Book Title: Essence and Substance of Yoga
Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: S M Jain

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Page 17
________________ (i) Yama : "3FITERETRIEI YHT: 130 LI” The five Yamas are Ahimsa (Non violence), Satya (Truth), Asteya (Non-stealing), Brahmcharya (Celibacy) and Aparigraha (Nonacquisition, Non-Possession or non-consumerism). These are prerequisites for yoga practitioner to be imbibed and observed before proceeding furthers sequentially to other steps. (ii) Niyama : "PERSTA: EzufeT PUHT: 1321" The Niyamas are also five. These are Shauch (Cleanliness, purity), Tapa (Austerity, tolerance of hardships, adversities), Swadhaya (reading good, informative guiding scriptures), Ishwarpranidhan (Taking inspiration from teachings and ideals of one's iconic deity), cleanliness implies both internal and external of mind and body and also ambient environment social as well as natural. Mind should be cleaned and purified of bad and evil thoughts and no harmful, harsh and undesired act against anybody, anything should be done bodily. The ambient environment should also be unpolluted and amicable. The natural physical environment particularly the air for breathing, water for drinking and food for nutrition should not be polluted. Likewise social environment in family, society nation and globally should also be peaceful, good and harmonious. Without this yoga may not be possible and if practised will not be fruitful. Unfortunately some weird and unnatural practices not prescribed by Patanjali have subsequently been added with Hathayoga gaining popularity. Inserting thread in nostrils and churning alternatively, thrusting a long measured piece of cloth in digestive tract, inhaling and exhaling water alternatively through nostrils, tratak and kapalbhati etc. are weird and unnatural practices and against the basic concept of yoga which is primarily union with nature to be as close as possible to nature. 15

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