The Five Niyamas: Your Inner Work
If the Yamas are about how you show up in the world, the Niyamas are about how you show up for yourself.
This is your inner work. Your personal practice. The things you do when no one else is watching—not to perform, not to prove anything, but simply to cultivate clarity, contentment, and connection to your true self.
The Niyamas are the second limb of Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga, and they come right after the Yamas for a reason. Once you've examined how you relate to others and the world, it's time to turn inward.
And here's what I've learned: this is where the real transformation happens.
The Difference Between Yamas and Niyamas
Let me clarify this distinction because it matters:
Yamas = How you relate to the world and others (external/relational)
Niyamas = How you relate to yourself (internal/personal)
The Yamas ask: How am I showing up in my relationships? In my interactions? In the world?
The Niyamas ask: How am I showing up for myself? In my own practice? In my inner world?
Both are essential. But the Niyamas? This is where you do the deep work of becoming who you actually are—not who you think you should be, not who others expect you to be, but who you are beneath all of that.
Why the Inner Work Matters
I spent most of my life looking outward.
With all the different “hats” I wear—I was always showing up for others. Always giving. Always doing. Always performing some version of myself that I thought was needed.
And I was good at it. I could hold space for others. I could lead. I could support.
But when I was alone? When no one was watching? I didn't know how to show up for myself.
I didn't know how to rest without guilt.
I didn't know how to be content with where I was.
I didn't know how to study myself with curiosity instead of criticism.
I didn't know how to surrender control and trust the process.
The Niyamas taught me how to do all of that.
They taught me that the work I do on myself—the clearing, the contentment, the discipline, the self-study, the surrender—isn't selfish. It's essential.
Because you can't give from an empty well. And you can't lead others toward peace if you haven't found it in yourself first.
The Five Niyamas: Your Personal Practice
Let me walk you through each one—not as abstract concepts, but as practices for your actual life.
1. SAUCHA — Clearing / Purity
Saucha is often translated as "purity" or "cleanliness," and yes, that includes physical cleanliness—keeping your body and your space clean.
But it goes so much deeper than that.
Saucha is about clearing what clutters your:
Mind (the stories, the judgments, the mental noise)
Space (the physical clutter that weighs you down)
Energy (the relationships, commitments, habits that drain you)
Life (the things you're holding onto that no longer serve you)
I think about this every time I sit at my work table and see piles of papers I haven't dealt with, emails I haven't responded to, projects I started but never finished.
That clutter? It's not just physical. It's mental. It's emotional. And it takes up space.
Saucha asks: What needs to be cleared?
Not just cleaned. Cleared. Released. Let go.
The practice: Look around your space right now. What's cluttering it? Now look at your calendar. What's cluttering your time? Now look at your mind. What thoughts keep looping that you need to release?
Start clearing. One thing at a time.
2. SANTOSHA — Contentment
This is the one I come back to again and again.
Santosha doesn't mean settling. It doesn't mean giving up on your goals or accepting mediocrity.
It means finding peace with where you are while still moving toward where you're going.
It's the difference between:
"I'm not enough until I achieve this" (striving from lack)
"I'm enough right now, AND I'm working toward this goal" (striving from wholeness)
One depletes you. The other sustains you.
Our culture glorifies the hustle. The constant striving. The "I'll be happy when..." mentality.
But Santosha asks: What if you could be content right now?
Not complacent. Not stuck. Just... at peace with this moment, exactly as it is.
I practice this every day. When I'm comparing myself to other yoga teachers who have bigger followings. When I'm frustrated that my business isn't growing as fast as I want. When I'm wishing my daughters were still little instead of navigating their own lives.
Santosha reminds me: I'm exactly where I need to be. Right here. Right now.
The practice: Notice when you're waiting for life to start. "When I lose weight..." "When I get promoted..." "When things calm down..." That's the pattern. Practice being here now. Content with what is, while still moving forward.
3. TAPAS — Discipline / Inner Fire
Tapas is often translated as "discipline" or "austerity," and that can sound harsh.
But I think of it as the inner fire that keeps you showing up.
It's the commitment to your practice even when you don't feel like it.
It's doing the hard thing because it's aligned with your values.
It's choosing presence over autopilot.
It's showing up for yourself when it would be easier not to.
Tapas isn't about punishment. It's about devotion.
I see this in my own life every morning. There are days I don't want to get on my mat. Days I'd rather scroll my phone than meditate. Days I want to skip the hard conversation and just avoid it.
But Tapas asks: What do you need to do today to honor yourself?
And then I do it. Not because I have to. Because I'm devoted to my own growth, my own peace, my own becoming.
The practice: What's one thing you know you need to do for yourself but keep avoiding? (Morning practice? Setting a boundary? Having that conversation?) Do it. Not perfectly. Just do it. That's Tapas.
4. SVADHYAYA — Self-Study
This is my favorite. And the hardest.
Svadhyaya means self-study. Observing yourself. Examining your patterns, your reactions, your beliefs—without making yourself wrong.
It's curiosity, not criticism.
When I snap at my husband (which is not that often ), Svadhyaya asks: Why? What triggered me? What pattern am I repeating?
When I feel anxious before a presentation, Svadhyaya asks: What story am I telling myself? Where did that belief come from?
When I people-please instead of speaking my truth, Svadhyaya asks: What am I afraid of? What need is this pattern serving?
This is the practice of the Witness—stepping back and observing yourself as if you're watching someone else. Not to judge. Just to see clearly.
I've learned more about myself through Svadhyaya than through any other practice. Because you can't change what you don't see. And once you see it—really see it—you have a choice.
The practice: Pick one pattern you keep repeating. Don't try to fix it yet. Just study it. When does it happen? What triggers it? What are you trying to protect or avoid? Get curious.
5. ISHVARA PRANIDHANA — Surrender
The Bhagavad Gita says:
"Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana"
"You have a right to perform your duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions."
This is the essence of Ishvara Pranidhana: Do your work. Do it well. Then surrender the outcome.
Surrender is terrifying for people like me.
People who like control. People who plan. People who think if they just work hard enough, they can make everything turn out the way they want.
But Ishvara Pranidhana asks: What if you let go?
Not gave up. Not stopped trying. But released your grip on the outcome.
This doesn't mean you don't have goals or take action. It means you do your best and then trust that what's meant to unfold will unfold.
I practice this constantly as a parent. I can guide my daughters, support them, offer wisdom—but I can't control their choices or their paths. I have to surrender to their journey being theirs, not mine.
I practice this in my business. I can show up, teach, serve, create—but I can't control who shows up, who stays, who leaves. I have to surrender to the flow.
I practice this in my civic work. I can advocate, organize, lead—but I can't control the outcome. I have to surrender to doing my part and trusting the rest.
The practice: What are you trying to control that you actually can't? What would it feel like to loosen your grip just a little? Not to abandon it, but to trust it?
The Journey Through the Niyamas
Here's what I've noticed: the Niyamas build on each other.
First, you CLEAR (Saucha) — You make space. You release what's cluttering your mind, your energy, your life.
Then, you ACCEPT (Santosha) — You find contentment with what is, right now, in this moment.
Then, you COMMIT (Tapas) — You build the discipline to show up for yourself, even when it's hard.
Then, you REFLECT (Svadhyaya) — You study yourself. You observe your patterns. You get curious.
Finally, you SURRENDER (Ishvara Pranidhana) — You let go. You trust. You release control.
Each step prepares you for the next.
You can't be content if you haven't cleared the clutter.
You can't commit if you're not content with where you are.
You can't study yourself honestly if you don't have the discipline to look.
You can't surrender if you haven't done the work of understanding yourself.
This is the path within.
A Real Example: Trying to Practice the Niyamas
Let me be honest about something: I don't always do this well. But let me share a recent situation where I at least tried to practice all five Niyamas—imperfectly, messily, but intentionally.
A few months ago, I was feeling overwhelmed. Too many commitments, too much clutter, too much noise. I was exhausted but couldn't figure out why. And I was frustrated with myself for feeling this way.
Here's how I stumbled through using the Niyamas:
Saucha (Clearing): I finally looked at my calendar honestly. What was cluttering my time and energy? I realized I had said yes to things I didn't actually want to do. So I started clearing—awkwardly canceling commitments, saying no to new requests. It felt uncomfortable, but necessary.
Santosha (Contentment): Instead of beating myself up for being overwhelmed (my usual pattern), I tried to practice being okay with where I was. "I'm exactly where I need to be. This is part of the process." I didn't always believe it, but I kept saying it.
Tapas (Discipline): I committed to protecting my mornings. No meetings before 10am. No checking email before my practice. Did I do this perfectly every day? No. But I kept trying.
Svadhyaya (Self-Study): I asked myself the hard question: Why do I keep overcommitting? What am I afraid of? I realized I equate my worth with how much I do for others. That's the pattern I'm still working on. I haven't fixed it. But at least now I see it.
Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender): I tried to let go of needing to be everything to everyone. I didn't do this gracefully. I struggled. But I kept coming back to: I can't control everything. I have to trust.
Was this perfect? No.
Did I get it right every time? Absolutely not.
Am I still learning? Every single day.
But that's the point. The Niyamas aren't about perfection. They're about practice.
The Invitation: Start With Where You Are
You don't have to practice all five Niyamas perfectly.
Start with one that speaks to you right now.
Maybe it's Saucha because your space (or your mind) feels cluttered.
Maybe it's Santosha because you're tired of waiting for life to start.
Maybe it's Tapas because you keep avoiding what you know you need to do.
Maybe it's Svadhyaya because you're ready to understand yourself more deeply.
Maybe it's Ishvara Pranidhana because you're exhausted from trying to control everything.
Start there.
Not to fix yourself. Not to become perfect. Just to show up for yourself with a little more intention, a little more awareness, a little more kindness.
Because that's what the Niyamas are: practices of self-compassion disguised as discipline.
They're not about becoming someone else.
They're about clearing away what's blocking you from being who you already are.
Quieting the Mind. Awakening the Self.
Reflection Prompts
Take some time to journal on these questions:
Saucha: What's cluttering my mind, my space, my energy, my life? What needs to be cleared?
Santosha: Where am I waiting for life to start? What would contentment with this moment look like?
Tapas: What do I keep avoiding that I know I need to do? What would showing up for myself look like?
Svadhyaya: What pattern do I keep repeating? What's underneath it? What am I protecting or avoiding?
Ishvara Pranidhana: What am I trying to control that I actually can't? What would it feel like to surrender?
Share Your Thoughts
Which Niyama resonates with you most right now? What are you noticing in your own practice? Share in the comments below.
Ready to explore the Yamas in your own life? Join me for a class, book a private session, or dive deeper through our offerings. Let's practice together.