Attention!

If you see this message, then your browser has disabled JavaScript. For the portal to work correctly, you need to enable JavaScript. The portal uses technology jQuery, which only works if the browser uses this option.

Headings

Sage Patanjali Yogi Asanas Asanas, future yogis should understand and accept the principles of the first two steps:

• Pit- observance of universal moral commandments.
• Niyama- external and internal cleansing through self-discipline.

PIT

Under Pit understand the individual's observance of universal moral precepts. These moral commandments, or ethical principles, are universal; any person must follow them, regardless of gender, age, or nationality. Despite the fact that they were formulated more than two thousand years ago, their purpose in our time and in our society is extremely great.

The Yama includes the following principles:
• Ahimsa– non-harm;
• Satya- truthfulness;
• Asteya- lack of desire to possess someone else's;
• Aparigraha- rejection of gifts, or freedom from unnecessary things;
• Brahmacharya- control over sexual desire.

The social significance of these rules is difficult to overestimate. Their violation leads to violence, lies, theft, greed, dissipation, sows grief and suffering, while adherence to the principles Pits leads the student to harmony. About any person who follows the commandments of Yama, those around him will say that he is a good person. A yogi who has established himself in Pit, discovers new joy-joy benevolence, which is stronger and more permanent than the pleasures of gloating and possession. The yogi thereby rises to a new level in his spiritual development.

You can do yoga exercises for many years, know and be able to do a lot, but if the rules of Yama have not become an integral part of a person, then everything performed turns into gymnastics at best and cannot in any way be considered Yoga. In India, constant adherence Pit is mandatory integral part apprenticeship.

Ahimsa

This is the highest rule of morality, the most important of all Yam. Ahimsa literally means not killing, non-violence, but the principle Ahimsa has a wider meaning. This is not only not causing harm in actions, words and thoughts, but also Love to everything that exists.

The yogi rebels against the evil that people do, but not against these people. Ahimsa prescribes to love a person and at the same time fight the evil that is in him. You cannot put up with evil.

At the same time, the Yogi is obliged to fulfill his social purpose. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna explains Arjuna, a powerful archer who did not want to fight: As for your duty as a warrior, know that there is no better occupation for you than to fight in the name of principles. Therefore, there is no need to hesitate. Be balanced, O Arjuna, perform your duty without worrying about success or failure. This kind of self-control is called yoga .

The yogi knows that all people have the same right to life and that all people's lives are connected to each other. Therefore, he readily helps others, seeing in this true happiness, and becoming a source of joy along his path. Ahimsa implies liberation from fear. The yogi is not afraid of anything, because he knows the reasons for the emergence of fear and ways to overcome it, and no one is afraid of him.

Ahimsa also prescribes liberation from anger. There are two types of anger. In one case it is the anger of pride. Such anger blinds the mind and leads to wrong judgments and actions. We must fight him. In another case, the yogi becomes angry with himself when he fails. This leads to spiritual development. Condescension towards others and exactingness towards oneself are the true traits of a yogi.

A yogi should not only not harm anyone in thought, word or deed, but also should not be the cause of harm and should not induce anyone to cause harm. It is by benevolent and kind thoughts, desires and actions that a person can help others, as well as himself, and he can lift and inspire himself. On the contrary, with weak, evil and harmful desires, thoughts and actions, a person harms not only others, but also himself.

Satya

Satya- literally truthfulness. Satya implies absolute truthfulness in thoughts, words and deeds. Any insincerity hinders the achievement of harmony.

Lying, slandering, insulting and swearing, and ridiculing what others hold sacred are incompatible with following Yoga, cause direct harm to others and to the person himself, vocally or mentally pouring out poison.

Control of speech leads to liberation from anger. Free from malice, he is filled with mercy towards everyone. Of course, following Satya should not contradict Ahimse.

Asteya

Asteya- literally non-theft, prescribes not to solicit someone else's property. Asteya prohibits any form of abuse. After all, unlawful possession of someone else’s property causes pain to another person, which is also a violation Ahimsa and makes spiritual development impossible.

Since the yogi’s needs are reduced to a minimum, he considers it a violation of the principles Astei possessing things that one does not really need. This is closely related to the next moral commandment.

Aparigraha

Aparigraha- do not save, do not collect, don't accept gifts. A yogi trains his mind not to feel lacking in anything. Then everything he really needs comes to him effortlessly at the proper time.

