The Path of Yoga is Not Just About Getting Bendy
Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind - Patanjali
Yoga is not just a practice on the mat, but also a discipline that we carry with us off the mat. It begins within yourself, through yourself and too yourself so that we may let go of what no longer serves us. It is a practice of becoming our true selves.
Yamas are restraints, it is where the cycle of yoga begins. It is the path to Peace with the world.
The first Yama is Ahimsa:
Ahimsa or Non-Violence is the practice of non-harm to yourself and others whether it be verbal, emotional or physica.
Ahimsa can be practiced in everyday life. Simply by being mindful of the foods we put into our body is the practice of Ahimsa. Are you eating a healthy diet that nourishes the body and mind?
The rest and care we give ourselves or lack of is a form of self harm. Are you getting to bed on time to allow your body the rest it needs to repair and replenish.
How we speak to ourselves and others can cause significant harm. Are your words and thoughts positive? Are they true? Are they necessary? Gossip is a form of violence causing harm to others and in the end to your true self. Notice how you react to yourself when you make a mistake, when you look in the mirror.
"What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create" - Buddha
Be kind. Our actions affect us and those around us. Practice Ahimsa in your daily life in order to let go of habits and attitudes that are harmful to yourself and those you love.
The second Yama is Satya:
Satya or Truth is the practice of living with honesty in word, thought and action. It is not just refraining from lying. It is presenting ourselves honestly as we are as opposed to presenting us as we "should" be.
"Should" is a very powerful word. The underlying affect of the word 'should' is shame. We tell ourselves and others what we 'should' be, what we 'should' be doing, or what you 'should' have done. It is a word that does not promote truth, but rather judgment. Live honestly without, as Brené Brown would say: "shoulding all over yourself" or others.
Words and actions have power. Living and speaking your truth should not inflict harm on yourself or others. Satya creates the foundation of honest communication which forms the basis of a strong relationship.
Bring awareness to your daily actions and see how you can implement Satya or truthfulness in to your life.
The Third Yama is Asteya:
Asteya or Non-Stealing is not just meant in the literal sense of physically taking from someone else. The root cause of stealing is the sense of "I am not good enough." The desire to have that which we have not earned stems from the fear of not being able to, not being enough to create what we need or desire.
For this yama, Non-Stealing, let us look into our wants and desires, the motivation behind the desire to covet what is not rightfully ours. Cultivate the gratitude for what you do possess in each moment of the day. During your asana (postural) yoga practice on the mat find contentment by focussing on 'what is' in each posture as opposed to pushing yourself past the edge in order to attain where we believe we 'should' be or what we 'should' have. By pushing yourself too far you are robbing yourself of our own contentment by being content in that moment of your journey. We practice Asteya by being mindful of others around us. When we disturb the peace when we enter the yoga studio we are stealing the opportunity for others to become focused and release their day.
We can practice non-stealing by allowing ourselves to feel all the emotions in every moment whether they be happy or sad. If we refrain from living with the full range of emotions and just cling to those of joy and happiness we steal the opportunity to heighten the joy by knowing pain. Do not rob yourself of all the experiences of life.
Practicing a sense of abundance, knowing that we have enough and we are enough is the key to diminishing desire and feeling contentment in life. Know that "I am enough." We learn through Asteya that everything we need in life is already within us.
The Fourth Yama is Bramacharya:
Bramacharya or Non-Excess is a yama that has many interpretations. It is the re-direction of energy, it is continence, it is moderation and in some translations it is celibacy. I have come to know Bramacharya as finding balance through the avoidance of extremes.
The practice of this yama, Brahmacharya is to moderate our lives so as not to live in one extreme or the other whether it be pleasure or pain, joy or sadness, excess or deficiency. It is holding back so we may direct our energy into contentment. It can be applied to all areas of your life on and off the mat. It can be applied to the food we eat by not over indulging in certain foods. It can be applied to not over indulging in pleasurable activities so that the rest of life seems less pleasurable. It is restraining from overindulging in material items so we may find peace with what we have.
We want and desire more of what we deem will make us happy. More money, more food, more friends, more likes on Facebook. We as humans have a tendency to seek out only the pleasure and joy. By doing so we diminish our power. By practicing restraint we are able to remain in contentment, not diluting our present moment, to remain in that space where one extreme to the next does not consume us or throw us out of alignment.
"Everything in excess is opposed to nature." ~ Hippocrates
The fifth Yama is Aparigraha:
Aparigraha or non-coveting is the practice of letting go of anything that is no longer serving us. By letting go of what we believe we want we make room for what we truly need in life. By letting go of past fears, shame, and hurt we make room in our lives for love, joy, light and contentment.
Through clutter physically and mentally we lose sight of who we truly are; who we are is our one true possession. Clutter is not only objects in the material sense, but also clutter of the mind, heart and soul. By letting go of old hurts, resentments, ideas of who we have been told we should be, we are making way for seeing our true self. Our true self moves into the future unburdened by the weight of the past.
Your past does not need to define who you are. Each decision you make can be made with a fresh mind, and a clear start. It is not an easy practice to let go of what we may have held onto our whole lives. It may even be letting go of traits that once protected us in the past, but no longer serve a purpose. Clear out the old and make way for the new. In nature this is the never ending cycle. Let the old leaves fall so that new tender leaves may bud in Spring giving new life.
Through the practice of the five Yamas or Restraints we become aware of where we have come from, the path we are on, and the paths we may chose to take in life. Ahimsa: non-stealing, Satya: truth, Asteya: non-stealing, Brahmacharya: non-excess, and Aparigraha: non-coveting, is the place where we begin the journey to become self aware through our interaction with the world.
The next Limb of Yoga brings us to the Niyamas: a practice of self observation.
Breathe well on your journey, Namaste. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace. Jennifer
