What role do the principles of yama and niyama for the modern practice of yoga?

Some do not pay much attention to this concept, preferring specific exercise unclear ethical regulations. Others assert that without the “first stage of yoga” further practice is meaningless and even harmful. Understand YogaSecrets . ru helped one of the most experienced Russian masters of yoga – Constantine Kharkov.

How important is it for yogis compliance with the regulations of the pit and Niyama?

When people started to practice yoga, meet the principles of yama and niyama, they often perceive them as rigid doctrine akin to religious commandments. It is important to understand that yoga and hatha yoga in particular, a pit and Niyama are not enforced regulations, religious doctrines .

Incorrect, understanding of the topic gives rise to the practice of some tension. Comparing their behavior with these principles, the person is aware of great disparity of ideals and reality: however much he tries to be perfect, negative qualities will inevitably occur. There is a gap, and even some neurosis. This neurosis is easy permitted in religion: the person feels a sense of guilt and come to repentance. Repentance, confession is a religious practice. But yogic prescriptions of yama and niyama have a different character. This is not a stage of development, not the battlefield and not the conditions of existence of the yogi and his sadhana. This golf practice facilities for meditation and concentration.

For practice it is important to remember these rules and to relate to them their behavior. That is when you notice that deviated from the pit and Niyama, when something does not work, you will calmly analyze it, look at yourself from the outside, noticing how the mind works, how to manifest Sanskar. There should be no categorical: either I keep everything, or I do not keep anything. This field is for the self-knowledge, meditation, concentration of the mind. Each yama and niyama is linked to all the other elements of practice.

Can concentration on the principles of yama and niyama really change a person?

The principles of yama and niyama is closely intertwined with the concept of Sanskar (footprints, impressions in our minds that give rise to karma). And these regulations allow the practitioner consistently aware of their Sanskar (patterns of perception and behavior) by rearranging the work of the mind . This practice allows you to gently change the whole system of thought, removing the negative trends and cultivating positive – Sanskar virtue, health, proper lifestyle. This is similar to planting good seeds and weed control. Weeds we weed and cultivate good deeds. But the weeds still growing, so the person is arranged. I feel guilty about it deemed unhelpful in yoga. Preferable to a gradual change, step by step, drop by drop.

How it is better to work with the pit and Niyama? Is there some kind of technology?

Way to practice with the requirements of yama and niyama depends on the person and property of his mind. Speaking terms ayurvedic practitioner if the constitution of kapha , his mind works steadily, then these people will approach spans on the same principle. You can think about one week or one pit niyama, tracking your thoughts and behavior, then move on to another. For people wool -type it may be difficult, the monotony, they risk losing their interest in the practice. And keep the interest is very important. Such people can be held by all the principles (or more), you can write them in the mind, hanging on the refrigerator, cabinet, over and over again to offer the mind to work with them, to be present in the daily life.

It seems that some of the principles contradict each other. For example, you talk about human development and the principle of Santoshi – a satisfaction that is. Can we be satisfied, and at the same time strive to develop?

Each individual yama and niyama is very connected to the rest. Santos is just one piece in the whole picture, it can not exist apart from the others, such as tapas , saucha and so on. All the principles of balance each other, setting up our focus on the right harmonious state.

Santos is the starting part of the practice. To start practicing yoga, you need to realize and accept his starting point coordination center, to see where you are right now , the state body, state of mind, not trying to deny or hide it. Your starting point – it is something from which you have a start, a cornerstone of your current practice, the coordinate system. This is important not only for beginners. Over the weeks, months and years of practice necessary to continue to see their present condition, its starting point today, to take what you are in at the moment.

Santos returns to practice the “here and now”. A huge number of religious and spiritual concepts underlines the importance of awareness of the present moment and santosha helps in this.

Sometimes in order to take an honest look at yourself and accept what he saw need courage. Much easier to try to see only good in itself.

Most of us have a very illusory representations of himself. Many, especially those associated with spiritual practices are used to perceive themselves as people are very lofty, light. And in the process of yoga practice and just in different situations our unconscious reveals new aspects of ourselves in front of us. In the mind of every person there are many tendencies, desires, aspirations, hidden from consciousness. Santosh, acceptance of self in every moment and tolerant contemplative look at what is happening inside, enables the integration of the psyche, opening up opportunities for the evolution of consciousness. Some see negative tendencies of the mind, an enemy that must be defeated. Such a view confuses a person creates a state of war, often spilling outside this state in the form of claims to the others. What can be called an “enemy” did not need to win, it is worth to negotiate, accept, making a conscious choice every second.

The very division of Yoga -sutrah states that “acts of the yogi is not white and not black.” In the course of practice, we are moving away from the assessment of thinking, seeing things as they are.

Success in practice!

Questions Yoga Secrets.ru answered Konstantin Kharkov

Director and founder of the St. Petersburg School of Yoga (1997). He is practicing yoga since 1979. He teaches in groups and individually since 1999. Chartered and Certified teaching yoga and Ayurveda. Co-author (with Vadim Popov) development of modern yoga method “YogaFlow System”, as well as the author and developer of educational programs “Basics of Pranayama”, “yoga Constants”, a retreat program “Yoga 24 hours a day.”

Founder, Methodist and leading teacher training center “School yoga instructors.”

The official representative of the Institute of Vedic Studies David Frawley in Russia. He has experience in the practice of martial arts: Aikido, yaydo. Qualified Tekimuri Sensei to 1st dan aikido style Nishio Sensei in Sweden, Uppsala, 2001.

From 1999 to 2017 he spent about 250 educational seminars and courses in different cities and countries. From 2004 to 2017god trained more than 300 yoga instructors. One of the founders of “Yoga-tourism” in Russia. Developed routes and spent more than 50 yoga tours in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Nepal, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania.