Foundations · Reading
Niyama
The second limb: five observances that govern how we treat ourselves.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Philosophy
The second limb turns from conduct toward others to the practitioner's own life. The niyamas are five observances: saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya and Ishvara pranidhana.
The last three are the same three that make up Kriya Yog at the opening of the second chapter. Each niyama has its own card.
Further reading
- Yoga Sutras 2.32
Made of
Saucha
Cleanliness, the first niyama.
Santosha
Contentment, the second niyama.
Tapas
Discipline, the third niyama, and the first part of Kriya Yog.
Svadhyaya
Self-study, the fourth niyama, and the second part of Kriya Yog.
Ishvara Pranidhana
Surrender to Ishvara, the fifth niyama, and the third part of Kriya Yog.
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 2–3
- Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, 2.32