The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice Paperback – September 1, 2009

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!

I feel I can move through the world with more kindness and ease after reading this book. It’s a great book for all, and an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to cultivate greater peace within themselves and in their relationships with others. Even those with little to no interest in yoga could gain something from this read, as the teachings and philosophy are applicable to many aspects of every day life.

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.

This book is a thoughtful, well-written exploration of yoga’s ethical principles. Each chapter dives deeply into concepts like mindfulness, compassion, and balance, offering practical advice for integrating them into everyday life. While some parts are a bit repetitive, the insights are powerful and resonate long after reading. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a deeper connection to their yoga practice!

I am usually to lazy to write reviews, however this book deserves one as it has the potential to help other fellow human beings. Given my interest in Ashtanga Yoga - the 8-limbed path/approach to yoga, I thought it appropriate to delve somewhat deeper into those 'limbs' I knew little about. If you're reading this review, you are probably well aware that the yamas and niyamas are the first 2 limbs of Ashtanga yoga, yet are hardly ever dealt with in any Western yoga schools and are often only barely mentioned even in most yoga teacher training courses in the West (YTT). Up until this point in time I had decent book and practical knowledge of some of the other limbs, especially, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara and 'Meditation' as an umbrella term for limbs 6 and 7. I do not proclaim to have a single idea about what samadhi is, theoretical knowledge of the concept aside :)What impressed me most about Deborah Adele's approach to providing her audience a better understanding of these 2 limbs was the heart-felt and natural manner she explained the various concepts from her own life experience, and how she also offered to provide a way of practically incorporating these into our day-to-day life with some hands-on questions and exercises to ask ourselves along the way. Some of the illustrations are so intricate, they could be called brilliant. This is especially the case for the Ahimsa section (Non-Violence). It was quite an eye-opener to gain further understanding of how humans can be violent towards themselves and each other on a very, very subtle level. This is a wonderful book for the yogi/ini and non-practitioner alike and provides a non-dogmatic, non-religious guide to a more ethical way of thinking in these Modern times. Highly Recommended!