On the meaning of non-acceptance of gifts Sri Swami Narayanananda ji Maharaj wrote: To receive something in kind or money means that the recipient remains with the thought of his obligation to the giver, and thus his mind becomes attached to the giver. Each such attachment makes the mind impure and drags a person down. However, in any case, one must remember the paramount importance of compliance Ahimsa, because there are cases when refusing gifts brings harm to the giver.

There is a wonderful verse in the Upanishads, the meaning of which boils down to the following: going to Pit God of death, you can’t take anything with you. Swami Yogananda on this occasion he writes that 50 years lived in luxury and pleasure have no meaning if they are followed by three years of illness and suffering.

In general the principle Aparigraha can be defined as freedom from accumulation. Indifference to things gives the yogi peace of mind.

Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya translated as celibacy, religious studies, abstinence . However, the concept Brahmacharya- it is rather a state of mind and spirit. It would be more correct to say that this is control over impulses. Both a bachelor and a family man can do the same things yoga. Moreover, all moral laws recommend marriage. Many yogis and sages ancient india were married and had families. They did not shy away from social and moral responsibility.

Brahmacharya prohibits dissipation, and one cannot but agree with this. Compliance with this principle gives a supply of vitality, energy, and strong intellect. Brahmacharya- the path of wisdom.

NIYAMA

These are individual rules of behavior that discipline the student. In the Yoga Sutras there are five Niyam:

• Shaucha- purity;
• Santosha- satisfaction;
• Tapas- zeal and severity;
• Swadhyaya- self-education or knowledge of your soul;
• Ishvara Pranidhana- devotion to the highest ideals.

Shaucha

Under Shauchey understand the purity of the body and the purity of the soul. The cleanliness of the outer coverings of the body is maintained by bathing, wearing clean clothes and keeping the home clean and tidy. Hygiene of some internal surfaces: oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, nasal passages, etc. - is carried out using special procedures. Asanas and pranayama support physical and partly mental health, which is also included in the concept of “purity”. But the main meaning Yoga gives moral purification. This is, first of all, the elimination of negative emotions: hatred, anger, fear, greed, pride, passion, lust. The absence of negative emotions helps control bad thoughts. Such cleansing eliminates mental suffering: despondency, sadness, and gives goodwill and inner joy.

Great importance is attached to the purity of speech. This includes compliance with the pronunciation norms of the language, good diction, and morality of statements.

On a par with the categories of cleanliness of body, thoughts and speech Yoga puts the purity of food. What is important here is the way in which food is obtained, the nature of the food and the purpose for its consumption. Yogis eat neither too much nor too little, but only as much as is necessary to maintain vital functions. The habit of eating for pleasure weakens the will, hinders spiritual development and destroys the body.

In the literature on Yoga some authors insist on a vegetarian diet. It's hard to agree with this. Up to 20 years of age, a mixed diet is highly desirable for full development, especially in our climate. In the future, the yogi switches to purely vegetarian food only if he feels the need for it.

Santosha

Santosha- this is satisfaction, in other words, - maintaining a constant positive emotional background. For a yogi this is a natural state, since he does not feel lack of anything. Santosha does not allow conflicts, or rather, prescribes to exclude the very possibility of their occurrence. In a conflict situation, a yogi always looks for his own mistakes and, if he is unable to change the situation, changes his attitude towards it. At a certain stage, conflicts become simply impossible.

Tapas

Verbatim Tapas means be consumed by fire, burn or experience pain, which means an unyielding pursuit of a goal through self-restraint, the fight against one’s vices, and severe discipline. Practice Tapas- this is the forge of character. Only with the help of an iron will does a yogi acquire strength of body and mind, courage and wisdom.

An indispensable condition for successful progress is the presence of a worthy goal. Existence without a goal loses its meaning and contributes to the development of laziness and other bad inclinations. Life is a movement, and only with a solid guideline can you evaluate your successes, i.e. feel this movement. On the other hand, to achieve what you want you need to put in some effort. Exactly Tapas makes any progress possible.

Swadhyaya

Swadhyaya Means self-education. These are philosophical reflections, conversations, readings that promote awareness of the meaning of life and the path to self-improvement.

I wonder what Swadhyaya involves the study of all available knowledge about various philosophical systems, religions, and views. This is necessary to firmly determine your position in life. Having established itself in Swadhyaye, the yogi receives an inexhaustible field of activity.

