Living yogic principles today
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Leveraging an ancient philosophy in today’s modern world.
Practicing the Yamas benefits not only the individual, but also society at large as we choose to be kinder, more forgiving, compassionate, and grateful.
When most people think of yoga they have pre-conceived ideas of what yoga is. While most are familiar with the physical practice of yoga, yoga poses, or asana, is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. Yoga is a philosophy that has been around for over 5,000 years, and is just as applicable today as it was when Patanjali wrote about it in the Yoga Sutras.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, yoga is a philosophy, a tradition, and practice that teaches us how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. The Eight limbs of yoga, called Ashtanga, require discipline, commitment, practice, and patience in order to realize self-transformation.
The Yamas are the ethical standards, or outward display of behaviors, and how we live our lives. For this reason, many compare the Yamas to the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Practicing the Yamas benefits not only the individual, but also society at large as we choose to be kinder, more forgiving, compassionate, and grateful.
The first Yama is Ahimsa. Ahimsa asks that we show compassion for all living things by not harming. This pertains to non-harming and non-judging with our thoughts, words and actions. I’m sure we can each remember an instance where we were not practicing Ahimsa. Perhaps you recently had road rage, or had negative thoughts about the person in front of you in line at the store who was taking too long. Did you speak or think unkind thoughts and words to yourself? Words and thoughts do matter. Practice some self-love and acceptance today.
The second Yama is Satya. Satya means truth and integrity. Many of us aspire to be honest, truthful, and practice integrity, yet this Yama also asks us to look at the quality of our speech. Do we gossip? Do we omit details or information to persuade others to our point of view? Do we practice integrity of speech with comments on social media? With the proliferation of information at our disposal it is important to investigate the sources of information that we are consuming and sharing. Practice Satya with the lens on Ahimsa at the same time. If the information shared will knowingly hurt the recipient, we may question our desire to share it.
The third Yama is Asteya. Asteya means non-stealing. The most obvious interpretation is to not take someone else’s possessions without their permission. Discerning between what is permissible and what is beneficial is critical in all of our actions. If we probe deeper, Asteya is not tied only to material things. We can steal someone else’s joy, their energy and their time if we are late.
The fourth Yama is Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya has been described most often relating to abstinence and sexual behaviors, yet the definition is broader. When I went through yoga teacher training my teachers referred to Brahmacharya as “sense control”. I like to think of this as being aware of our own energy, acting with self-dignity, and choosing wisely how to expend our energies. Do our choices lead towards positive emotions, self-transformation, and elevation of spirit? Or, do they cause us distress, depletion, and move us further away from our positive transformation? Containing our energies, and choosing self-respect should lift us up, and bring us further on our journey.
The firth Yama is Aparigraha. Aparigraha means to not hoard, to release attachments to material things, and to stop the insanity of acquiring more. It means to stop clinging to possessions, relationships, and choices that no longer serve us, and prevent new blessings to come into our lives. Aparigraha may be the hardest Yama for many in our society. Sometimes it’s described as greed or coveting, yet Aparigraha is also the attachment to old thoughts, patterns and behaviors, too. Focusing on building a daily gratitude practice shifts our thinking to appreciating what we have today, in this moment, and recognizing that it is enough.
Practical ways to practice the Yamas now:
Ahimsa: Write positive affirmations for one minute in your journal as part of your morning routine. Practice, self-care, choose to be kind to yourself and others.
Satya: Examine your social media and news sources. Are they beneficial? How does what we read or look at impact what we share or put out into the world. Choose honesty, kindness and integrity.
Asteya: Plan your day and choose to be on time for all meetings or appointments, and end them early, if possible, to give time back. Return items that you’ve borrowed to their owner with a thank you note.
Brahmacharya: Journal on how you expend your energy. Do your choices elevate you and positively contribute to your best self, or do they cause angst and deplete you? Choose to make positive changes to contain your precious energies for those that lift you up!
Aparigraha: Start a daily gratitude practice. Write in a journal for one minute as many things that you are grateful for as part of your morning routine. Practice gratitude before each meal acknowledging what came to pass for you to be able to consume your meal. End each day journaling or reflecting silently as you fall asleep on the blessings you experienced this day. Look around your home and donate clothes, books, household items – anything you haven’t used or no longer need. Examine your limiting beliefs or your need to be right.
Cleaning out that which no longer serves us makes room for new blessings. Practicing the Yamas is critical on your self-transformation path and will prepare us for the other limbs.