The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice

I was first exposed to this book in a yoga class I was taking a couple of years ago, as our instructor would read sections of it to our class. At the time it did not hold much meaning for me until a counselor gave me her copy and suggested I read it. It sat for some time before I picked it up. I immediately took to its message of living with honesty and softness. I liked it so much that I bought a copy for myself, as I am one to read books that I like many times. I will keep this book not only to read again, but as a trusted guide.

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.

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!

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.

Better than the bible!! Best book I've ever read, and I've given it to multiple people as gifts.

The first things that yoga teachers learn in their training is that yoga has 8 limbs: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratayahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi. Most people practice asana - physical aspect of yoga (there are many kinds: Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, Kundalini to name a few). However, Yama and Niyama are tenants of yoga that were defined more than 3,000 years ago.Each limb (Yama and Niyama) has 5 subcategories. I like to call them yogic 10 commandments. They desribe ethical behaviors of yogis. I read many yoga books and they are mentioned in each one. Author Deborah Adele has written a book that surpases them all. Her entire book describes in detail each one of them an provides modern day examples of how to apply them to every day life. Not only that, after each yama and niyama is discussed, she offers a monthly practice where one can use journaling, reflection and other methods so one can experience the power of each. So far this is one of the most comprehensive books that explains yamas and niyamas. If I had to make recommendations to yoga teachers and students on how to learn more about these limbs, this book would be the first one i would mention to them. I am currently studying to be a yoga teacher and I have used this book for supplemental reading. I intend to keep it with me and carry it always. It has the most amazing examples and quotations from both eastern and western thinkers and intellectuals. This is a kind of life I want to live and ideally I would like to surround myself with people who practice the same rules of ethics.

It was a good book to learn about Yoga and confirmed that Yoga is Hinduism, even though the author did not directly state this fact. One would need to be educated in the subject to catch all the Hindu allusions in the book. Specifically, the words used to describe poses and such are Hindu words, but the author made it look like it was simply morality and ethics. We can all agree that the morality of the major world religions is essentially the same, but questions: who God? and how is one saved? and what is the nature of reality and the afterlife? are the questions that radically distinguish the different faiths. This book doesn’t touch on that much, even though the point of yoga is to connect with what is really real in the spiritual realm, which makes Yoga a dangerous practice if you subscribe to a different faith. By doing Yoga, you will consciously or unconsciously engage in spiritual relativism and this will have an affect on what you believe.

One of the few books I've read multiple times. Life changing, perspective changing words. This is an easy read or audio to listen to.

🙏 namaste 🙏

O Yamas e Niyamas são tratados de forma clara e profunda.

My book arrived on time and well packaged .it was as stated in a new conditions .well price too .

I use this as a required text in all of my yoga teacher trainings as it is the easiest, most digestible way for students to learn about yamas and niyamas. It offers practical tips that are great for those just getting into yoga philosophy.

And not only for Yoga Teachers. For everybody how wants to bring more awareness and the sacred wisdom of Yoga Philosophy in daily life. Simple to understand, not always easy to follow day by day ;-) but thats how its is. Thank you for this wonderful book.