Ishvara Pranidhana

Under Ishvara Pranidhana understand the yogi’s dedication to all his actions and will Supreme Purpose which he realized was a practice Swadhyayi. For different people this goal will be different, but the road to it always teaches love and wisdom and leads to perfection. In this case, life itself acts as a teacher.

We recommend that you read the following articles on this topic:
• Controlling your sexual needs in the article: Sexual life from the point of view of Yoga therapy.
• The benefits of a vegetarian diet for a Yogi in the article: Yoga and vegetarianism.
• Influence Yogi on self-discipline in the article: Yoga gets rid of bad habits.
• List of all stages Yogi according to Patanjali in the article: .

Article title	Author
Basic principles of Yoga - Yama and Niyama	Vasiliev T.	27501
Mental energy and human health	Nikolay Banykin	25660
Purpose and philosophy of Yoga	Swami Vishnu-Devananda	14889
Five most common mistakes beginners make in yoga	Marianna Goroshetchenko	9602
The attitude and position of the Church towards Yoga	Victor Sergeevich Boyko	6361
Managing your thinking through Yoga		5950
Eight limbs of yoga (Iyengar)	Judy Smith	5784
Knowing the true Self is the path to perfect knowledge	Ramacharaka	5283
Prana - absolute energy	Ramacharaka	3428
What is karma?		2723
God in the Yoga system		2413
State of internal conflict and state of Unity		2130
Yoga - a modern concept of an ancient teaching		2081
	Iyengar Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja	1885
Yoga and human immortality	Denis Chichiyan	1749
Regulating daily life routines	David Frawley	1729
Human evolution and afterlife	Swami Sivananda	1582
Yoga is the key to a full life	Godfrey Devereux	1454
Meditation as a Problem Solver	Sri Chinmoy	1441
Yoga is a universal tool for body and soul	Swami Vishnu-Devananda	1399
Reasons for doing yoga	Swami Satyananda Saraswati	1350
Relationships between parents and children	Swami Prajnanpad	899
Finding harmony by man	Swami Prajnanpad	808

Yoga Philosophy

Pages:

Yoga is nothing more than a method of uniting the body with the spirit. This is a subject that needs to be dealt with practically, it needs to be experienced for oneself, only theoretical knowledge is not suitable for evolution. Experience is direct knowledge and acts as an impetus for further ardent and energetic pursuit of this art and science. Yoga it is a universal culture, as it suits anyone, regardless of age, gender or nationality.

Basic principles Yoga - Yama and Niyama

The sage Patanjali in ancient times formed eight fundamental principles on which self-knowledge should be based through Yogi. He also called it soul searching. Most people first begin their acquaintance with Yoga with Asanas- the third stage, which is incorrect from the point of view of the sage. Before exposing your body and mind to Asanas, future yogis should understand and accept the principles of the first two stages.

Nature is arranged in such a way that all his life he searches for answers to many philosophical questions regarding the origin and arrangement of the Universe, the mystery of the origin and existence of all life on earth, his own destiny in this huge world.

The next stage of Yama is “Satya”, that is, renunciation both in relation to everyone around you and in relation to yourself.

A yogi must be a person whose thoughts and life are guided by the principles of honesty and truthfulness. Satya's main rule is to refuse self-deception.

A person who has set out on the path of spiritual purification should not lie to himself, close himself to spiritual and moral problems that require immediate decision, resort to suggestion and convince himself of the correctness of his actions and even erroneous ones.
A person who lies to himself cannot do without lying to others. You should also not hide behind lies for the greater good: the thoughts and actions of a yogi should be guided only by the truth, even the cruelest.

After all, the truth gives a person a chance to stop, rethink his own and correct his mistakes. It is an offense not only to lie, but also to suppress the truth.

Important! Compliance with the yogic practices of Yama also calls for purity of speech, control of one’s own vocabulary, because words have the ability to materialize; As the proverb says, a word can kill or heal.

Aparigraha

Aparigraha means the exclusion of hoarding yoga from life. Too often, a person’s life comes down only to earning money to support himself, buying this or that.

This process is endless, since the purchase of one thing provokes the emergence of a desire to purchase another. A person spends a huge amount of energy on all this, which literally permeates every thing he earns.
The passion for hoarding leads a person to focus exclusively on the material world and neglect spiritual development.

This situation leads to disruption of the reincarnation process itself. After all, according to yogic teachings, after each person is reborn.

