The First and Second Branches of the Eight Branched Tree (Ashtanga)
of the Classical Royal Yoga (Raja
Yoga)
Yoga's
Guidelines for Conscious Living
Yamas – Living with Other People
1.
Ahimsa: Non-violence,
kindness, compassion, not harming others with actions or thoughts
2.
Satya:
Truthfulness, honesty, giving constructive feedback, fairness
3.
Asteya: Non-stealing, not
coveting, not being jealous, honest labor, justice
4.
Bramacharya:
Moderation, not overindulging, sobriety, self-control, keeping your
temper
5.
Aparigraha:
Non-possessiveness, not greedy, not being so selfish, simplicity
Refer also to the Five Ethical Precepts of Buddhism
Niyamas:
Living with Ourselves
1.
Shaucha: Purity, clarity,
cleanliness, orderliness surrounding self and thoughts
2.
Santosha: Contentment
3.
Tapas:
Austerity, commitment, discipline, work, effort
4. Swadhyaya: Self-education, study, learning, spiritual practices
5.
Ishwara-Prandihana:
Surrendering to God or the Divine Energy of the Universe, having
heartfelt thanks for being
able to love and live, showing the presence
of divine love by being loving to
others
These are guidelines
or general principles for you to reflect on before you make choices and act.
Yoga is a method for helping you achieve contentment, inner peace, insight, and
well-being.
Learn about the virtues, think clearly about the good life, and try to live a
virtuous life.
Practice some yoga postures (asanas) and
breathing methods (pranayama) each
day.
Listen carefully to the advice of wise teachers, mentors, and spiritual leaders
(gurus).
These guidelines for
conscious living are taken from the “Yoga
Sutra” compiled by
the wise Indian scholar Pantanjali over 1,900 years ago.
More information
about Classical Raja Yoga can be found at Mike Garofalo’s
Valley Spirit Hatha Yoga website at: www.egreenway.com.
Valley Spirit Hatha Yoga
Yoga Research and
Education
Red Bluff, Tehama
County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City, Orland,
Corning,
Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Gerber, Manton, Cottonwood,
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, and Redding, CA
© 2006, Green Way
Research, Red Bluff, California
Michael P. Garofalo, All Rights Reserved
Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong
Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems
Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website