October Gītā: 16.1-3

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam
dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam
tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata

The Supreme Divine Personality said: O scion of Bharat, these are the saintly virtues of those endowed with a divine nature – fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and straightforwardness; non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, restraint from fault-finding, compassion toward all living beings, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and lack of fickleness; vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, bearing enmity toward none, and absence of vanity.

Bhagavad Gītā 16.1-3

In the first 3 Slokas of the chapter, Krishna describes qualities possessed by those with a divine nature. These correspond with the qualities of sattva guna and are qualities we, as yoga practitioners, may be blessed with, or, if not, can endeavour to cultivate. There are 26 in total so this gives us a lot of material to work with!

You may recognise that many of these qualities are also described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with a number forming elements of Kriya yoga and Ashtanga yoga, two of the methods Patanjali outlines to achieve the state of Yoga. We see these qualities mentioned in several different yoga scriptures. Therefore highlighting the importance of an ethical framework for yoga practitioners and reminding us that yoga practice is much more than the shapes we practice on our mat.

Much like the yamas and niyamas the qualities in these Slokas can be divided into how we treat other living beings and the world around us; and internal practices; both of which bring us closer to our divine nature. 

Because so many qualities are listed it might be useful to focus on developing one and considering how its practice is interwoven with others. 

For example, through practising ahimsa (non-violence), we’re also practising compassion for all living beings, restraint from fault finding and gentleness. 

By learning to restrain our senses in our yoga practice we become free from vanity and covetousness. Restraining our senses is a form of tapas that leads to an understanding of our true nature and a steadfastness in spiritual knowledge. 

Therefore each of these qualities are interlinked with each other and practising them brings us closer to our divine nature. 
– Lauren Munday