The things that he acquired remain in this world, their owners become other people, with different energy, the result is a capricious “mixture” of the energy of the deceased and the energy of the new owner of the products of the deceased’s activity.

It is this new energy that determines what participation awaits the deceased in the world of the dead.

Did you know? The set of installations “Yama” is named after the Hindu god of the kingdom of the dead. According to legend, Yama was the first person who became a god after death. The duties of the god of the kingdom of the dead are to meet dead people at the entrance to the kingdom and take them to their designated places, that is, to those that they earned during life. That is, Yama is a deity personifying justice.

Niyama

“Niyama” translated means “to follow,” that is, if “Yama” is a set of prohibitions, then “Niyama” is what should be done on the way to the pinnacle of yogic perfection. Like Yama, Niyama consists of five steps.

Shaucha in Niyama is the imitation of the principles of purity in body, spirit and mind. A real yogi must ensure that his (body and) as well as consciousness are clean.

Everything that surrounds the yogi must be clean: , . He must comply with sanitary and hygienic standards regarding own body. Cleanliness is a producer of clean energy.

Santosha

Ishvara Pranidhana

Ishvara Pranidhana is devotion to God, the ability to thank him for everything, the understanding that all one’s own achievements in this world are exclusively God’s.

A yogi must honor God, love him and believe him, reflect on him. And most importantly, all this must be sincere. Everyone who wants to improve spiritually must completely devote himself, his thoughts, actions, deeds to God and agree with him in everything. As you can see, real yoga does not lie in the ability to put your body in a certain position. Yoga is primarily a spiritual, moral, mental and energetic practice, and it begins with observing the principles of Yama and Niyama.

It is impossible to become a full-fledged yogi if you neglect at least one of the points listed above.

Anyone who decides to study yoga should follow moral principles Yama and Niyama are the first two steps in the practice of yoga on the path of one’s development. By practicing hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga or other types of yoga, but not observing the precepts of yama and niyama (or even trying to observe them), a person cannot be considered a yogi, and in fact we can say that yoga is not in his life.

10 pit shapes

1)Ahimsa- non-harm to all living beings, not only through one’s actions, but even mentally.

2)Satya- truthfulness of speech, but also of thoughts.

3)Asteya- non-theft not only in action, but also in thoughts and desires. This means that you need to free your mind from encroaching on any property of another living being, not only of a material nature (time, attention, merit).

4)Brahmacharya- control over your sensual desires, especially sexual ones. Conserving both physical and mental energy.

5)Kshama– mercy, forgiveness of the shortcomings and guilt of others, patience. Resentment or thirst for retribution is unacceptable. It is better to repay good for evil done.

6)Dhriti- perseverance in any circumstances. You need to develop strength in yourself to endure unfavorable life circumstances and difficulties. You should never lose heart or doubt, but move steadily along your chosen path.

7)Daya- compassion for all living beings in trouble and real help to them.

8)Arjava– simplicity, honesty. External life should not diverge from internal life.

9) Mitahara– moderate appetite. Food should serve the function of maintaining the body, and not for pleasure and satisfaction of desires.

10)Shaucha– purity of body and mind. Regular bathing, drinking clean water, eating clean food, clean air and clean environment, proper hygiene, health care, pure emotions, pure desires, pure mind.

10 forms of niyamas

1)Tapas- practice of asceticism. Self-discipline, curbing the body, fasting and other restrictions.

2)Santosha- satisfaction with what already exists and gratitude for it.

3)Astikaya— faith in the Guru, in traditions, in everything that helps on the spiritual path.

4)Dana- donation. Donating to temples, to the poor and deprived, to those who have fewer opportunities.

5)Ishvara Pujana- daily worship of the deity with devotion and love, performed in prescribed forms as specified in the scriptures. This concept includes continuous meditation on the Lord, constant remembrance of Him.

6)Siddhanta-vakya-sravana– regular study of the sacred scriptures, communication with teachers and people who have achieved high spiritual realization.

7)Hri- a feeling of remorse and remorse for mistakes made.

8)Mati- development of mental acuity and deep understanding of spiritual values ​​in life. The mind must be reasonable and open to the truth.

9)Japa- repeating the divine name with deep devotion.

10)Khoma– the practice of daily sacrifice. Regular offering of food, drink and other offerings to the deity.

Yoga is a powerful tool on the path of spiritual development. Wandering through the abundance of information, it is quite natural for the question to arise: where to start?

