The Course is for teachers and advanced students that wish to gain a deeper insight into yoga.

It was originally designed for the students on our 500hour course. Their families supported the students through the changes but may have been left behind somewhat in terms of the sharp edged brilliance of our graduates minds. Graduates also requested more time in discussing the yama and niyama relevence to our contemporary lives and contemporary yoga. So we decided to combine the student and family in a way to teach them about themselves.

The course uses contemporary references in order to bring the yamas and niyamas into modern relevence. The content is paticularly useful for yoga teachers who are looking to bring more yoga perspectives to their classes.
The teaching provokes mental stimulation in a variety of often humorous ways.

The course is FREE OF CHARGE, but we will accept donations for room hire and refreshments! :)

The Yamas & Niyamas Course Outline.

The Yamas - The Outside Self

• Ahimsa - non-violence.
  This is probably the best known yama. The practice of ‘ahimsa’ means that we do not harm (physically, emotionally, mentally) any other thing. One of the keys to practicing ahimsa is learning to be more compassionate to others and ourselves.
 
• Satya - truthfulness.
  The practice of satya means living and speaking the truth. However, it’s much more difficult than it may seem—especially if you’re following ahimsa. By speaking truth, will we hurt another?
• Asteya — non-stealing.
  The definition of asteya seems simple to follow. Ethically its slightly more complex.Aside from the obvious, this might mean being against oppression, injustices, slavery or exploitation.
 
• Brahmacharya — continence.
  This yama sis about separating ourselves from lifes excess and addictions. Brahmacharya says that we should exercise control over our physical impulses and by doing so we become much healthier, wiser and stronger. By practicing we conserve our energy for what’s most important in yoga.
 
• Aparigraha — non-covetousness.
  Aparigraha it states that we should only keep what’s necessary. This yama promotes minimalism in our lives and in our thoughts. FOMO be gone.

The Niyamas - The Inside Self

• Saucha — purification.
  Saucha refers to keeping our minds, bodies and environment as clean as possible. Inner actions = outer actions.
 
• Santosha — contentment.
  When we practice santosha, essentially we are teaching ourselves to be happy with what we’ve got. Think about the possibilities: if we were happy with what we have, right now—the economy would collapse and we’d all be truly happy. I know it doesn’t seem possible, but when we seek happiness through possessions we will always be disappointed. Every single time. If you practice being content then you have freed yourself from unneeded suffering and pain and will experience an influx of gratitude for the life that we do have.
   
• Tapas — asceticism.
  Tapas is the practice of self-discipline and doing things you don’t want to do right now that will ultimately have a positive effect on your life in the future. Ancient yogis believed that by practicing this form of will power an internal “fire” is ignited within us. In turn it causes us to release dormant kundalini energy that ultimately helps us gain control on and off the mat.
• Svadhyaya — self-study.
  Svadhyaya is to look deep within ourselves. Svadhyaya assesses our true nature, and our true yoga through all the experiences we’ve gathered throughout our lives up until now. Svadhyaya allows us to examine, assess and learn from our mistakes and weaknesses because we are always growing and changing. When we practice the art of self-study it allows us to see beyond the current moment.
 
• Ishvara Pranidhana — devotion.
  Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice of giving up our egocentric identities and realizing that we are not our body.