If you attend Yoga classes on a regular basis but haven`t yet jouneyed into its vast and transformational philosophical foundations I`d recommend you to take a few minutes to read this relevant yet very accessible article written by author and Yoga practitioner Liz McCollum about Patanjali`s five yamas. Please note that on the 8-limbed Yoga path (Ashtanga Yoga) Asana, or the posture work that we generally do in Yoga classes (no matter which style of Yoga you practice), is only the third limb and it follows first and second limbs (Yamas – described below and Nyamas) and these should really be the foundation for our practice.
“If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you’ve probably heard of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. These are teachings about yoga compiled somewhere around the 2nd century CE. The Sutras break yoga down into 8 limbs, which include asana (physical yoga poses), meditation, and something called the yamas. The yamas are 5 ethical teachings dealing with how we relate to the external world. But in my experience these teachings can also relate to our yoga asana practice, which is a great place to practice bringing them into your life and awareness.
Ahimsa is non-violence. Towards others, towards the planet, and towards yourself. When it comes to asana practice, non-violence is particularly important. If you are trying to force your body into a pose it isn’t ready for, you are asking for trouble. If you have an injury and try to practice through the pain just to satisfy your teacher’s expectations or your ego’s urgings, you are just going to increase your injury. Yoga isn’t a competition, and no one is giving out awards for best game face or fastest achievement of a difficult pose. Enjoy the journey that your body is on, and don’t beat yourself up for taking your time.
Satya means truthfulness. Think about the stories you tell yourself about your body and your practice. I’m not a flexible person. I’m not a strong person. I’ll never be able to do that pose. Do any of these sound familiar? A lot of the negative self-talk that we engage in is not only depressing, but also not true. All of us have bodies that are capable of doing amazing things, as long as we are willing to try. The first time I tried headstand, it was the most uncomfortable and terrible experience I could imagine. Now it’s one of my favorite poses. If I had believed the flood of negative thoughts that popped up in my mind that first day, I would have missed out on the amazing fun and challenge of working my way to a confident (and really fun) pose. Tell yourself the truth, that you are capable of being as strong and as flexible as you want to be. Do your part and your body will do its part.
Asteya is non-stealing. Asana practice is a gift to your body and mind, a time to increase your strength and flexibility, and to take a break from the stress of daily life. But all too often we look at our practice time as a chore, while vegging out on the couch seems so much more appealing. Don’t steal yoga time away from your body. Whether it’s a class once a week, or 30 minutes each day at home, your body will love you for sticking to your commitment to practice.
Bramacharya is often translated as celibacy, but can also be interpreted as non-excess. Yoga is about balance, strength with flexibility, inner with outer, emotional with mental. But sometimes we forget to have balance with our practice and our life. Have you thrown yourself into your practice with such wild abandon that all of your other hobbies and interests are ignored? Yoga is a fantastic practice, and can make life so much sweeter. But when we don’t balance our yoga practice with the rest of our life’s activities we can become one-dimensional. So love your yoga, but keep knitting or practicing archery too. Make all of your hobbies part of your yoga practice by maintaining full awareness of what you are doing at all times.
Aparigraha is non-greediness. This is a hard one, because this is where our egos can really work against us. You know that feeling you get when someone in your yoga class kicks up into the most beautiful handstand on the first try, with no help from the teacher? Awe and amazement can quickly turn into jealousy or envy if you aren’t careful. Everyone and every body is different, and what is easily attainable for one person may take much more preparation and work for another. Worrying about why you don’t look like your neighbor doing triangle pose isn’t going to improve your pose. Instead it could cause you to push yourself too hard and injure yourself. Enjoy your yoga path and don’t worry about the path others are on.
How do you incorporate the yamas into your yoga practice?”