The final niyama in yoga’s eight limbed path is ishvara pranidhana, or surrder to a higher source. The yoga niyamas are the second limb of the eight limbed path, and are referred to as mental observances. Both the yamas and niyamas are the foundational teachings in yoga philosophy, and Ishvara Pranidhana is the perfect niyama to summarize the first two limbs of practice. One of my favorite resources regarding this topic is The Yamas and Niyamas, Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Principles by Deborah Adele. Before diving into the topic of surrender, the idea of a higher source is personalized to each practitioner. Traditional texts may refer to this higher source as God, or Brama…