Swami Sivananda's 18 ITIES and the Practice of Pratyahara

by Swami Sivamurti

In April 2013, Swami Sivananda's 18 ITIES and the Practice of Pratyhara was the topic of a series of talks given at Ganga Darshan by Swami Sivamurti, Acharya Satyanandashram Hellas, Greece.

The 18 ITIES, are eighteen positive qualities or vitures. The practice of theese qualities leads the aspirant towards living a divine life. Swami Satyananda Yoga-Bihar Yoga. Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati further developed pratyahara by making it a practice to be lived and experienced twenty-four hours a day. He emphasizes a yogic lifestyle, and therefore, brings the practice of the 18 ITIES back to the fore as an integral part of his teaching. 

Swami Sivamurti presented two lifestyle-oriented practices. Each quality is described in detail along with relevant stories and anecdotes to give rich appreciation of the underlying concept. She then relates each quality to a stage of pratyahara, allowing the aspirant to systematically work with these concepts as sahana to be lived and experienced in everyday situations. These lectures motivate and guide the aspirant not only to practise yoga but to live yoga.