My first visit to India was in 2002. I had just ended a 3 year relationship and I had been putting off my dream of traveling to India. A little voice inside of me said, “Just go.” I was traveling there by myself. My mom was not thrilled about it and was discouraging me from doing something for the first time. I promised her I’d find internet cafes to stay in touch (way before Smartphones), packed my bags and flew across the Pacific Ocean. Little did I know that on this trip I’d have my first encounter with the Yamas and Niyamas. 

Most of my time was spent in Varanasi, one of India’s most holy cities, where millions come to die, be cremated, and their ashes spread into the Ganges River. If this is done, they may release past karma and in their next birth hasten their Self-Realization. The air is just thick with spirituality that’s been practiced in this city for centuries.

YAMAS AND NIYAMAS

Journal and two yoga scripture books

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When one of my hosts told me he could connect me with a Yoga teacher, I was excited. Myself and one of my new friends spent several hours over the course of a week with this young teacher. His first lesson was on the Yamas and Niyamas. I had no idea that there was more to Yoga than Yoga Asana (poses).

These 10 Ethical Principles, that are written as the first two steps in an 8-fold path, come from Patanjali Yoga Sutras. These Sutras, traditionally, were taught to only the most dedicated and sincere students or monks. You had to study them with a teacher over years as the knowledge within the sutras would slowly unfold and lessons would be taught according to where you are on your spiritual journey.. 

The Yamas, which are the topic of this post, are guideposts to lay a foundation for a Yoga student in how to meet the external world and our reactions. Sometimes translated as “don’ts” they guide us to deep inner reflection, understanding and conscious responses. They are a Yogi’s guide to meeting life.

AHIMSA

The first Yama is Ahimsa or Non-harming. This is the first one listed and in sutra format, what is listed first is typically the most important. This is the umbrella to which the other four Yamas rest under. Each Yama can be a guide to interacting with the external world as well as our internal world. What do you think of when you hear “non-harming”? How can you use this Yama to guide you physically, mentally/emotionally, and spiritually? What areas in your life do you notice yourself creating himsa or harm?

TRUTHFULNESS

woman in Warrior 2 Pose on a mountain side

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The second Yama is Satya or Truthfulness. As the second Yama, it is linked to ahimsa. When we are practicing satya, we are naturally bringing in ahimsa because you can’t have one without the other. Ahimsa keeps the truth from being used as a weapon. Satya keeps the practice of non-harming from becoming a cop-out.

When someone is living fully in truthfulness, it is said that there is no more stress, worry, or struggle. If a person is living fully in truth, there is no need to defend or prove…one just is.  When talking to others, notice when there is even the slightest exaggeration or little white lie and own it. Come back to the truth. Notice what happens within when you are not being honest with yourself. How does it feel? What happens in the mind? Where do you need to get honest with yourself? How does it feel when you come to that place of clarity and truth?

NON-STEALING

The third Yama is Asteya or Non-stealing. This is such a fascinating practice. Most know that physically stealing from someone isn’t okay and can lead to so many other physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences. What other ways of stealing are there?

woman resting on her backpack admiring the mountain view

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This is how each Yama goes from the gross to the subtle, external to inward awareness. One of the practices of Asteya I work on has to do with communication – not interrupting and one-upping or bringing the conversation back to me. My work as a mental health therapist gives me daily practice in being present to listen. Many times we aren’t really listening, rather waiting when we can jump in with what we want to say. This is stealing from another person. Sharing about our experience when someone is sharing about theirs is also a form of stealing. 

What about with ourselves? Where do we steal from ourselves? Have you committed to changing a behavior and then let excuses keep you from doing the new behavior? Do you carve out time for meditation or other quiet, self-reflective time and then go to bed late so you aren’t able to get up in the morning to practice? Do you let self-doubt keep you from your dreams? These are all forms of stealing from ourselves.

CONTINENCE OR NON-EXCESS

The fourth Yama is Brahmacharya or continence. Traditionally, this Yama is about self-restraint around sexual behaviors to conserve vital energy. In modern times and as householders, this means being intentional about sexual partners, not having more than one, and sex in moderation. This can also be broadened to self-restraint and non-excess in all behaviors to conserve energy to be used more in spiritual practices. Personally, I see in my life, when I get over committed, rushing from one thing to the next, it makes it harder to do my daily sadhana (spiritual practice). When I’m in excess with time and energy, I don’t have enough left over for myself and my spirit.

woman sitting in meditation on a rock surrounded by mountains

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Where are you in excess in your life? Think about these areas of life: physical, mental/emotional, family, personal, social, community, recreation, and spiritual. If you were to draw a circle and then split that circle up into different pieces, how would you represent time spent in each of these areas? How does this feel? What area would you like to grow and what area would you like to shrink? How might you do this?

NON-POSSESSION

The fifth Yama is Aparigraha or Non-possession. When we ‘possess,’ we most likely are in the realm of clinging, holding on and trying to control. Different roles and identities we fall into might have different areas they want to hold onto. A parent wants to control a child to prove they are a ‘good parent,’ an employee will work hard to ‘climb the ladder’ at the expense of relationships with loved ones, and an intimate partner will cling to the other to keep from feeling alone.

What we possess or try to control is usually out of fear of losing something/someone, fear of lack, or ultimately fear of losing ourselves. One of my visualizations for this is a river. When I’m trying to force something, ruminating too much, or getting upset it’s usually because I’m clinging to a rock, log, side of the riverbank, terrified to let life lead me. I can literally feel it as physical tension in my body as if I were clinging. When I’m aware of this, I ask myself what I need to accept and what do I need to do to literally let go. 

Again, this can be physically, metally/emotionally, or spiritually. What are you trying to control? Remember, all we can control in this life is ourselves and how we meet the external world.

PRACTICE

I invite you to take the next week to choose one of these ‘guides’ and practice it. Write it down so you can see it each day, put reminders in your phone, and see what happens if you focus on one Yama for 7 days. What happens? How do you end up meeting challenges? How do you interact with others…with yourself?

Tune in next week for the Niyamas…

Namaste.

 

Two books used for the Yamas and Niyamas Sangha 8 week study

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Are you intrigued with expanding your Yoga practice to living Yoga? Do these principles resonate with you? Does your heart desire to let go of old, limiting patterns?

Join me for the next 8-week, Yamas and Niyamas Sangha (spiritual group study). It starts October 5th, 2022. We meet online for 8 Wednesday evenings. Learn more here. Space is limited to ten participants only.