to me by a spiritual teacher and those words really hit home.  Growing up the thought on repeat and instilled by adults was the old “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me,” mantra.  Examining that past today has me questioning the grownups I encountered emotional intelligence because once words become violence as a child respect for the enemy was usually the outcome.  The physical act was over in mere minutes but the constant barrage of detrimental language was much more abusive.  Satya speaks of thoughtfulness towards them as me.   

The 1^st limb, Yama, hands us a guide on how to exhibit a balance on what we want to receive by adhering to the above mentioned leaves of the branch, thus sending out a single of, I’m you and you’re me.  Why would I ever steal, speak ill, hurt myself, give into unhealthy urges, and be super greedy?  I suppose I give in due to a lack of love and a feeling of scarcity.  As my practice continues my perspective is telling me in order to achieve Yama, I must accept, understand, and surrender to the Niyamas; problem is, self-examination is much more difficult than the external environment, but let’s dive in.

Sauca, represents purity and cleanliness of the mind and body.  Keeping up with the temple through proper hygiene and consumption of nutrients leads to pleasurable outcomes without trying so hard is the basis of Sauca to my interpretation.  Although the true meaning for me translates to, not should I drink this much or not, exercise or not, shower or not, but can I maintain a clean crisp stream flowing and filtering through the landscape upon arrival to the ground as pure as where it was born, even though it contains runoff?  Can my light filter it?  I suppose with practice comes faith.  

Samtosa, a peg in Niyamas, translates to contentment with your surroundings.  There is no need for such material things when one is connected with divine coherence.  A feeling of satisfaction will not be obtained by a new car, job, or home, but with a vibration of Samtosa.  From my personal experience, on both sides of this page, from a solo standpoint because either others could not live in a world of freedom due to work.  Or, I couldn’t express the divine spark of the soul to a person on a routine, leaving an unfulfilled gap that could not be filled by material advancements.  But I find myself trying to raise the vibration in any circumstance I inherit, thanks to my practice.  Maybe the next part of Tapas hot fire will explain further?

Traditionally Tapas means ‘austerity’ or ‘discipline’, but ‘tap’ is ‘to burn’.  To burn away the impurities of a sinning mortal with a passion, light, and fire so growth may start from a seedling as was witnessed in the Yellowstone fires in 1988.  “Those that love to work, never labor,” is a favorite quote of mine.  If one invokes a “Friday Night Essence,” meaning what would I rather do then hangout with friends at the bar, movies, or restaurant, and instead create with passion, a vision, and purpose; tapas will be activated subconsciously when this practice is invoked.

Rounding out the leaves of the 2^nd limb are Svadhyaya and Isvara Pranidhana.  They are self-study and surrender to a higher power in simple terms.  I’ve come through the process on the Earth plane through self-rediscovery by pouring over countless texts, videos, services, and meditations; found there is an “I am” and I’m it and it’s Me.  If one believes in self and soul, one knows they are but two flowing from the same faucet.  In order to create a constant stream of quantum one must balance on the branches of Yama and Niyama with a care-free satisfaction of knowing no harm may come to “I am.”  If I, or you, are able to practice these lessons until they reprogram our upbringing and biological survival mode I believe we can paint with a contentment of a saint or monk, and just witness creation.  4% of the Universe is physical, a gem.  When we start there as ‘head of the class’ we can outline the vision with thought and color it in with an emotion.  That was the message I received recently and is reinforced through the teachings of the Yama and Niyama.