basic guidelines for teachers of yoga pdf

To do this, our yoga practice and all of the benefits we may receive from our practice must be seen as an offering to something greater than ourselves.

These practices extend the ethical codes of conduct provided in his first limb, the Yamas, to the practicing yogis internal environment of body, mind, and spirit.

The Five Niyamas of Yoga Shaucha (purification and cleanliness) is a central aim of many yogic techniques and is the first principle of Patanjalis five observances.

The yogis discovered that impurities in both our external environment and our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation.

The practices of asana, pranayama, and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being.

We must also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings, and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.

Thanks Samtosha (contentment) is not craving for what we do not have as well as not coveting the possessions of others.

The yogis tell us that when we are perfectly content with all that life gives us, then we attain true joy and happiness.

It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods, but both our personal experience and the teachings of the sages prove that the happiness gained through materialism is only temporary.

Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different, and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of lifes blessings.

Tapas (asceticism and self-discipline) is a yogic practice of intense self-discipline and attainment of will power.

When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal fire is created which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities.

This inner fire can also be used as a source of spiritual energy; the yogis say the sole practice of Tapas can lead to the release of kundalini and attainment of enlightenment.

Tapas builds the will power and personal strength to help us become more dedicated to our practice of yoga.

Svadhyaya (self-study and self-reflection) is the ability to see our true divine nature through the contemplation of our lifes lessons and through the meditation on the truths revealed by seers and sages.

Life presents an endless opportunity to learn about ourselves; our flaws and weaknesses give us the opportunity to grow and our mistakes allow us to learn.

Examining our actions becomes a mirror to see our conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and desires more clearly.

The yogic practice of Svadhyaya also involves the study of sacred and spiritual texts as a guide to our interior world where our true self resides.

Self-study requires both seeing who we are in the moment and seeing beyond our current state to realize our connection with the divine.

Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion and self-surrender) is the dedication, devotion, and surrender of the fruits of ones practice to a higher power.

This personal observance fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than the self and the selfless action of karma yoga.

Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves.

Basic Guidelines For Teachers Of Yoga Pdf