Exploring Yoga Beyond the Poses: Yamas and Niyamas

20th September 2025 11am - 1pm, Dilton Marsh Memorial Hall

For some yoga is purely a physical practice, for others it's a meditative practice and for others still it's chanting and devotion.

Whatever our reason for trying yoga, many of us get the sense that there are many strands to the practice and that there are things we can explore on our mats and then take into our daily lives to have a positive impact both on our ourselves and those around us.

There is a well known yoga text "The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali" which is 196 sutras (aphorisms) on the practice of yoga.

It is focused on eight elements of Ashtanga or Raja Yoga - the Eight Limbs of Yoga which form a sequence from the outer to the inner.

Each 'limb' describes a difference aspect of our yoga practice:

• Yamas (ethical principles)

• Niyamas (self-observances)

• Asana (poses)

• Pranayama (breathing techniques)

• Pratyahara (sense withdrawal)

• Dharana (concentration)

• Dhyana (meditation)

• Samadhi (enlightenment)

In this two hour workshop we're going to focus on the first two limbs for our theme. The Yamas operate as a social or moral code and the Niyamas are more self-focused on how treat ourselves.

We'll discuss the Eight Limbs of Yoga and specifically the 5 Yamas and 5 Niyamas. What they are, what they mean, how we might incorporate them into our daily life but also how we approach our physical practice on the mat.

We'll move through our physical yoga practice using the Yamas and Niyamas as our guide. I'll encourage you to think about how you can apply the Yamas and Niyamas to your own practice, fostering a deeper, more meaningful experience on the mat.

We'll finish with an extended Yoga Nidra where I will lead you through a guided meditation. Bring props, pillows and/or blankets to make yourself comfortable.

Any questions please ask and when you're ready to book head over here https://www.yogawithsarahhunt.com/events