When stimulus is received, the first locus of impact is the
senses. Depending on the awareness of the senses or cognition of the
environment (vijnana), the information is processed by one’s conditioning which
decides on the quality of response. The impact on the conditioning is called jnana
and niyama is the practice of disciplining this aspect of the individual.
What do people mean when they say someone is acting? Do they
mean one is saying something that one has no intention of doing? Or are
misrepresenting the truth? Or being artificial? Is it possible for a person to
portray consistent behaviour when one’s behaviour does not match one’s conditioning?
Can such behaviour inspire trust in others? Will such behaviour stand under
pressure? What about the resultant stress that is generated?
To achieve svatantra (sva = self + tantra = weave) or
independence, one’s behaviour must be integrated with one’s conditioning. This
is niyama and the foundation of yama. Niyama increases internal awareness,
better assessment of reality, leading to balance in management of situations and
lower stress.
Niyama means rules or laws for personal wellbeing. Niyama refers
to the attitude one adopts toward oneself & his or her actions. When niyama
is followed, the ability to interact with the external world in a harmonised manner
is enhanced, stabilising one’s relationship with one’s environment. Niyama is a
key component of conditioning.
Inward focus increases vijnana (awareness of the environment)
and jnana (awareness of one’s identity) so that conditioning and behaviour harmonise
with each other in each experience, resulting in an integration of one’s
conditioning with behaviour, called Svatantra, integrating personal thoughts,
words and deeds into a cohesive whole, resulting in clarity of focus,
understanding of requirement and peace in actions.
Niyama has 6 elements: Soucham (cleanliness), Santhosham (contentment),
Svadhyeyam (referencing), Sahana (patience) and Shraddha (sincerity), Sharana
(surrender).
Share your opinion and experiences
- How often do you reflect on your actions?
- How does one exhibit the values espoused by Niyama?
- What is the difference between faith and surrender?
- How does one experience contentment when not receiving just due?
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