The Niyamas of Yoga - 5 Ways To Get To Know Yourself Better

Back in the 2nd century BCE, a Hindu sage called Patanjali wrote The Yoga Sutras, a guidebook for attaining freedom and contentment.

The practice of yoga consists of 8 parts, or limbs. The first limb is the Yamas, or moral guidelines, which I overviewed in last week's blogpost. This week, the second limb of the eight-fold path of yoga, the Niyamas, is under the spotlight:

Whereas the Yamas concern your relationship with the world, the Niyamas are personal observances which point the way to a happy and healthy life.

The 5 Niyamas are:

Saucha - Purity: Practice purity by observing how you treat your body and your mind. Some of the ways to keep the body pure are by eating clean and healthy foods, taking care of personal hygiene and using asana practice (the postures) to cleanse by stimulating the blood, lymph, digestive and respiratory systems. The mind can be kept clean by meditation, letting go of grudges and perceived difficulties and also by practicing mindfulness in everyday living.

Santosha - Contentment: The yogic path teaches acceptance and gratitude for what you already have. Yoga practice is a constant reminder to be in the present moment, not wishing that things were as they used to be or comparing ourselves to others and wishing we were like them. Practice Santosha by regularly reminding yourself of all the many blessings you already have in your life - your family and friends, the spring flowers and the buds on the trees, your home, the warm clothes that you have to wrap up in on a cold day.

Tapas - Self-discipline: This Niyama is about sticking to your goals and being authentic. It's about having enough inner fire to stay focussed and committed to your intentions. Practice Tapas when you notice those excuses coming up about why you can't do your yoga practice today!

Svadhyaya - Self-study: "Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are" Jason Crandell
When you pay attention to how the body feels during your yoga practice, you start to notice habits and conditioning. You become aware of how you react to every pose, where you feel limited, stressed, peaceful, annoyed or relaxed, for example. You are getting to know yourself. When this starts to happen "on the mat" you can shift your awareness to your reactions to situations that occur off the mat.  You'll be getting to know yourself a little better - it's useful information which will help you become more comfortable with who you are.

Ishvara Pranidhana - Surrender: The last Niyama is about trusting life and letting go of limited beliefs. It's about opening to possibilities, living more spiritually, having a sense that the Universe is taking care of things so you don't need to try to control everything. You can practice Ishvara Pranidhana in daily life by doing the best you can do and letting go of the need for the results to turn out a certain way.

If you are interested in the Yamas and Niyamas, the first and second limbs of yoga, take a look at this website http://www.theyamasandniyamas.com/resources.html which has a short video about each one.

Next week I will be writing about at the third limb, Asana - the physical practice of yoga.

This week I am making... Warm Butternut Squash and Feta Salad

For this healthy, nourishing lunch you will need:

1 butternut squash
Quarter of a pack of feta cheese
Rocket or other salad leaves
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180degrees/gas mark 4. Peel the butternut squash and cut into chunks. Place the pieces in a roasting tin, add a splash of olive oil and mix well until the pieces are covered in the oil. Place the tin in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and add a splash of balsamic vinegar, mix well and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. The squash should now be soft and deliciously browned.  

Turn the oven out and put the pine nuts on a baking sheet into the oven for a couple of minutes. The remaining heat of the oven will be enough to brown the pine nuts. Put your salad leaves in a bowl, put the butternut squash pieces on top, crumble the feta cheese over the squash, add a twist of black pepper to taste and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Yum! And there's enough left over to have for lunch tomorrow too!

This week I am visiting...Somerset

In my quest to visit new places and have new experiences I booked a family weekend away and ended up visiting three places I've already been to before! We stayed in a lovely, newly renovated cottage in the village of Wookey Hole which is famous for it's cave system and slightly tacky amusement park. Arriving in Wookey Hole on Friday lunchtime we had a good veggie lunch in the local pub and then chilled out in our cottage for the rest of the afternoon. On Saturday we went for a walk up Ebbor Gorge under blue skies and glorious sunshine. This steep ravine is cut deep into the limestone cliffs of the Mendip Hills. The walk is moderately challenging (Small Brown Dog needed a bit of a push up some parts of the craggy, rocky path), and offers wonderful views of the Somerset Levels from the top of the cliff edge.  