Yama and niyama are the names of the two fundamental stages of yoga.
Having just developed the right basis with the help of yama and niyama, we will find our normal psychophysical state, with which we will be able to feel the effectiveness of hatha yoga methods.

It’s a common occurrence that when you start practicing, both positive and negative qualities begin to appear simultaneously, which appear more clearly than before. The instructions of the yama and niyama prepare a person, strengthen his will, and teach him to control his external and internal manifestations.

The essence of yoga is not to put your leg behind your head...
Not every practitioner understands well the mechanism of operation of many hatha yoga techniques. In many ways, this situation arises precisely because of ignoring what is the base in yoga, i.e. the yamas and niyamas.

Despite their outward simplicity, yama and niyama are the most complex control panel for practice and its correction. Gates and precepts exist in all spiritual traditions, the main ones of these precepts are usually similar.

Pit- means control of one’s own actions, words and thoughts. Actions, first of all, are consequences of our thoughts, thoughts we express in words.

If the pit teaches how to intelligently interact with the environment, then niyama- how to regulate our body and mind, with which we are most identified. If the body is not pure, then the chances of your mind being pure are extremely minimal.

The Naths list 10 yamas and 10 niyamas.

10 YAM:

• Ahimsa - Non-violence, non-resistance.
• Satya - Implies that you always adhere to the truth.
• Asteya - non-appropriation of someone else's.
• Brahmacharya is non-attachment to animal passions.
• Kshama is the ability to forgive those who are weak and, out of ignorance, commit insults against you.
• Dhriti - stability in yogic sadhana, the desire to overcome difficulties on the path of development.
• Kripa is compassion for people who are in ignorance, not knowing the true path leading to liberation from suffering.
• Arjava - straightforwardness in dealing with the Guru and other practitioners.
• Mitahara is pure sattvic nutrition.
• Shaucha - purity of body and mind. The body is cleansed through yogic practices (shat karma).

10 NIYAM:

• Tapas is the practice of asceticism and the development of spiritual strength.
• Santosha - satisfaction with what you have, gratitude to higher powers for what they gave you.
• Astikya - faith in the Teacher, in tradition, in that which is authoritative in tradition and helps on the spiritual path.
• Dana - donations, for example, in India this is donation to temples, donation to sadhus for food and other needs. Since the monks live only on alms, they need to be supported, because... they bring spiritual purity and dharma to the world. Donation can be considered not only in material terms.
• Ishvara Pujana - daily worship of the Absolute.
• Siddhanta-vakya shravana - listening to the teachings of siddhas and nathas from the lips of a Guru or advanced sadhus, students who have achieved high spiritual realization.
• Hri - a feeling of repentance for mistakes made and the desire to correct them with positive actions, serving the dharma.
• Mati - mental acuity.
• Japa is the repetition of the mantra received during diksha and others related to your nitya sadhana (continuous practice).
• Homa - regular offerings (sacrifice) in the form of food or other upacharas during puja.

Some Teachers of the Nath tradition believed that the yama and niyama in their ordinary form can be considered as the main guidelines for people simply leading a pure lifestyle. But it is worth noting that we were talking about a different time and a different way of life. Now we are surrounded by a completely different reality, and therefore we should understand that there are many situations in life where it is difficult to clearly understand one or another prescription.

What does ahimsa mean - essentially a non-oppositional attitude? This means that you must give up all attempts to waste your energy on resistance. When you enter into conflict, you spend a lot of energy, even if you win, in the end the result is not worth the money spent. Therefore, we can safely say that such results are not beneficial, because the desired result is where we spend less energy with the best ending. This is a special art. This is not to say that you give up trying to achieve a goal, you just learn to achieve it using other methods and at completely different levels. This is how real yogis act, which is why they are called siddhas (perfect).

The yogi does not fight when there can be no winners, but only losers, therefore “blessed is the country where the yogi lives.” Where a yogi is present, even wild dangerous animals “pashu” lose their aggression. They stop attacking, not because the yogi gives the opportunity to destroy himself, but because he makes it clear that there is no point in showing aggression towards him. In fact, ahimsa is the quality of a true warrior. History knows many examples when great martial arts masters, who had many victories behind them, did not start a duel for a long time when they met each other. They are professionals and understand that when another master is nearby, the slightest inaccurate movement with loss of self-control can cost their lives. Some fights of this kind ended with the fighters standing against each other with weapons for a long time, maintaining extreme attentiveness until one fell exhausted. Some fights ended after one or two hits.

