In this month’s newsletter, I introduce the first two of the eight limbs of the yoga sutras: yama and niyama.
As ever, please check out the studio calendar and classes pages on the website for more details, and May’s workshops and courses are below.
We wish you happiness for the month of May, with best wishes from Sharon and all the yoga teachers and therapists.
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali – yama and niyama
The Yoga Sutra, widely regarded as the authoritative text on yoga, is a collection of aphorisms, outlining the eight limbs (or steps) of yoga.
These “threads” (as sutra translates from Sanskrit) of wisdom offer guidelines for living a meaningful and purposeful life. There are 196 of them and they were written by the ancient sage Patanjali, possibly at least 1,700 years ago.
Patanjali reflected on the nature of woman and man and the norms of his society at the time and he systematically expressed his observations in the sutras which deal with the entire span of life.
They begin with a code of conduct and end with the ultimate goal: emancipation and freedom.
The first two limbs: yama and niyama
Yama
The attitude we have towards things and people outside ourselves is called ‘yama’. There are 5 of them: non violence, truthfulness, not stealing, abstinence and non -attachment.
Niyama
How we relate to ourselves inwardly is called ‘niyama’ and there are also 5 of them: purification, contentment, self–discipline , self- study and devotion.
“Yama and niyama deal with our social attitude and lifestyle, how we interact with other people and the environment and how we deal with our problems.
These all form a part of yoga but they cannot be practised. What we can practice are asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing practices), which make us aware of where we are, where we stand, and how we look at things.
Recognizing our mistakes is the first sign of clarity. Then gradually we try to bring in the way we show respect to nature or relate to a friend. No-one can change in a day, but yoga practices help change our attitudes, our yama and niyama..”
( The heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar)
Courses and Workshops in May
Mindfulness Course Starting with Jem Shackleford
- Wednesday 3rd May 7:00 – 9:00pm 8 week course
- Read more about Mindfulness course
Mindful Drop-in with Jem Shackleford
- Thursday 4th May: 7:00 – 8:30pm
- Read more about Mindful drop-in
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button
- Friday 5th May 7:00 – 8:30pm
- Read more about Breathing and Yoga Nidra
Yoga Sutras with Sarah Ryan
- Saturday 6th May 10:45am – 12:15pm
- Read more about Yoga Sutras
Silent Yoga with Leanne Jones and SHUSH events
- Saturday 6th May 5:00 – 6:30pm
- Read more about Silent Yoga
Shoulders and Inversions with Isabelle Taylor
- Sunday 7th May 10-1pm
- Read more about Shoulders and Inversions
Mini First Aid with Sue Fisher
- Tuesday 9th May 12:00 – 2:00pm
- Read more about Mini First Aid
Soulful/Herbal Yoga Nidra with Fiona Heckles and Magdalena Atkinson
- Friday 12th May 7:45 – 9:15pm
- Read more about Soulful/Herbal Yoga Nidra
The Art of Deep Self Care with Sian Alcock
- Saturday 13th May 2:00 – 5:00pm
- Read more about Deep Self-Care
Gong Bath with Arianna Moretti
- Saturday 13th May 6:30 – 8:30pm
- Read more about Gong Bath
Shakti Dance with Magdalena Atkinson
- Friday 19th May 7:00 – 9:00pm
- Read more about Shakti Dance
Past Life Regression and Meditation
- Sunday 21st May 10:00am – 1:00pm
- Read more about Past Life Regression and Meditation
Pregnancy Circle and Relaxation with Kim Jones
- Tuesday 23rd May 7:00 – 8:00pm
- Read more about Pregnancy Circle and Relaxation
Moving into Stillness with Yogi Lea
- Sunday 28th May 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Read more about Moving into Stillness
Alignment Flow with Victoria Boast
- Sunday 28th May 10:00 – 11:30am
- Read more about Alignment Flow