Ebbor Gorge

In the afternoon we visited Wells. This historic city is famous for being the smallest city in England.  It qualifies for this title because, although it only has about 12,000 inhabitants, it has a cathedral.  And it is some cathedral!  

Holiday Headstand

On Sunday we visited Glastonbury.  This town, most famous for its music festival, is also well-known for its myths and legends, notably King Arthur, the Holy Grail and the Holy Thorn. It has a quirky High Street with independent shops that have a New Age feel. By lunchtime the weather had deteriorated and as we climbed the Tor we were almost blown away. The views were not so good because of the weather but it did show us the extent of the recent flooding. 

Glastonbury Tor

Digby looking a little windswept!

We enjoyed afternoon tea with delicious vegan, gluten free cakes in one of the many cafes and I had a lovely time browsing in some of the shops, buying incense burners and hanging bells until I was dragged away by the rest of the family.

I'm already planning our next weekend getaway. These short breaks are a breath of fresh air (literally this time!) - I get to spend time with my family and give them my full attention without everyday chores getting in the way. They offer me a chance to explore our wonderful country and an opportunity to look at things with a fresh perspective.

This week I am growing... Rocket

I eat a lot of salad which I love, but most of it comes in a bag, which I don't love. In the summer I grow mixed salad leaves in the garden, but Rocket grows better in the cooler months as it has a tendency to go to seed quickly when the weather is hot.  So for the next two or three months I'm going to sow a tray of Rocket every couple of weeks so that I have a continuous supply.  A packet of seeds costs less than £2 and should last two or three sowings.

It's really easy to do:

Fill a seed tray with multipurpose compost and pat gently down. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of seed as evenly as you can, then cover with a fine layer of compost. Water, cover with a perspex lid and put in a sheltered spot (I've put mine up against the patio doors where I won't forget to water it) or put in a greenhouse.  Keep the compost moist. The seedlings will come up quickly, and Rocket is best harvested when the leaves are really young by cutting the leaves off with scissors.  

Fill a seed tray with compost

A teaspoon of seeds should give a good crop

Secure the lid with a heavy stone!

The Yamas of Yoga

Thousands of years ago a sage called Patanjali wrote down a set of guidelines for living a life of freedom and balance.  This great work was called the Yoga Sutras and to this day it remains one of the most important texts about yoga.

Patanjali described yoga as a practice of 8 parts, or limbs.  Here is a brief overview of the first limb of yoga - the Yamas:

The Yamas are 5 moral disciplines which give ethical guidelines for living life mindfully.  

1. Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming
This yama is a reminder to have respect and compassion for all living things, including yourself. 

2. Satya: truthfulness
Using words carefully so they do not harm others. Being honest and not exaggerating or bending the truth.

3. Asteya: non-stealing
Stealing comes from feeling that there is not enough, and that something in life is missing. Practice Asteya by acknowledging the abundance that is already present in your life, and by recognising the little ways in which you steal from yourself and others (i.e. not getting enough sleep, being late for appointments, taking more than is actually needed).

4. Brahmacharya: self-restraint and moderation in all things  
Using your energy wisely, channelling it in the direction you want it to go, not wasting it in ways which will not add value to your life.

5. Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-hoarding  
This is different from Asteya, as it refers to jealously guarding what we have and what we want. Practice Aparigraha by being generous with what you have, letting go of what you don't need and not being resistant to change.

If you are interested in learning more about the Yamas and their guidelines for living a life of peace and accord with yourself and those around you, I recommend  this website which offers a serious of short videos explaining each Yama in more detail. 


This week I am visiting... Sarah Raven's gardening website www.sarahraven.com  

Sarah Raven is a gardener, writer and TV presenter who runs a gardening and cookery school in Sussex.  She is an advocate of growing flowers to cut and bring into the house and has written a number of books on this subject - Grow Your Own Cut Flowers being one of my favourites.  

Sarah has a mail order business selling seeds, seedlings, gardening and kitchen equipment. The website (and the catalogue) is visually appealing with beautiful photographs by renowned garden photographer Jonathan Buckley.  The site is easy to negotiate and full of useful information about growing seeds.  Especially useful is the "seeds to sow now" section which tells you what to grow month by month.  I am like a kid in a sweetshop when I order from this website and I tend to get a bit carried away! This year I intend to choose carefully and not over-order!  

