While Western culture has come to think of Yoga as the physical mastering of the postures, or Asanas, Yoga, as a whole, is actually a more complex system, made of 8 Limbs, to assist one in achieving Samadhi, or enlightenment.
The Yamas are the first of the 8 Limbs of Yoga, as described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras are considered to be the foundational text for modern yoga, and was written in around 200 C.E.
The Yamas provide a set of morals and ethics that one should follow in relation to both self and others. The Yamas are made up of 5 principles:
Ahimsa: Nonviolence or Compassion
While Ahimsa translates to "not causing pain", this term is not restricted to just physical pain, but also emotional pain. It reflects the idea that compassion should be given to all living things. This does not mean that you should only consider other's feelings and not your own, but just that it can be done in a manner which is not malicious.
Ahimsa also sets the tone for the rest of the Yamas. For example, Satya, or Truthfulness - truthful statements can be emotionally harmful, but can be delivered in a way which provides compassion and empathy.
Sayta: Truthfulness or Honesty
In this context, Sayta is the connection between being truthful or honest, and then becoming free from fear of your lies being discovered. This provides one with a clear conscious, therefore allowing you to have a clear and open mind. As mentioned above, Satya could be hurtful to others, so do remember to practice compassion here.
Asteya: Non-stealing
While this Yama may seem pretty straight forward, it isn't quite what it seems. While yes, you shouldn't steal, this Yama is related to reciprocating the gifts you receive every day. These daily gifts, such as the air we breathe, the sunshine which warms us, the food we eat, etc., should reciprocated by expressing gratitude and appreciation. By doing so, we are not simply taking (stealing) these things, but providing something in return.
We can then share these gifts with others, simply by extending a compliment or verbally thanking someone for spending time with you.
By taking an open look at the gifts we receive every day, and sharing those gifts with others, we are also practicing Ahimsa and Sayta.
Brachmacharya: Continence or Moderation
To understand Brachmacharya, one must first understand that each person is thought to have a certain amount of energy, called "Virya", and that energy should be preserved throughout your day, in order to allow you to make it through your day with stamina and an energetic mind.
With that background, Brachmacharya refers to the preservation of ones energy by not over-indulging in things that can leave one mentally, physically, or spiritually drained. This could be physical things, such as eating too much non-nutritious food, or engaging in activities which harm the physical body, but also refers to things which can be emotional stressors, such as engaging with toxic people or not making time for rest.
Aparigraha: Non-greed or Non-hoarding
Building on the concept of Brachmacharya, this Yama looks at how possessiveness of items can weigh one down. It isn't the items themselves that are considered the issue, but more so the attachment to those items. If one is too concerned about preserving physical items, they are unable to see the value in non-physical items, such as experiences or time spent with others.
Aparigraha also ties into Asteya, as showing appreciation for the physical items you do have, you can enjoy them, but also "release" them, at the same time.
If you are interested in relating these Yamas to your life, take a moment to reflect on some of these questions:
How have I caused harm in the past?
How has the harm I caused impacted aspects of my life?
What was the result of being dishonest with someone else?
What as the result of being dishonest with myself?
What are some things in life that I take for granted?
What am I grateful for right now, today?
What are some areas in life that I over-indulge in?
How do I feel after this overindulgence?
What are some things I have been afraid of losing?
How has this fear impacted my physical and emotional health?
You may have noticed that these Yamas are similar to the morals/values/principals/teaching across a multitude of religions. While this post may be specifically about the spiritual side of Yoga, these values can be transcribed into whichever religion or set of spiritual values is closest to your personal practice.
-Charlene 🧡
NOTES:
The majority of the information contained in this blog post comes directly from my education with Yoga Renew teacher training while I was studying for my 200-hour certification.
If this blog seems familiar, I have done a truncated version of this post on April 8, 2022.
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