Yamas and Niyamas – That’s a Wrap!

Infertility Resources • Yamas and Niyamas • Yoga
September 1, 2020

Over the summer, we shared ten different guiding principles for how to embrace your inner and outer worlds as you face infertility. Here are the highlights just in case you missed them:

THE YAMAS – The Restraints

Ahimsa means nonviolence towards yourself and others (people, animals, plants, etc.). The stress of infertility can make everything harder including being kind to yourself and those around you. How can you bring a sense of kindness into the situation?

Satya asks us to honor the seeds of truth we know are there but we may not want to witness for ourselves or express to others. By examining your emotions (thoughts and feelings) and understanding the source, you’re better able to recognize them and let them go in the future.

Asteya – Literally translated means non-stealing. In this post, we share the three additional ways we break the Golden Rule of “treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Brahmacharya – The more commonly used definitions are non-excess or moderation. We offer four steps that correlate with your monthly cycle for avoiding excessive negative behaviors.

Aparigraha – Non-attachment doesn’t mean you can’t have a vision at all. It just means when you have a dream, or vision of how you’d like something to come into existence, that you follow the six steps we outlined in this post.

THE NIYAMAS – The Observances

Saucha translates to “purity” or “cleanliness” of mind, body, and heart. In this post, we offer six different areas for you to review and cleanse.

Santosha – In this post, we encourage you to practice mindfulness and gratitude (even when the road is bumpy ahead) in order to find contentment in your life.

Tapas – Establishing self-discipline can be extremely challenging. In this post, we suggest 7 steps for creating long lasting lifestyle changes.

Svadhyaya – Self-study gets tricky when you’re facing infertility, because you want to avoid over-analyzing every twinge in your body, and at same time, tune into your thoughts and feelings. In this post, we offer two ways to find a healthy middle ground.

Ishvara Pranidhana – In this post, we encourage you to surrender to what is and embrace what is coming your way with these three steps: 1) practice non-attachment, 2) remain in the now, and 3) practice gratitude.

And that’s a wrap!