At the forefront of Patanjali's eight limbed path of yoga are the Yamas - the moral and ethical code of practicing yoga. The Yamas are accompanied by the Niyamas, which can be looked at as more inner observances. Together, the Yamas and Niyamas are a code of ethics for any yogi to follow to grow self discipline, inner strength, and maintain a positive environment to grow the practice and path of yoga.
The Yamas
Ahimsa (non-violence) - The practice of non-violence can be then derived as self love and love for others in all states, physical, mention, social, emotional, spiritual and otherwise. This is one of the reasons that yogi's don't eat meat - because to kill another being is to cause that being harm, and this goes against ahimsa. Unfortunately, we create violence in a daily manner when we do not even know it, from lashing out with our tongues, to watching violence on TV and cinema and negative self talk. Ahimsa focuses on compassion for others as well as compassion for self.
Satya (Truthfulness) - This principle urges one to speak YOUR truth at all times. If you are hushed or feel hushed, this goes against the all truth bearing Satya. At the same time, the first principle of ahimsa must be honored. If your truth will create violence or harm another, it needs to be edited so as not to intentionally hurt ones feelings. Living your truth creates respect and those who know your true path will honor this upfrontness.
Asteya (Non-stealing) - a good way to explain this is also non-greed. I see this most evident in time. Not being late is honoring asteya because you are not taking up too much of someone else's time - by being on time, you are honoring their life's schedule as important as your own. On a personal note, we can see this in overcommitting ourselves and the answer of "Yes, I can!" and not honoring prior commitments, me time or the moments in between the chaos. We tend to shift our schedules for other and give too much of ourselves away. Of course, in the most simple level, this can be compared to "Thou shalt not steal", the seventh commandment when observing Christianity. This means don't take something that isn't yours! But when digging deeper, we can say "Do not take what is not freely given to you."
Bramacharya (Continence) - Creation of moderation in all activities and withdrawing from excess. The biggest principle of yoga is to create and maintain balance and when we do this, we can break the bonds that tie us to our addictions, negative patterns and sickly habits. Practicing moderation can conserve energy and this can then be applied to achieving a higher state of spiritual practice.
Aparigraha (Non-coveting) - the letting go - this is my biggest struggle. This yama focuses on releasing the grip of that which does not serve you. Letting go of things, physical or mental, that weigh you down is lifting up the spirit and mental ceiling of performance. Many will call this yama non-attachment which can relate to our things, relationships, education, ego, love and identity. Are you clinging on to your identity as a business person? So effectively, if you aren't a business person, your life will crumble? WRONG. You may change jobs, you may change lovers or your circumstances around your environment can change, but you, your inner being, will not change. When we grasp on to things that define us, we restrict our growth to the definition we have created. Why not live undefined and let growth take it's path..?
The Niyamas
Saucha (Purification) - it was the ancient sages that determined that impurities in our physical world AND our internal body eventually lead us to discomfort and dysfunction. This would prevent the real wisdom and spiritual liberation that most were seeking in the practice. The habit of cleaning out the bad is necessary for inner and outer growth. The physical and mental practice of yoga ensures purity of thought and body, however, we need to also be sure and aware of our external surroundings. The overused word "toxic" can be placed here in that we need to reduce the amount of toxins, both physically and mentally around us. Family, friends, work life, food, home furnishings, products (Shout out to Beautycounter!!) and more. If we work so hard to meditate, practice yoga and attain enlightenment, we must be sure to not allow any impurities back into the body via the world around us.
Santosha (Contentment) - being okay in the world you have created. We are perfectly content with the life we have built and to crave or covet that what isn't ours will create dis-ease and steal the true joy and happiness. Teachings from the ancient sages tell us that if we think happiness will come from acquiring new and many possessions, we are sorely mistaken. Practicing contentment with the life you lead will reduce any unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different and can instead fill us with joy. There something to be said for obtaining more educations, career ladder climbing or seeking more experiences but with all of these things, you will experience discomfort leading to growth. The in between spaces where you feel your path is correct, complete and calm is the principle of santosha.
Tapas (Asceticism) - intense self discipline and will power - the fire within if you will. Tapas is knowing that even though you don't want to do something, you complete it anyways knowing it will have a positive effect on your life. This fire can light the will power to develop personal strength and wisdom to become more dedicated to our yoga practice.
Svadhyaya (Self study) - learning about yourself through the practice of yoga, from the observers perspective. Have you ever had a moment where, it's as if you are looking at yourself or watching yourself from someone else's perspective? This is Svadhyaya. It's allowing ourselves to make mistakes, notice where the something went wrong and then learning to fix it for next time. If you repeatedly make the same mistake, you are not studying yourself well enough. Self study not only refers to the present moment in the here and now, but also looking beyond our current state to see our divine power.
Ishvara Pranidhana (Devotion) - This is the dedicated part of yoga and the surrender to a higher power. This is the surrender and the acknowledgement of the self and selfless actions of karma yoga. Giving back and dissolving our ego will enhance the practice of yoga to something greater than 60 minutes on your mat. We can become connected to our higher power filling your practice with what is sacred and filled with grace, inner peace and abounding love.
For the next several weeks, I will highlight a Yama or Niyama for my blog topics. I will thoroughly explain many viewpoints about each principle and give examples about how these can be seen in everyday life and how you can observe them to be more complete.
As always, my heart hugs your hearts
namaste
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