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The tree of life part two by Light
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Niyama is the roots of the tree that feed from the good soil of Yama onto the entire tree of life.
In part one of the tree of life I made reference to a yoga life beginning like a flowering tree, where the soil must be free of poison. I compared the soil to the don’ts of Yoga, which are the five precepts of Yama: Non-violence, not lying, not stealing, not lusting and non-greed. It is true benevolence like the rich and fertile soil you can trust your seeds to for they will grow strong roots.
In this article I want to explain the do’s of Yoga, the necessary practices that make of you a primarily spiritual being. You are what you do, where your character is rooted is in your actions. Niyama are the actions you must perform on a daily basis with joy, for they are the acts of a good person whose only desire is to be one with god.
Niyama consists of cleanliness, contentment, service, scriptural understanding, and ideation. It is observable behavior. Their effect is two-fold: internal and external. From these roots a multitude of spiritual nutrients fortify the next two components of the tree of life: The trunk or Asanas, posture and perfectly harmonious body and organs, and Pranayama or the circulatory system from roots through trunk and all the branches.
Niyama observances are of exquisite sweetness and so appealing it makes a magnet out of any yogi. The beauty of such soul becomes evident and desirable to anyone who comes in touch with him or her. The sweet vibrations and power carried with such grace make a yogi a true charismatic being. The actions of self-regulating discipline of Niyama are nothing that requires super-human will. It is a daily contribution to the positive flow of good activity. It is you doing your part and making a difference inside and out.
Let us see each of the components of Niyama:
1. Do keep clean. Shaoc’a is pronounced shah-otsh; it means to keep a clean body inside and out. It also means to keep purity of mind through conscious choice and action. Keep the body clean inside through following a sentient healthy diet. Choose to eat whole foods that are made of organic origin from environment-friendly sources. Try to eat foods that do not come from putrefaction or are too spicy or contain caffeine. Try to eat soy source protein instead of meat. Substituting a few meals a week will have enough tremendous effect. Well informed transitions that do not imbalance your life is what you must do. Never buy into any regime fully without first consulting a nutritionist.
Keep your body cool and clean performing half and full baths. Half bath is explained in a previous article on yoga routine. Also after evacuating the private parts must be washed and dried properly. Make sure you use natural fibers and clean cotton underwear that gives good support and protection to your private areas. Your bedding and house must be kept free of debris and accumulation of unnecessary items. Use diluted bleach, vinegar, or hot steam to clean surfaces and fabrics.
Keeping your mind clean means purposefully not engaging into porn or violent films or materials, means to not host any ill thoughts. If you feel something impure like lust then purposefully take time to meditate and pray ideating in the innocence of god’s beauty. If you host greed then make an active substitution by detaching from something and give it to someone in an act of generosity. It is a battle that you must engage with earnest humbleness knowing that all imperfections are a reminder that our animal tendencies must be tamed. Keep your eyes avert from seeing the wrong things, your ears from listening to the wrong music or words, your tongue from rephrasing the wrong ideas, the hands from touching impure things, your legs from leading you to the wrong path.
Cleanliness is very important. It is said that cleanliness is next to godliness. It is the one thing that will help you deal with the craziness of the world coming out untouched.
2. Do keep content. Santos’a is pronounced Santosh. It means maintaining a state of peacefulness in the mind. It is a blessing to be grateful for what you are, what you do or have instead of crying for what you do not have or are. Be easily content, satisfied. If you go to a restaurant and the waitress brings you a drink that has too much ice say nothing and thank her. Enjoy the ice, be grateful for it. Your mind will be h-a-p-p-y attaining tos’a, which means blissful contentment.
Enjoy and take pleasure with what you do, feel, are, have. Your mind will not suffer and will not develop any psychosis. The deviant minds are a result of frustration because what they believe they should do, feel, be, have is very different from what they actually live in reality. There are very deeply rooted psychoses that may be a result of other lives dragging into the present one or a result of pressures from society that burden the minds of our brothers and sisters. Society tells them that if they have this much money or a great job or this many lovers, then they will be happy.
Nobody knows why a man wants to become a woman or why a hefty and short girl wants to become a tall and skinny model. You may put two people, twins included, raised in the same manner. One will be happy being his gender, the other one wants an operation to become a woman. Also one of the sisters remains hefty and marries and has children, while the other one suffers, becomes depressed and dies of anorexia. Those are true stories I came across this week.