Sarahraven.com is currently offering 15% off seed purchases up until Sunday 23rd February. Quote SOW14 to claim your discount.

This week I am making... Baked Peaches

This is such a simple dessert and soooo delicious.

You will need:

4 ripe peaches or nectarines
100g amaretti biscuits crumbled finely
2 tablespoons brown sugar
20g butter
raspberries to serve
ice cream or greek yoghurt to serve

Ingredients

Here's how to make them:
1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6/200degrees c
2. Cut the peaches in half, de-stone, and place cut side upwards in a buttered oven-proof dish
3. Sprinkle the peaches with the brown sugar
4. Spoon the crumbled Amaretti biscuits over the peaches
5. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and dot on top
6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
7. Serve with raspberries and ice-cream or greek yoghurt

This week I am growing...Lillies

Another quick and easy job that will reward you a hundred times over this summer with long-lasting, scented flowers. 

Lillies are bulbs which can be planted any time between autumn and early spring - so I'm not late planting these! Hooray!

Choose your bulbs at the garden centre (or www.sarahraven.com where they are cheaper). They should be large and plump. They cost about £1.99 per bulb and you need at least 3 to plant together to form a decent clump. They are good value because they need little aftercare and will flower year after year.  I chose Lilium Regale, a large white lily known for its delicious scent. 

You can plant the bulbs directly into the ground if you have well-drained soil, but I like to plant them in pots which I can move around the garden to fill any gaps in the border.  Half fill a good sized pot with a mixture of grit and multi-purpose compost (lillies don't like to sit in wet soil so the grit helps with the drainage).  Place the bulbs on the compost pointy end up and then cover them with more grit/compost mix to fill up the pot. Label them and then wait for summer! At the end of the summer you can move the pot to a sheltered position for the winter and give them a feed of general purpose fertilizer.

Plant in groups of 3

Plant pointy end up

One word of warning:  lillies are the favourite food of lily beetles. You will need to inspect your lillies regularly once they are in leaf, and if you see the bright red beetles they should be picked off and disposed of. This is a challenge for a yogi practicing Ahimsa (see above). I have been known to collect buckets of snails and take them to the woods rather than kill them, but I'm not sure how to repatriate a lily beetle!

So What Does All This Lifestyle Stuff Have To Do With Yoga?

The postures (Asanas) that we do in our classes are just one part of our yoga practice - an eighth to be exact. The other seven parts (or limbs, as they are known) are: 

Yama (guidelines for moral and ethical behaviour), 
Niyama (personal observances for health and wellbeing), 
Pranayama (breathing techniques), 
Pratyahara (withdrawing the senses away from external stimuli), 
Dharana (developing concentration), 
Dhyana (meditation) and 
Samadhi (enlightenment). 

A yoga class might touch on some of these aspects but here in the Western world there is more emphasis placed on the physical postures than any of the other limbs.  

These recommendations for living life well can seem complicated at first, but it is a well laid-out, tried and tested path which, if we choose to follow it, will bring freedom, joy and contentment. Over the coming weeks I will explain each one of the 8 limbs in a little more detail.

The ancient yogis also taught us about Bhava - an inner feeling, mood, or attitude to life and Rasa - the essence or juice in our lives. An imbalance of these two states can leave us feeling flat, unmotivated and stuck. Our yoga practice helps us cultivate Bhava and Rasa by teaching us to become more aware of what's going on in the body, clearing away sluggishness and focusing the mind.  By mindfully choosing what we eat, how we move, what we read etc, we can activate our Bhava, and we can juice up our lives by learning new things, visiting new places and spending time with people who uplift us.

So, in answer to the question above, the "lifestyle stuff" within this blog is interconnected with yoga - the more you practice yoga, the more awareness you will have about the way your life is flowing, and then you can take the steps you need to take to have a satisfying and fulfilling life.

This week I am making... a mess! And then tidying it up again!

Inspired by www.flylady.net, a US website dedicated to helping you get all your household chores organised, I decided to adopt their Monthly Habit http://www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/february/ for February to declutter for 15 minutes a day. My cooking/baking cupboard has been a complete jumble for some time now, stuffed to overflowing with folded-over packets of seeds, flour and dried fruit. As you can see, it had started to spill out onto the worktop below.

before...

