It's a Lifestyle

The practice of yoga is not how well you can execute the poses and postures. That's all ego. Yoga is way more than a physical discipline, it's a spiritual journey with a rich philosophy that enhance all the aspects of our being and our lives helping us to balance our mind, body and soul. In order to excel in yoga, one must adapt a healthy lifestyle outside of the yoga room. Healthy eating, constant hydration and a regular physical yoga practice are all important. I absolutely love the discipline of yoga. Here's more info on the yoga lifestyle:

A Yama is an attitude or code of conduct towards others and the world around you. Patañjali’s Yoga Sutra mentions five Yamas:

1. Ahimsa: Non Violence, abstinence from injury, it means kindness and thoughtful consideration of oneself and other creatures.
2. Satya: It means "to speak the truth"; it is about living a truthful life without doing harm to others. One must consider the consequences of his actions before speak.
3. Asteya: It means "avoidance of stealing”. One must not steal (objects and ideas), don’t have selfish feelings towards others and not obstruct other people's desires.
4. Brahmacharya: Can be translated as moderation and moderation in all things, it is used mostly in the sense of abstinence to discipline and preserve sexual energy. One must avoid excessive desires or attitudes that make us deviate from finding the eternal truth.
5. Aparigraha: It is the concept of non-possessiveness, it means to take only what is necessary to live a life free of avarice and do not take advantage of someone or of a situation.



A Niyama is about self-regulation, is how you interact with yourself, your internal world. The following are the five Niyamas:

1. Shaucha: It means purity, keeping ourselves clean maybe eating certain foods, purifying our relationships, meditating, letting go harmful attitudes.
2. Santosha: It means contentment with what you have and who you are, not focus on what you should have don, is to live the present. "Accept that which we cannot change, Change what we can, and have the wisdom to know the difference."
3. Tapas: This Niyama refers to self-discipline, austerity, is act with discipline, enthusiasm and determination to attain what we want and act accordingly making sacrifices as necessary. Tapas is practiced disciplining the body and mind.
4. Svadhyaya: It means “to get close to something”; it is learn from our own lives and experiences. You will learn to be centred and to burn destructive tendencies.
5. Ishvarapranidhana: It means “to lay all your actions at the feet of God”, it is about your relationship to the divine energy of the universe, one must offer the fruits of your life to God.

Yamas and Niyamas are ten ethical precepts that allow us to have a healthier, happier life in pace with ourselves, our family, and our community.

-Yogaweb.com