This entry was posted on Nov 14, 2024 by Charlotte Bell.
In a latest publish, I wrote concerning the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Eight Limbs are a framework for practising all features of the system of yoga. The primary of those limbs is named yama.
I contemplate yama to be the inspiration of the entire system. Yama means “restraint.” On this context, restraint refers to utilizing sensible discrimination to think about your actions on the planet, so that you simply create an moral floor from which to behave. The yamas usually are not commandments, nonetheless. They’re pointers for making a peaceable life by way of your actions on the planet. The yamas ask us to think about whether or not the actions we want to undertake are more likely to trigger hurt or to result in happiness—for ourselves and others.
Like all of the limbs of yoga, yama is a follow that we refine as we evolve in our lives. Making use of the rules of the yamas in our lives requires that we contemplate them anew with every state of affairs we discover ourselves in. So, being conscious is vital. The truth that there are not any hard-and-fast guidelines makes the follow dynamic, and permits us to deepen our understanding as we transfer by way of our lives.
What follows is a quite simple, very brief synopsis of the yamas. Each is worthy of a lifetime of research and follow. In the event you’re inquisitive about inquiring additional, my first e-book, Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow, devotes a chapter to every yama, and consists of methods you possibly can incorporate the yamas into asana follow. The data under can maybe act as a springboard for additional inquiry.
The 5 Yamas
Ahimsa (Non-Harming)
If yama is the inspiration of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, then ahimsa is the inspiration of that basis. All the opposite yamas are refinements of the idea of non-harming. Ahimsa asks us to think about the potential penalties of our actions. It additionally asks us to concentrate on our intentions. Alistair Shearer defines ahimsa as “dynamic peacefulness.” I like this fashion of describing it, as a result of means we’re not merely avoiding inflicting hurt. We’re deliberately cultivating a peaceable manner of being, in order that over time, appearing with kindness and care turns into automated.
Satya (Truthfulness)
Truthfulness is the inspiration of all our interactions on the planet. To ensure that any relationship to develop and thrive, it have to be based mostly in reality. Being untruthful harms us by strengthening untruthfulness as a behavior. It harms others as a result of they’ll by no means really feel secure after they can’t belief our intentions, phrases or actions. Right here once more, mindfulness is vital. In an effort to acknowledge—after which act from—reality, now we have to know what’s true within the first place. We do that by trying deeply at our beliefs, habits and motivations.
Asteya (Non-Stealing)
Asteya asks us to chorus from taking what just isn’t provided. This consists of materials items (cash, valuables) and likewise mental property. So we don’t “assist ourselves” to others’ possessions if we aren’t invited to take action. In the identical vein, asteya guides us to ask permission and to credit score others after we share their phrases and concepts.
Brahmacharya (Clever Use of Sexuality)
Our sexual power is the supply of our creativity. It’s a highly effective power that has nice potential to result in happiness, or to trigger hurt if we misuse it. Sexual encounters should at all times be consensual, and should not be employed merely for our personal self-aggrandizement. The misuse of this power, particularly by individuals in positions of energy, is ubiquitous in all walks of life—together with the yoga world. Like the opposite yamas, sensible follow is sophisticated. Donna Farhi’s e-book, Educating Yoga: Exploring the Instructor-Pupil Relationship, delves deeply into the teacher-student relationship, together with the follow of brahmacharya.
Aparigraha (Non-Greed)
In line with Buddhist follow, greed is likely one of the three sources of struggling. (The others are hatred and delusion.) It’s a supply of struggling as a result of it may by no means be glad; it may solely be quickly quelled. Once we get no matter it’s that we would like, we could really feel glad, a minimum of for some time. However it’s not lengthy earlier than another want arises, and leads us to pin our hopes on the subsequent object we predict we will need to have. Greed applies not solely to materials possessions, but additionally to relationships, experiences and the necessity for consideration. The true sources of happiness is contentment, gratitude and appreciation for our lives as they’re. This doesn’t imply we shouldn’t attempt to attain our aspirations. It merely implies that we perceive that the whole lot in our lives comes and goes. Happiness is offered to all of us, and its potential is already within us. The antidote to greed is to follow generosity. Once we domesticate a behavior of giving, we perceive extra deeply the enjoyment of letting go.
Simple Does It
Generally it may appear overwhelming to attempt to incorporate all these rules into your life. I recommend committing to follow one after the other. It may be useful to decide to, say, a 12 months practising a single yama. The give attention to one precept may help you incorporate it into your life extra simply. Resolve which of the yamas resonates most deeply for you. Then start to use it to the alternatives you make in your life.
About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.
