In the Yoga Sutras, written around 200BC, the sage Patanjali, documented the Yamas, outlining actions and attitudes we ought to avoid, and the Niyamas, which describe actions and attitudes we should cultivate.
Patanjali presents the yamas as the moral virtues which, if attended to, purify human nature and contribute to health and happiness of society. The world of Patanjali, in Northern India 300 years before Christ was a very different place from the Western world today. In this article we consider how the yamas function in Australia today. Are they still being practiced after two and a half thousand years?
Patanjali states that the niyamas are to be practiced within oneself in order to live free from the attachments which cause suffering and separation from the Whole. In this article we look at the way I incorporate these guidelines into my coaching practice.