Recovery and the Niyamas

I am delighted to post this writing from guest yoga teacher training student, Karen K. of New Hampshire. This wisdom of yoga and recovery is growing from coast to coast – we who are loving this combination are forming a net of shared awakenings. Become part of the discussion and share YOUR thoughts! From Karen: The second limb of the eight limbs of yoga is the niyamas, the necessary observances for leading a spiritual life. The five niyamas — purity (saucha), contentment (santosa), self-discipline (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya); and devotion to God (isvara pranidhana) — guide me in living a yoga lifestyle, improving my relationship with my Self, other people and God. The practicing of the niyamas is mirrored in AA’s program; in particular, Big Book Step Study which asks for dedication to the process of doing a Fourth Step on the path to “trust[ing] and rely[ing] on God” in everything, at every moment. AA sees the disease of alcoholism, or addiction in general, as a spiritual deficiency. Yoga sees the condition of being human as suffering due to a separation from Self and God. I see alcoholism and addiction as a person’s desperate and inappropriate attempt to fill the void created by that separation. The solution to the problem is the same in yoga as it is in AA: cleansing one’s mind and surrendering to God. Beautifully said in the Big Book: “When an individual recovers from the hopelessness of addiction, they will bask in the sunlight of the Spirit” — which, as I understand in yoga philosophy, is the sunlight of both Self and God. Saucha, the first of the niyamas, means purity in thought, word and deed. The practice of purity requires us to examine the intention behind our actions. In AA, purity is practiced through “taking a fearless [nakedly honest] moral inventory of ourselves, confessing our personality defects to our sponsor and God, and making amends to those we have harmed unless this act causes further pain. This is spiritual housecleaning; a cleansing. On an on-going basis, we are directed to continue to take inventory, to constantly look at our intentions, words and actions. This process is a way to purify the mind, to wipe it clean, to separate the Ego from the Self (by looking at intentions), to clean up messes we made in service to the Ego, and to open the way for a powerful connection to a Higher Power. Practicing saucha, in this way, is a powerful process. However, as with a yoga lifestyle, it needs to be done on a daily basis as a lifestyle. As they say in AA: “It works if you work it.” But that… is tapas. On the mat, I use focus on the breathe to practice saucha, purifying my mind, wiping it clean of distracting thoughts. Some days are easier than others. Focusing on the intention I make at the beginning of a session is, also, helpful. My intention is something I bring myself back to whenever my mind wanders. Purifying the mind takes practice; it is a practice. “Progress not perfection,” as is said in AA. Santosa, the second of the five niyamas, means contentment, willingness to be happy with whatever we have. Contentment means to be happy as we are without looking to outside things, achievements, acquisitions and relationships. In AA, acceptance is an important concept: “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems.” Acceptance eliminates the mental torquing that alcoholics/addicts do, that I do, to try to control things. Acceptance leads to serenity which is similar to Niyama’s contentment. Serenity comes from giving up control of people, places and things; quieting the Ego’s struggle to play God. Serenity and contentment are about accepting life as it is, feeling calmly grateful no matter what. Acceptance, then, is a form of saucha, another way of purifying my mind, opening the path to santosa, contentment. On the mat, I practice santosa by relaxing into where I am in my pose at any moment, feeling content with what is, not struggling with how I want things to be, not perpetrating violence on myself by judging. It is easy to practice santosa when things are going well, when my energy level is up, my muscles seem to be functioning normally, my balance seems to be at its best. It is not so easy to be willing to be content with the challenging times. And, during the challenging times, my mind is far from pure; the mental chatter comes fast and furious. Asked if I am “content” with my pose if I am battling monkey mind, I say, “No, but I’m eager to be done with it;” “Yes,” if I have enacted santosa. Tapas, the third of the five niyamas, means self-discipline — the type that is fueled by, and, in turn, further fuels, passion, the fire of dedication. When I committed to do my Fourth Step, many years ago, I took the commitment seriously, feeling an inner fire. It was important to me to be self-disciplined, to be dedicated to clearing the wreckage of my past, seeing the process through to the very end, opening up a path to being in the “sunshine of the Spirit.” Enacting this self-discipline further fueled my commitment; a positive feedback loop. Tapas, self-discipline, is continued on a daily basis as I take a daily inventory of my thoughts, actions and deeds, making amends where appropriate. Tapas, in AA, is, also, reflected in the support to persevere in recovery: At the end of many meetings, it is said, “Keep coming back…It works, if you work it.” When you first start going to meetings, the newcomer may ask “How long do I have to keep coming?” The answer will be, “Until you WANT to keep coming.” Implicit in this response is that self-discipline to show up will fuel the fire for further self-discipline; tapas in action. Concerning yoga, my involvement in Teacher Training I is fueled by my passion for the Bhakti aspect of yoga; it is fueled by my passion to learn more about the philosophy and psychology of yoga; and, it is fueled by my passion to share what I learn with others to help them along their spiritual journeys. However, my passion ebbs and flows. When it flows, my passion fuels my self-discipline to keep showing up on the mat, keep reading, keep writing papers, keep seeking more knowledge. When my passion ebbs, it takes self-discipline to continue doing those things to refuel, rekindle the passion. The monthly seminars are a way of rekindling my burning desire to learn and grow — a fire that can start flickering when my mind is less than pure. Svadhyaya, the fourth of the five niyamas, means self-study; self-observation without judgment. In AA, the Fourth, Fifth and Tenth Steps are ways members practice svadyaya. Step Four instructs us to take a “searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves;” Step Five, to admit our “wrongs” to God, to ourselves, and a sponsor; and Step Ten, to take continued personal inventory and responsibility for actions. Self-study requires that we become aware of our past and present actions, recognizing how it impacts us and others. On the mat, I practice svadyaya when I “breathe and notice;” when I mentally get distance and observe without judgment. I find that I need saucha, purity, lack of monkey mind, santosa, contentment, serenity from acceptance, tapas, self-discipline, continuing to show up, continuing to “work it,” to lay a foundation for svadyaya, self-study. It all works together in a symbiotic way to connect me with my Self and God. Isvara pranidhana , the fifth of the five niyamas, means devotion and surrender to God. In AA, the Third Step Prayer, “Dear God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and do with me as You want,” is a practice of isvara prandhana. “Letting go and letting God,“ helps me surrender my need to control people, places and things, letting God be back in charge. The goal of doing the Fourth and Fifth Step as laid out in the Big Book is to “trust and rely” on God in everything; this is the ultimate surrender. From there, we ask God’s will to do “the next right thing.” trusting that God will guide us through any given circumstance, giving
us the needed strength; this is the ultimate act of devotion. On the mat, I practice isvara prandhana when I go through asanas with expression, with feeling. The other night, during the introduction to the Koshas class, in the darkened room with the full moon, guided through a sequence of movements, watching my moving shadow, I felt what it was like to have “expression.” In those moments, I felt the Bakhti that I so much love and thirst for. Practicing with expression, with devotion, feels similar to what is said in AA: “walking the walk, rather than talking the talk.”