So, I set the timer for 15 minutes and got to work. Out came all the packets of flour and sugar to be kept or discarded (the oldest packet of flour had a best before date of October 2011!). The half-used packets of seeds were sorted and decanted into plastic tubs and the shelves were wiped clean. There was a moment when the cupboard was empty and it's entire contents were scattered all over the worktops and it all looked worse than before I had started but, bit by bit, everything was put back on it's shelf. It all looks so much better now - there's lots of space and I can see what I need at a glance. It took me about 20 minutes but it was a good investment of my time. To clear out the whole kitchen would be an overwhelming task but doing it this way is much more manageable and surprisingly rewarding!

...and after

This week I am visiting... The Lightbox in Woking, Surrey

This fabulous, modern building is a work of art in itself, but inside it has 3 galleries which host a range of different art exhibitions. Currently on view is Animals in Art - a collection of modern British works, an exhibition of Renoir works, a collection of works by students at the University of Creative Arts Farnham and a permanent display about the history of Woking. The Lightbox also hosts regular workshops for adults and children alike. There is a bright cafe for snacks and hot drinks, a gift shop, parking next door at the newly-built Brewery Road car park and entrance to the galleries is free.

The Lightbox isn't huge, but it is a very interesting place to visit and, when combined with a visit to the brand new World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Centre http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/the_living_planet_centre/ next door, makes for a very enjoyable afternoon out.

WWF Living Planet Centre

This week I am growing... Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas are one of the best value summer flowers you can grow. They are cheap and easy to grow from seed and are tough and hardy so don't need mollycoddling. They have a long flowering season - if you keep picking them they'll flower continuously all summer - and they flower prolifically so you will always have beautiful scented flowers for your house.

This packet of seeds cost £2.05 and there were 30 seeds in the packet. This will be enough to smother a wigwam of beanpoles for a glorious display later in the year.

You can sow the seeds in autumn or do it now - it couldn't be simpler:

1. Sweet peas like to send their roots down deep so a little shallow flower pot won't do. Fill a 5inch/12cm pot with multi-purpose compost.

2. Place 5 evenly spaced out seeds on top of the compost and push them down with your finger to a depth of about 1 centimetre. Gently smooth compost back over the hole you have made.

3. Water the compost well, label them (or you'll forget what they are!) and put the pots in a cold frame, greenhouse, cool conservatory or cool windowsill. They won't like being somewhere warm like your living room - the plants will just become weedy and leggy - so treat 'em mean.

4. The seedlings will appear within about 2 weeks - keep them moist.

5. When the seedlings have two pairs of leaves, pinch off the topmost pair with your fingernail. It sounds harsh but it will encourage the plant to put out more sideshoots and become bushier and stronger.

6. In March or April, depending on the weather conditions, you can plant the seedlings out into the garden. I like to make a wigwam of beanpoles and then plant a potful of seedlings at the base of each beanpole. Tying the stems to the beanpoles with garden twine as they grow helps to keep the plants growing upwards rather than flopping down. I'll show you how to do this when the time comes.

Do More of What Makes You Happy in February

So how was your January? And the New Year's Resolutions? In our busy, hectic lives it can be so easy to give up on things you want to do due to the sheer overload of your daily tasks. Sometimes it feels as if spending time on yourself is a luxury and that there are so many other things that are more important.  

Last week I posted a picture quote on the Thrive Yoga Facebook page which, guessing by the number of 'likes' it got, really resonated with people. It was a reminder to "take time to do what makes your soul happy".  

Do you have something you really like to do? It doesn't need to be grand or be a fantastically exciting hobby. It could be as simple as sitting in a favourite spot reading a book, or going for a walk with your dog. Maybe you haven't quite found your "thing" yet. Keep exploring new avenues until you do. It may take you a while to find the thing that makes your soul sing but keep looking, and enjoy the journey. 

Each one of us is unique, so what makes you happy may be different from what makes someone else happy. For me, it's gardening - feeling connected to the earth, being creative and making my world a little bit more beautiful, and yoga - enjoying the feeling of each pose every time I do it, and quietening my busy mind.  

