Niyamas for yogees

Niyamas of eight pillers are for ourselves. What shall we do to improves to a higher level. 

2.   Niyama :  Personal observances, Niyama means "rules" or "laws."

i. Sauca – Purity, "But more important than the physical cleansing of the body is the cleansing of the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride." ^vi

ii. Santosa – Contentment Another niyama is santosa, modesty and the feeling of being content with what we have.,

iii. Tapas – Disciplined use of our energy. A form of tapas is paying attention to what we eat. Attention to body posture, attention to eating habits, attention to breathing patterns - these are all tapas.

iv. Svadhyaya – Self study,The fourth niyama is svadhyaya. Sva means "self' adhyaya means "inquiry" or "examination".

v. Isvarapranidhana - Celebration of the Spiritual
Isvarapranidhana means "to lay all your actions at the feet of God." It is the contemplation on God (Isvara) in order to become attuned to god and god's will.

3  Asanas :  Body posturesPatanjali suggests that the asana and the pranayama practices will bring about the desired state of health; the control of breath and bodily posture will harmonize the flow of energy in the organism, thus creating a fertile field for the evolution of the spirit.,  

4  Pranayama :  Breathing exercises, and control of prana,  The word ahara means "nourishment"; pratyahara translates as "to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses." In yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects.

5.  Pratyahara :  Control of the senses.  Pranayama is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Pranayama controls the energy (prana) within the organism, in order to restore and maintain health and to promote evolution.

6.  Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness, Dharana means "immovable concentration of the mind". The essential idea is to hold the concentration or focus of attention in one direction.,

 7.  Dhyana :  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine. Dhyana means worship, or profound and abstract religious meditation. It is perfect contemplation. It involves concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it.

8.  Samadhi :  Union with the Divine. The final step in the eight-fold path of Yoga is the attainment of Samadhi. Samadhi means "to bring together, to merge." In the state of samadhi the body and senses are at rest, as if asleep, yet the faculty of mind and reason are alert, as if awake; one goes beyond consciousness.