Seven S's of Yoga

In Yoga, there are seven pillars which lead us forward into a deeper realisation of what we are as Consciousness. All seven begin with 'S'; six are Sanskrit words. Swami Nishchalananda introduces you to these pillars during this 2.5 hour workshop, recorded as part of our online membership programme, the Ashram Sangha, in February 2023. The seven pillars are:

Sadhana (Yoga Practice) - allows us to refine our perceptions and understanding so that we begin to see through the darkness of our conditioning, fixed attitudes and blind beliefs.

Satsanga (Association with the Wise) - coming together with like-minded, spiritually motivated people allows us to be inspired and eliminates misconceptions, wrong attitudes and emotional blockages.

Sacrifice – inner renunciation of possessions, realising they are not the source of our joy; letting go of concepts, dogmas, self-images, and ideas of right and wrong to make room for new perceptions; sacrificing total self-interest/self-importance for the benefit of others (not easy in a society which considers aggressive competition as the only way to happiness).

Seva (Service) - serving others joyfully and selflessly, where suitable and appropriate, breaking down our obsession with ego-centred activities.

Sanyam (Discipline and Simplicity) – simplifying our lives allows us the space, both external and internal, to practise and go deeper into Yoga.

Santosha (Contentment) - accepting our current situation as conducive to spiritual awakening. Contentment does not mean complacency but means we ‘know’ and ‘feel’ that we have something to learn from every situation no matter how painful.

Samarpan (Surrender) - abnegating oneself, as a personality, to a deeper Reality or to the necessities of the present moment, willingly allowing things to happen as they must, and in the way that they must. It doesn’t mean blind acceptance; rather, responding correctly and appropriately in every situation.

You can find out more about the Sangha here.