The niyamas are focused on the responsibilities we have not towards other people, but towards ourselves. These principles include sautya, keeping your body clean physically, mentally and emotionally. Svadhyaya is a commitment to studying yourself and looking within yourself for answers. Santosa is my favorite because it's the principle that's focused on finding contentment in the present moment.
We often think of yoga as a physical exercise - but a centuries-old Sanskrit text, The Yoga Sutras, share teachings intended to improve both the body and mind. The author, Patanjali, makes clear that the poses and stretches are only part of picture - we also need to be kind, contemplative and grounded.
Jessamyn Stanley (yoga teacher and author of Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance) takes Dr Laurie Santos through Patanjali's text - saying its lessons "can be applied in every circumstance, no matter who you are or where you are".
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