As we see, the first steps of classical yoga are Yama and Niyama. We will focus our attention on them in this article. These are ethical and moral foundations, this is the foundation of all kinds of spiritual practices, the foundation of Real Yoga.

Unfortunately, most modern yoga— studios don’t talk about this topic. Some teachers mention this only in passing, and only a few pay special attention to this topic.
It would seem, “Just think, you missed a couple of steps, so what?” However, if you neglect these steps, you can greatly ruin the rest of your life and even end up in a mental hospital.

There are 10 principles of Yamas and 10 principles of Niyama, but we will consider the main 5 Yamas and 5 Niyama, since the rest naturally follow from the first.

Yam Principles:

Ahimsa - non-violence (non-harm)
Satya - truthfulness (not lies)
Asteya - not theft (not appropriation)
Aparigraha - non-acceptance (non-accumulation)
Brahmacharya - abstinence from sensual pleasures (not lust)

Niyama principles:

Shaucha - external and internal purity
Santosha - contentment, peace
Tapas - control of body organs and states of mind
Svadhyaya - study of scriptures
Ishvara Pranidhana - dedication of oneself and one's deeds to God

So, let's start to figure it out. So we looked at the principles of Yama and Niyama, remembered them, wrote them down, but bad luck - if we read it, it doesn’t mean we passed it. And in general, what is it like to practice yama and niyama? What is it? After all, for example, one of the principles of the yama is ahimsa (non-violence), “well, I don’t rape anyone.” So I passed this hole. Then satya (truthfulness), “I always tell the truth anyway,” asteya (not theft) “yes, you’re laughing, what exactly did I steal?”, aparigraha (not hoarding) “I’m not a collector, I’m not Plyushkin, I don’t accumulate anything "etc. Therefore, at least I have already dealt with Yama. I ticked the boxes and went with a clear conscience to practice asanas and pranayama. “Well, I have every right.”
Although, of course, I didn’t go through any steps. How to get through it? Where are the criteria? Not clear. It is obvious that “something is missing here.”

2. Actions and thoughts

Let's figure it out. Our subtle bodies constantly pass energy through themselves - prana (Figure 1).
Actions and thoughts

This energy is necessary for life. In this text we will call it “activity”, because thanks to it we act in this material world.

The other energy is called manas (mind) or thoughts.
mind

This energy is also mobile, thanks to it we think/think.
The energy of activity moves from bottom to top, through all energy vortices (chakras). Thoughts can be chaotic.
It is important to understand the fact that these two energies are very strongly connected with each other, if one energy is in a restless state, the other also comes to the same state. And vice versa. Proof of this can be the well-known phrases/sayings: “Where thoughts go, so does energy (prana)” and “By calming our breathing, we calm our mind (thoughts).” Thus, it becomes clear that before moving on to more complex steps of yoga, you need to learn to control the states of mind and the activities of your body (the organs of your body).

3. Yama, Niyama

The first steps of yoga are aimed at working with the energy of activity and the energy of the mind. The principles of Yama talk about controlling thoughts in your head, and the principles of Niyama talk about what actions need to be performed regularly/periodically in order to remove ignorant blockages in the path of energy movement - prana.

4. Ignorant blocking

“In order to defeat the enemy, you need to know the enemy.” Nature has laid down certain mechanisms in us that help us survive and improve. But at a certain stage of evolution these mechanisms become worst enemies, which prevent us from developing further. We will call these mechanisms ignorant blockages; they are located at the level of the first five energy vortices (chakras).
The main ignorant blockage is Ignorance; other blockages grow from it: rejection and passion, attachment to materiality and selfishness.

Let's look at ignorant blocking in a little more detail. What do they mean?

