The First Limb of Yoga Practice: Yama
'ahimsā satya asteya brahmacarya aparigrahāh yamāh'
The five pillars of yama practice (self-restraint) are ahimsā (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (effective application of one’s life-force), and aparigraha (non-attachment).
- Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, II.30
Ahimsā, or non-violence, means walking through life without causing harm to ourselves or the creatures that make up our community. It requires careful consideration of how our thoughts and actions affect others. Consequently, the practice of ahimsā brings our yoga practice into all folds of life. This is the foundation of morality.
Doing no harm is actually quite complicated in our modern world. Consider the foods we eat, and the agricultural industry that supports our dietary habits. Consider the most common ways that we get from one place to another: are we riding a bicycle, walking, taking public transportation, or driving our own vehicles? And how do these lifestyle patterns affect the greater ecosystem of life that we are a part of? In this way, ahimsā is a study of the rippling effects caused by our every thought and action.
Satya, or truthfulness, means honestly reflecting reality with our words and deeds. Ultimately, it means being authentic. It is said that when a person masters satya, they become so aligned with truth that even reality will come to reflect their words; that is, what they say will become real.
Asteya, non-stealing, is closely related to ahimsa (non-violence). In short, it means not taking that which does not belong to us.
Brahmacarya, often translated as ‘chastity,’ literally means to ‘walk the path of the creator (Brahma).’ Practically, it is the alignment of our thoughts and actions with our highest good. It is leading a life that is in all aspects fruitful, honest, and in-line with the forces of the universe.
Aparigraha, non-attachment, is applied contentment: needing nothing, yet having everything. It is acceptance of loss, a willingness to experience grief, and the lived knowledge that what we have is enough.
There are saddhus in India who have renounced all material items except for one thing: their alms bowl. And wow, how they are attached to that alms bowl! At the same time, there are many people who are swimming in wealth and material objects who are not attached to any of it. Aparigraha, then, is not to push everything away (as in the case of the saddhu), but instead to face everything with a sense of freedom, with release.
One who masters non-attachment is said to remember their entire life, including their birth and past-lives. After all, when the yogi is free to see clearly. He or she is no longer gripping onto things, and can instead just relate and connect with reality as it is.
These are the five yamas. To a yogi, these are less of a moral code or a collection of ‘should’ statements than they are lenses with which to view one’s life. The yamas are a profound tool to use in observing oneself and one’s relationship to the external world. With proper practice of asana and pranayama, they will spontaneously and compulsively manifest.
The five pillars of yama practice (self-restraint) are ahimsā (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (effective application of one’s life-force), and aparigraha (non-attachment).
- Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, II.30
Ahimsā, or non-violence, means walking through life without causing harm to ourselves or the creatures that make up our community. It requires careful consideration of how our thoughts and actions affect others. Consequently, the practice of ahimsā brings our yoga practice into all folds of life. This is the foundation of morality.
Doing no harm is actually quite complicated in our modern world. Consider the foods we eat, and the agricultural industry that supports our dietary habits. Consider the most common ways that we get from one place to another: are we riding a bicycle, walking, taking public transportation, or driving our own vehicles? And how do these lifestyle patterns affect the greater ecosystem of life that we are a part of? In this way, ahimsā is a study of the rippling effects caused by our every thought and action.
Satya, or truthfulness, means honestly reflecting reality with our words and deeds. Ultimately, it means being authentic. It is said that when a person masters satya, they become so aligned with truth that even reality will come to reflect their words; that is, what they say will become real.
Asteya, non-stealing, is closely related to ahimsa (non-violence). In short, it means not taking that which does not belong to us.
Brahmacarya, often translated as ‘chastity,’ literally means to ‘walk the path of the creator (Brahma).’ Practically, it is the alignment of our thoughts and actions with our highest good. It is leading a life that is in all aspects fruitful, honest, and in-line with the forces of the universe.
Aparigraha, non-attachment, is applied contentment: needing nothing, yet having everything. It is acceptance of loss, a willingness to experience grief, and the lived knowledge that what we have is enough.
There are saddhus in India who have renounced all material items except for one thing: their alms bowl. And wow, how they are attached to that alms bowl! At the same time, there are many people who are swimming in wealth and material objects who are not attached to any of it. Aparigraha, then, is not to push everything away (as in the case of the saddhu), but instead to face everything with a sense of freedom, with release.
One who masters non-attachment is said to remember their entire life, including their birth and past-lives. After all, when the yogi is free to see clearly. He or she is no longer gripping onto things, and can instead just relate and connect with reality as it is.
These are the five yamas. To a yogi, these are less of a moral code or a collection of ‘should’ statements than they are lenses with which to view one’s life. The yamas are a profound tool to use in observing oneself and one’s relationship to the external world. With proper practice of asana and pranayama, they will spontaneously and compulsively manifest.