It is why one must accept others the way they are as to not add on the internal struggle everyone faces once in a while where we feel inadequate or insufficient. Most everyone tries to do their best. The waitress you do not burden for having made a mistake will maintain her peace and so will you.
I respect those who are content and have no ego when it comes to forgiving and giving chances to everyone. They spread content like angels, blessing all around them.
3. Do practice austerity. Tapas, it means to maintain a spirit of selfless service and sacrifice. Seek to serve before being served. Look for opportunities to help those in need. It is a blessing. You must serve humans, plants and animals on a daily basis.
If you are not thanked or if you do not get any recognition or payment in return then you are truly blessed, for your reward is coming from heaven and not from a temporary source.
Do not think that you impress anyone by fasting and appearing all weak and hungry causing pity around the community. It is foolish and has no spiritual value. Fast quietly as a sacrifice for those who hunger, praying that this sacrifice somehow blesses them. Keep it to yourself. Donate without having your name displayed in a marquee. Feed the hungry without expecting a thank you, expect instead to serve them as if they were royalty and you are lucky enough to be given the chance to serve them good food as you yourself fast.
Feed, cure, clothe, provide transportation, clean, serve, serve, serve, as if you were serving god himself, for what you do for the smallest of his children, you do for him.
This external service has a blessing: your meditation will accelerate with tremendous speed.
4. Do understand spiritual scriptures. Svadhyaya, it means to make a clear effort to pick up spiritual scriptures, (Veda-sutras, bible, book of Mormon, Koran, Talmud, etc.). Engage them with full understanding. It also means watching videos and movies that are inspirational. There is a lot of spiritual content in healing meditation when you search in youtube.com.
Books, videos, and most important, friendships: friends are also a source of knowledge and revelation. They are also in a spiritual path and they may blog about their journey and what has helped them. Be humble enough to learn from your friends. I have friends that I seek because their happiness comes from a very spiritual place. I also network in places like face-book, my-space, blogger and twitter and have met very amazing persons there who inspire me in so many ways and have encouraged me tremendously.
When you engage in a conversation or debate you are practicing an ancient way of learning. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, and the Jewish learning community practiced debate to seek the truth. It is very important also to seek revelation beyond scriptures. Listen to that higher self when meditating, right action is guided from within as well.
5. Do ideate on god. Iishvara Pranidhana, it is pronounced eeshoe-ar prah-nee-dan, it means to have a single purpose, a single mind, one and only goal: be one with god. ‘Every breath is sustained by my one desire to be one with you my beautiful beloved’. This is the stance of a true devotee. It is to love god above all creation, to have that one attachment, one motive, everything else falls under that. Maintain constant ideation and then, without anything else worth anything in your heart it means to surrender everything to the will of god.
One who is constantly engaged and perfectly established in Iishvara Pranidhana reaches the highest state of mind, always walking on the shore of spirituality, every idea emanates from the eternal sea, for it is all that the mind is attached to focus on. This is the root that feeds japa-mantra, kriiga Yoga. Of all the practices of Niyama this is the most soulful one.
Yama and Niyama go hand in hand. They depend on each other the way the soil depends on the roots not to be washed away and the way the roots depend on the soil to feed their tree. Yama is restraint, Niyama is observance. Self control and discipline hand in hand in perfect harmony and with the highest purpose.
Take heart and engage in Yama and Niyama fully aware that your life will take a turn for the infinite. There is nothing that will stop your development. Faithfully continue trying regardless of daily results, start with clean slate the next day without judging yourself or diminishing your efforts.
Be non-violent with yourself, you are a part of the creation you are meant to protect.
I wish you great ventures in Yama and Niyama and hope you tell me how you are doing with their practice.
In the next articles I will tell you about the trunk of the tree of life and its internal circulatory system. The trunk is Asana and the tree’s circulation system is Pranayama.
Until next time, don’t forget to follow me on www.twitter.com/lorenalix -My blog in www.myspace.com/illumintensity -My new www.facebook.com/lorenalix -My e-mail is lorenalix@live.com. Please subscribe to this column and send me your comments, requests and news you want me to feature.
Love in Spirit
~*Light*~
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