MOST Magazine Fitness JUN'15 ISSUE NO.2 | Page 150

Photographer: Aneese Photography

By: Yoga Instructor Crystal Milana
www.crystalmilana.net

ere in the Western part of the world, we
are introduced to yoga first through the
asana practice (postures). In reality
though, there is a part of yoga that is much deeper
and is actually the foundation to all of the yoga
practices. The Yamas, & Niyamas, yoga’s ethical
disciplines, teach us and give us a clear direction
for how to live a joyful life. Yamas is a Sanskrit
word that translates into restraints and there are
five: ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness),
asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (non-excess)

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and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). These
are guidelines for how we should interact with
ourselves and with the world around us. Then
there are five Niyamas, or “observances”, that
allow us to explore within ourselves brining us into
a deeper awareness of how we are living. There
is saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas
(discipline), svadhyaya (self-study) and pranidhana
(devotion). These ten guidelines are part of the
eight limbs of yoga written by the sage Patanjali in
the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali does not tell us that we >>>