TEN DISCIPLINES OF YOGA

June 17, 2025

As the world celebrates the 10th International Yoga Day, its importance has never been more profound. Yoga uniquely offers a path to alleviate mental and physical afflictions, bringing joy to our hearts, homes, and societies.

Yoga, however, remains practiced mostly for its physical aspect, that is, asanas, which is an integral part of a vast system of this science of life and human potential.

Yoga has been in practice for over 5000 years in India, and it was Maharishi Patanjali who put the science into the codes of Raja Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga – the eight limbs of Yoga. The eight limbs are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.

The first two limbs are yamas and niyamas, which are personal disciplines to train the mind, habits and behaviour. The practice of yamas and niyamas is to purify and train the mind to in harmony with oneself and others. Our mind and behaviour should not become a problem for us and others.

Yamas and niyamas are codes of self-discipline. Discipline often sounds like a dreadful word; we all agree no one likes it! Yet, self-discipline is truly the path to freedom. An individual with self-control and self-discipline isn’t a slave to external objects or life’s circumstances.

While much yoga is practiced today for its therapeutic benefits for various diseases, asanas alone offer limited advantages without the foundation of Yamas and Niyamas. This is because the root cause of many afflictions often lies in our attitudes, deeply ingrained habits, and psychological conditioning. Indeed, a significant number of diseases stem from emotional and mental distress, commonly known as psychosomatic disorders.

My guru Swami Veda Bharati has said, “Yamas and Niyamas are the real therapy.”

Let us reflect on these ten disciplines of Yamas and Niyamas:

As disciplines of social conduct, the five Yamas teach us how to live harmoniously with others, preventing us from becoming a source of problem for others.

1) Ahimsa (Non-violence)
2) Satya (Truth)
3) Asteya (Non-stealing)
4) Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
5) Aparigraha (Non-possesiveness)

As disciplines of personal conduct, the five Niyamas teach us how to live harmoniously within ourselves, and not become a problem for ourselves.

1) Shaucha (Purity/Cleanliness)
2) Santosha (Contentment)
3) Tapas (Penance)
4) Swadhyay (Self-study of scriptures)
5) Ishvar-pranidhana (Aspiration for the Divine)

Reflections on the ten disciplines:

Ahimsa (Non-violence): Ahimsa, is the absence of harm, which is synonymous with love. It means non-harming, non-hurting, and non-injuring oneself and others through thoughts, actions,, and speech. Any harshness directed towards others always originates in the mind of the one perpetrating it. To counter the absence of Ahimsa, Yoga teaches prati-paksha-bhavana, the cultivation of the opposite positive attitude. For Ahimsa specifically, this means cultivating gentle, loving thoughts towards both oneself and others.
Satya (Truth): Truth is a virtue of the strong. Only those with the courage to face the consequences of speaking and living by it can truly be truthful. However, speaking the truth isn’t synonymous with speaking harshly. Scriptures advise that the truth spoken should be pleasant; and unpleasant truths should be withheld. The core purpose of all Yoga practice is to cultivate a pleasant and tranquil mind. Ultimately, any unpleasant words we utter or lies we tell first disturb our own minds, thereby robbing us of peace.
Asteya(Non-stealing): Stealing encompasses both tangible objects and non-tangibles. In today’s the digital world, especially with media and AI, plagiarism stands out as a prevalent form of modern theft. As Swami Rama noted, “Stealing robs you of your creativity.” Conversely, working with honesty and originality expands our potential and allows us to live more creatively.
Brahmacharya (Celibacy): Brahmacharya means “to walk in Brahman,” referring to the Supreme Being. By walking in this higher consciousness, one’s lower nature is overcome effortlessly. Among human desires, sexual desire is the strongest, and if not properly regulated, it can lead to various mental and physical imbalances, including loss of strength and virility. The key is not to suppress sexual activity, but rather to regulate it.
Aparigraha (Non-possesiveness): Possessiveness, whether of material objects or personal relationships, creates bonds that weaken individuals and foster dependence. We find ourselves in a cycle of endless acquisition, purchasing items we don’t truly need, spurred by marketers’ pervasive “buy more, buy bigger” campaigns that transform our homes into mere storage units. In a similar way, we often hold on to relationships that are not helpful to us. Aparigraha offers the inner-strength to attachments to people and possessions in our life.
Shaucha(Purity): Shaucha, the first of the Niyamas, emphasizes both inner and outer purity. Our bodies naturally produce malas (waste) from their seven dhatus (tissues); the efficient removal of this waste is crucial for physical, pranic, and mental well-being. The Ayurvedic text Sushruta Samhita defines good health (swasthya) as the harmonious functioning of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), agni (digestive fire), dhatus, malas, and the presence of a clear, pleasant mind. Beyond personal hygiene, maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings is also a dharmic duty. On a deeper spiritual level, as described in the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Shaucha cultivates an aversion to the physical body. Through the practice of cleanliness, one realizes the transient, waste-producing nature of the body, prompting a search for the permanent, pure, and eternal reality that lies beyond it.
Santosha (Contentment): Santosha,is our inner contentment and fullness; holds a crucial distinction from mere satisfaction. Contentment, stems from the profound realization that no external acquisition can ever bring lasting fulfillment. This deep inner well-being arises from disassociating happiness from transient sensory and ego-driven pleasures. Indeed, the Patanjali Yoga Sutras teach that through Santosha, the highest form of happiness is attained.
Tapas (Penance): Representing the principle of fire, Tapas is the arduous, sustained effort to burn away inner impurities. It is a transformative discipline, a penance that leads to eradicating our flaws and achieving mastery over the body and senses. Yoga philosophy teaches that our physical body and jñānendriyas (sense organs) are merely instruments of the mind. By diligently training these senses—taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound—we develop profound self-control over the mind’s inherent cravings and patterns. This process is beautifully summarized by Swami Veda Bharati in Philosophy of Hatha Yoga: “Tapas is that attitude in life through which, by doing something repeatedly and exerting oneself repeatedly, one makes something a definite part of one’s inner mind.”
Swadhyaya (Self-study): Swadhyaya refers to the study of sacred texts and the self, achieved through self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-awareness. It deepens our understanding of our habits and our psychological and spiritual selves by examining our own lives. The purpose of Swadhyaya is to comprehend our desires, motivations, and actions, transforming our life into a laboratory for understanding our deeper spiritual Self. Additionally, the study of scriptures provides a clear understanding of the nature of the body, mind, and senses, and the true Self that transcends the mind, the realization of which is the ultimate goal of Yoga.
Ishvar-pranidhana (Aspiration for the Divine): The final discipline among the Niyamas is Ishvara Pranidhana, defined as surrender to Ishvara. Ishvara refers to the divine, undecaying, and eternal principle, inherently free from the five kleshas: ignorance, ego, attraction, aversion, and the fear of death. This surrender is cultivated through devotion and shraddha (faith) in this sacred and divine principle.

Swami Niranjananda Saraswati, describing Yamas and Niyamas, says, “Yamas and Niyamas are like scissors that can trim and prune the tree of life and mind to ensure they grow straight, strong and shady, and provide plenty of fruit.”

May these disciplines of Yoga inspire your yoga-sadhana and beautify your mind, fragrant with happiness.