Niyama literally means positive duties or observances. In Indian traditions, particularly Yoga, niyamas and its complement, Yamas, are recommended activities and habits for healthy living, spiritual enlightenment and liberated state of existence. It has multiple meanings depending on context in Hinduism. In Buddhism, the term extends to the determinations of nature, as in the Buddhist niyama dhammas.
Raja Yoga is a system which has been found to be most applicable to the mental and physical conditions in which we live. Raja Yoga has eight principles. These are: Yama—non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-receiving of any giftsNiyama—cleanliness, contentment, mortification, study, and self-surrender to good Asana—posture Pranayama—control of vital body forces Pratyahara—introspection Dharana—concentrationDhyana—meditationSamadhi—super-consciousness Yama and Niyama constitute the moral training without which no practice of Yoga will succeed. As this moral code .
The Himalayan Mountains have been the home of sages for millennia. These great sages have lived and passed on knowledge of the yogic teachings to disciples who then became masters passing on the teachings in an unbroken lineage since the Vedic period. Twelve hundred years ago Shankaracharya organized his teaching into five centers of the Himalayan Tradition. As one of those five, our tradition is the Bharati lineage connected with the Shankaracharya at the .