Attachment1 Attachment (attachment to materiality). In this case, what is meant is not the material objects themselves and the people around us, but precisely our attitude towards them. For example, attachment to a computer or your car to such an extent that in the event of a breakdown or sale, a person does not find a place for himself. We are in the material world, and one way or another we have to interact with material objects and people. But there is no need to accumulate attachments/to become attached/to cling to anything in this world.
The well-known wise saying “What comes, do not push away; what goes, do not delay” refers to two ignorant blockages at once. The first part relates to rejection - “What comes, do not push away” advises us not to push away what comes in our lives. The second part relates to attachment - “what goes away, don’t delay” says that there is no need to accumulate attachments, since sooner or later we will have to part with it (this is inevitable), which will lead to suffering if a person is strongly emotionally attached to this or that material object.
2 Passion. In this case, we mean sensual pleasures in general, but especially sexual pleasures. Here it is appropriate to quote an excerpt from the book “Bhagavad Gita” translated by S. Lipkin.
Passion (5 senses)
Where feelings dominate, there is lust,
And where there is lust, there is anger, blindness,
And where is the blindness - the fading of the mind,
Where the mind fades, knowledge perishes,
Where knowledge perishes, let everyone know,
There a human child perishes in the darkness.
And the one who has achieved power over feelings,
Trampled disgust, knows no passions,
Who subjugated them forever to his will, -
Achieved enlightenment, freed from pain,
And since then his heart has been immaculate,
And his mind is firmly established.
Outside of yoga, do not consider yourself intelligent:
In obscurity there is no creative thought;
Outside creative thought there is no peace, rest,
Where is human peace and happiness outside of it?
That heart that hungers and asks for joys,
The faint of heart is carried away by consciousness,
Like the wind, swift and unrestrained
The ship is carried away by the waves of the ocean.
So know this, O mighty one on the battlefield:
There is reason and wisdom, where feelings are in captivity.

Rejection3 Rejection. A person internally does not accept: any circumstances, situation, another person or anything in this material world (and even this entire world). He believes that certain circumstances should not happen to him (figuratively, he pushes/pushes away from himself with his hands what he does not like).
If we push the situation away from us, it will, like a pendulum, come back with even greater force, causing us even more rejection/rejection and, ultimately, can result in anger, rage, aggression, etc. This is what we see everywhere... That is, by pushing the situation away from ourselves, we will never be able to solve it.

4 Selfishness. A person, not understanding his nature, not understanding that everything in this world belongs to nature or God begins to appropriate/steal (from nature) some achievements, etc. Thinking that “I have achieved this!”, “This belongs to me!”, “After all, I have achieved this!”, “I am so good!” a person develops a false ego (egoism), moves away from his true self, from his true nature. Selfishness develops envy, criticism and jealousy in a person. Therefore, this ignorant blocking needs to be dealt with.
Selfishness

5 Ignorance. Ignorance and ignorance in various understandings are implied. A person, not knowing the objective laws of nature, the laws of this world, will naturally make mistakes in this world. Therefore, some people, noticing something bad in life, say “It’s all from ignorance.”

Now that we've covered ignorant blocking, we can move on.

When the mind or prana is subject to ignorant blockages, the energy begins to stagnate/accumulate at one level or another (Figure 2)
mind
This leads to a suspension of the normal flow of energy in subtle bodies, fixation on some thoughts or actions, and suspension of the evolution of consciousness. Therefore, with the help of Yama, it is necessary to restore order in the head (not allow certain thoughts), and with the help of Niyama, perform favorable actions for the correct movement of energy, to accelerate evolution.

... And Krishna said: “For those who strive for yoga
I have already indicated two roads:
For those who thirst for the Essence of Eternal Mergence
There is a yoga of knowledge and a yoga of action...
“Bhagavad Gita” (translation. S. Lipkin)

Let's move directly to the basic principles of Yama, Niyama.

Let's look at (Figure 3), what thoughts are harmful to our evolution? Hoarding, lust, harm, appropriation, lies.
Chakras (Yama Niyama)
You should try to nip thoughts related to the listed topics in the bud. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the following saying “You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can at least stop them from making a nest on your head” belongs to. That is, thoughts will appear, the main thing is not to give them development, not to continue to think on these topics prohibited by the principles of Yama.
Aparigraha
Aparigraha - If we accumulate attachments in our thoughts to material things, people, our achievements, various unnecessary information, then we will become attached to this material world, and the energy will stagnate at the Manipura chakra. This will make us feel greedy, stingy, etc. Therefore, it is necessary in thoughts not to become attached to anything in this world. Also, a consequence of greed is disease - cancer of certain organs.

Brahmacharya - If we allow thoughts about sex, lust, debauchery, then we will maintain in ourselves the qualities of passions and desires. The energy will accumulate at the level of the Svadhisthana chakra and exit through it.
Energy will be spent on lust, or (the other side of this chakra) on various fears. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent such thoughts. And the energy will calmly rise higher.
You must always act according to your conscience, but vulgar thoughts must not be allowed