The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice

The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice is a beautifully written and insightful book that delves into the moral and ethical principles of yoga in a way that is both accessible and deeply transformative. Rather than focusing solely on physical postures, this book explores the philosophical foundation of yoga, offering guidance on how to integrate these principles into daily life.The author presents each Yama (social ethics) and Niyama (self-discipline) with clarity, real-life examples, and reflective exercises, making the teachings relatable and practical. It’s not just about reading—it’s about applying these principles to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and inner growth.Whether you’re a yoga practitioner, teacher, or someone on a personal journey of self-discovery, this book is an essential read. It encourages deep reflection, personal growth, and a more conscious way of living. Highly recommended for anyone looking to bring the wisdom of yoga beyond the mat!

I feel I can move through the world with more kindness and ease after reading this book. It’s a great book for all, and an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to cultivate greater peace within themselves and in their relationships with others. Even those with little to no interest in yoga could gain something from this read, as the teachings and philosophy are applicable to many aspects of every day life.

In my opinion, this is the best and most important book on yoga to be released in a long time. Why? Because the ten yamas and niyamas -as specified by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras- are at the core of yoga and (I believe) essential for real personal growth. And yet they are given cursory treatment by many if not most yoga teachers in the west, who seem unaware of the subtle facets and profound qualities of these "jewels." And they are ignored by many of today's mental health professionals, who seem unaware that modern psychotherapeutic approaches are embedded in yoga's prescriptions for "ethical" practice of restraints and observances. Somebody really needed to write a book on this! And I must say, Deborah Adele really delivers the goods.Take for instance, Adele's chapter on Satya (truthfulness, honesty). It is a work of art in its own right, offering the wisdom and clarity one needs to liberate powerful forces within oneself. In this chapter, Adele includes the sensible yet unusual insights of Carl Jung, Yogiraj Achala, and Mahatma Gandhi, among others, along with her own hands-on understanding. In the process, Adele addresses, for all of us, the fear (dangerousness) involved with being completely truthful, the differences between "Nice" and "Real," the epic partnership between truth (satya) and nonviolence (ahimsa), and the value of conducting our own Gandhi-esque "experiments" in truth.There is so much more to this chapter than the glimpse I've given here, but I hope I've communicated the fact that this chapter (and the book as a whole) has great depth and breadth. It is evident that Adele has immersed herself in the yamas and niyamas, emerging with lessons, teachings, and insights that could be of value to anyone. Highly recommended. I learned plenty.The author's website provides lots of useful supplementary material, including some excellent video overviews, radio interviews and discussions. I liked the fact that Adele SOUNDED like a gentle, wise, effective person.I confess that I have a bias here. I believe that my own life has been influenced, and even transformed, whenever I've aligned with the yamas and niyamas over the last 15+ years. And as a result, I was in the process of writing my own (first) book on this long-neglected topic, emphasizing how it relates to progress in psychotherapy. Well, I still think there's a future in that book! Suffice it to say that I share the author's enthusiasm for her topic.

I am reading this book as part of a group activity, we are reading a chapter a month, and doing the exercises each week as specified n each chapter. I LOVE it, it is so well written, simple, and straight forward, and addresses the spiritual aspects of yoga that are not always know to people practicing yoga as a form of physical strengthening. I am not a yogi, and only know a handful of the physical postures in yoga so far. This book is what I needed to understand not only why I might want to practice yoga, but also accesses the spiritual path of enlightenment through simple, grounded, practical every day practices and personal inquiry. I LOVE this book. None of these spiritual concepts are new to me - however, it is the way the information is presented and the simple unfoldment of the concepts that is really really lovely (and helpful). I recommend this book to everyone - those first starting out on a spiritual inquiry or in the practice of yoga, and those who will find this a revisiting via a new voice and perspective. This book would make a great gift too. I love it.