Yoga Beyond the Mat: Following the Yamas
LifePower Yoga - November 07, 2012
You come to your mat every day. Morning, afternoon or night, you flow through a healthy Vinyasa, enjoying the physical and mental benefits of your practice. Then you leave your mat and that's where your yogic journey ends... Say it isn't so!
Yoga is more than the physical practice of asanas or poses/ postures. Yoga is a way of life. It provides rules on how to interact with others, respect yourself and to learn to "be."
That's why yoga is divided into 10 living principles: The Yamas and Niyamas, which are part of the 8 limbs of yoga. This is the first in a series of articles about these principles concentrating on the Yamas, known as the wise characteristics we should incorporate into our life.
B.K.S. Iyengar, author of "Light on Yoga", said that the Yamas are the "great commandments transcending creed, country, age and time." He felt that these 5 ethical principles act as rules of morality for society to follow. They include:
1) Ahimsa - Non-violence
2) Satya - Truth
3) Asteya - Non-stealing
4) Brahmacharya - Continence
5) Aparigraha - Non-conveting
Let's look a little more in-depth at each Yama:
In Sanskrit, the ancient Indian text used to transcribe many of yoga's most powerful books, the word Ahimsa means to act without violence. It is made up of the particle 'a' meaning 'not' and the noun himsa meaning killing or violence. According to Iyengar, it is more than a negative command not to kill – it has a wider positive meaning: love.
He says, "The yogi believes that to kill or to destroy a thing or being is an insult... Men take to violence for their own interests, their own bodies, their loved ones, their property or dignity. Violence arises out of fear, weakness, ignorance or restlessness." So, how do we curtail this in ourselves? Iyengar suggests that we try to free our minds of fear. By doing so, we are then able to reorient our mind and life outlook, moving from hate or violence to positivity and light.
Satya or truth is the highest rule of conduct or morality, Iyengar advises yogis. "As fire burns impurities and refines gold, so the fire of truth cleanses the yogi and burns up the dross in him," he said in his book.
Truth in our words, our actions and our thoughts is an essential part of a yogic path. Words have great power, from abuse and obscenity to telling falsehoods or ridiculing others out of spite or because of their views. That is why it is best to be mindful of what we have to say and how we say it. Using positive-reaffirming language and sending out good thoughts into the universe can help us honor Sayta in our lives.
Asteya is the desire to possess and enjoy what another has, which can drive people to steal or covet someone else's belongings. Asteya, not stealing, includes not only taking what belongs to another without permission, but also using something for a different purpose than it is intended, or beyond the time permitted by its owner. This is why we are asked as children not to cheat on our tests. Or why we are asked to cite our sources in a written paper. Copyright law protects others' original thoughts and is something that we learn to value in our scholarly studies. We should remember to practice this as we grow by not owning others thoughts or stealing others' possessions.
If you look it up Brahmacharya in the dictionary, you will find that it means to live a life of celibacy, religious study and self-restraint. This does not mean that yoga and its philosophies are only for celibates, however. In its most basic sense, Brahmacharya asks us to practice moderation and to be truthful in our physical and emotional relationships. It asks for us to maintain fidelity to those we love. We can preserve some of our energy with this Yama through meditation, using our mental energy to always be present and to concentrate our sexual energy on our life partner.
Aparigraha is the last of the 5 Yamas. Parigraha means hoarding or collecting, so to be free from hoarding is Aparigraha. Iyengar sees this as another facet of Asteya, non-stealing. He said, "Just as one should not take things one does not really need, so one should not hoard or collect things one does not require immediately. Neither should one take anything without working for it or as a favor from another, for this indicates poverty of spirit."
By actively observing Aparigraha, we will not feel loss for lack of anything. We can instead practice being happy for what we have and for what life offers us – in opportunities and material possessions such as our home, clothes to keep us warm, etc. If we honor this Yama, we will have the opportunity to gain what we want in due time. As they say, patience is a virtue.
To learn more about the Yamas, you can find a copy of "Light on Yoga" at your local library. Ot you an read the yogic text, The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, which is a collection of 196 Indian aphorisms to live by.