Always I have been afflicted by a finicky stomach. Lately, strawberries had to be included in my list of foods to be avoided. Sitting in meditation one morning, strawberries and Niyamas merged as follows.

I realized that knowing my body and its aversions was Svadyaya (Self study), accepting the fact that it is aging and needs special attention and that I should be at ease with this, and there was Santosha (Contentment). From a very young age, my sister and I picked wild strawberries and they were always high on my list of favorite foods. Now I would have to give them up, every time I serve them to my guests or family, none for me… and there was Tapas (Self discipline). Surrendering and offering this effort to the Divine and there appeared Ishvara Pranidhana. After these four practices I realized that I would find myself with an unperturbed clean stomach…Saucha.

Thanks to this very special time spent in meditation, I will never forget my Niyamas. We had great fun in class when I used this very special analogy to teach the Niyamas to my students. And because strawberries were in season, I offered some at the end of the class as a treat.

Now about the Yamas: this will have to be another exploration of my mind when still.
OM SHANTI

By Latika Pierrette Claude. Latika teaches in Picton, Ontario from April through October, then teaches for the winter in Melaque, Mexico!