TAG: Patanjali

The Yamas are the first stage of Patanjali’s 8fold path. They consist of 5 universal moral principles that bring harmony between us and the surrounding world. They represent the positive and purer expression of our personality. That “better person” we are looking for through our practice. The ultimate implementation of these principles is not restricted to actions, but it also applies to our words and thoughts. And of course, it begins with us

Somewhere between the 2nd and the 5th century B.C., the great sage Patanjali wrote down the Yoga Sutras. This text became Raja Yoga’s (the meditation yoga) main source of inspiration. It consists of 196 aphorisms. It describes human psychology in a very concise, succinct, and even scientific way, and it offers a practical system of spiritual development.

The 5 niyamas are about practices of inner discipline and exercise, and they provide guidance about how we relate to our own self. They are not a list of obligations, but a reminder that real freedom comes through discipline. It is an invitation and at the same time, a list of tools, so that we can experience a calm, harmonious and blissful inner state. They reflect a more connected, conscious and pure expression of our personality, and they create a fertile environment in which we can mature and evolve.

The second Niyama is Santosha, which is translated as completeness and satisfaction with everything in our life. In our times, we are disconnected from the present moment, which turns Santosha into a continuously elusive feeling. We say “I will find happiness when… I do not have this. I will buy it. Now, I bought it, […]

Tapas is one of the 5 niyamas described in the yoga sutras. Tapas can be translated as “fire” or “burning”, and it refers to the disciplined use of our energy. The use of the word “discipline” often carries a negative connotation of self-restraint, but it can also be interpreted as “burning enthusiasm”. There are a […]

Ιshvara Pranidhana “Whatever you read, All that you learn, All that you see And all the fragrant things reaching your nostrils Whatever comes and fades away All of these are a way to explain what is happening around you. And you are the observer. Through continuous study and inner conversation, I know now that I […]

The last yama we will examine this year is Brahmacharya. Brahma is the Absolute Consciousness, and charya is “to live close to”. Thus, the word for word translation for Brahmacharya would be “the one who follows in God’s footsteps”, the one who directs their energies and interest to seeking the Brahma. So, it refers to […]

Yes, there is also darkness inside us. Even from the moment we are born, we struggle to survive, not always competing in peace. Avoiding physical violence may be a relatively easy achievement, but the notion of a-himsa reaches even further – from the way we speak and express ourselves, even to the way we think. […]