If you often feel that you shouldn't be spending time doing the things you love to do, think about it this way: when you take the time to do what makes the soul happy you feel more fulfilled, and when you are happy, those around you will pick up on it, and life will flow a little more smoothly for everyone.

So if your New Year's Resolutions have slipped a little, set a new intention now at the beginning of February to make time to do more of the things that make you happy.  

This week I am making... Roasted Vegetables

Here's a super-easy recipe for a very healthy meal of roasted vegetables. You can make a big batch of this and keep in the fridge for a few days to have with rice, salad, jacket potato or in a warm ciabatta sandwich. 

You will need:
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
2 peppers (red, orange or yellow)
1 butternut squash
2 courgettes
1 aubergine
A few mushrooms
3-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
half a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, gas mark 4. Dice the onions. Chop the rest of the vegetables into large chunks. If the mushrooms are small then leave them whole and if they are big ones just cut them in half as they will shrink. Put all the vegetables into a roasting tin with the olive oil, herbs and seasoning and stir until all the vegetables are well coated. Put into the oven and roast for 20/25 minutes or until all the vegetables are almost cooked through. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan drain some out before adding the balsamic vinegar. Stir everything again and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender. They taste good hot or cold.

This week I am visiting... Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA

Somerset House is one of London's major arts and cultural centres and always has an interesting calendar of events. On the north side of Waterloo bridge overlooking the River Thames, this grand building is used to host art exhibitions, film festivals, music and fashion events.

Some of the events are free (currently there is a Derek Jarman exhibition which is free to enter) and some of them charge an admission fee (I visited the Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! exhibition which cost £12.50). Somerset House is also the home of the Courtauld Gallery which houses a fine collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings.

You can spend a few hours at Somerset House enjoying the beautiful surroundings both inside and outside the building. Free guided tours are available at various times during the day which offer an insight into the building's history and point out architectural and decorative features which you might miss if you are wandering round on your own. In better weather, you can sit out on the large terrace which offers stunning views over the river.  In the winter the central courtyard turns into an ice rink and in the summer the fabulous fountains which intermittently spout jets of water encourage children and adults alike to play. If you are hungry there are no less than 5 cafes to choose from, and it has an interesting bookshop which is worth a browse.

There is lots on offer at Somerset House - it's definitely worth a visit. Take a look at the website here www.somersethouse.org.uk. As an added bonus, you can stand on Waterloo Bridge and enjoy what is arguably the best view in London. Whichever way you look there's a reminder of the richness of our fascinating capital city.

The view from Waterloo Bridge looking west...

...and east

This week I am growing... Forget-Me-Nots

Not really growing, more like digging them up from all the places I don't want them and replanting them in the places I do want them!

Forget-Me-Nots are so lovely in the spring. They have evergreen foliage and bright blue flowers that go really well with tulips.

You need to be sure that you really want them in your garden though, because they do self-seed themselves vigorously. However, I'd rather spend a little bit of time pulling them out of the garden than be without their plentiful and pretty flowers.

My Forget-Me-Nots have multiplied enormously and needed a good thin out. So, with my intention to do gardening little and often in 2014 firmly set, I gave myself a time limit of 20 minutes to do some tidying up.

before...

I dug up the thick, congested clumps and gently teased them apart. Often, what looks like one big clump is in fact many smaller plants all stuck together. They won't flourish as well if they are competing with their neighbours for light, air and water, so it is for the health of the plant as well as the aesthetics that this tidy up is necessary.

The healthiest, strongest looking plantlets, (i.e. good short bushy growth rather than spindly and leggy) got replanted back into the clear border (just dig a little hole, pop the plants in, and push the soil back around them firmly) or potted up into plastic flowerpots to be given away. The spindly, weedy clumps were thrown into the garden waste bin. I do hate throwing plants away but these are so prolific I don't mind being ruthless in this instance.

The result of this very pleasant 20 minutes of gardening (in the sun!) is a much tidier border with healthy Forget-Me-Nots and a great sense of satisfaction. In April and May this border will be a carpet of blue flowers peppered with bright yellow wallflowers - I can't wait!

...after

If you would like some Forget-Me-Nots to brighten up your own garden in spring I currently have plenty to give away - just let me know via the email address on the contact page.