Review of the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga - Yamas
Image source from Zenned Out https://zennedout.com/breaking-down-the-yamas-niyamas/
Over the years of practicing yoga asana (the physical yoga poses in a yoga class we work on), I realized that doing the yoga asana poses was only a small part of understanding what yoga is and what yoga can teach us. Yoga in Sanskrit means union. Gurus, monks, and spiritual aspirants throughout the centuries developed and passed down their knowledge and instructions with one goal: Through stilling the mind, we can find union with the divine source.
“Yoga is the cessation of thought waves in the mind” Sage Patañjali, Yoga Sutras.
The thought progression of the discipline of yoga is this: The practices of yoga (sadhana) purify the mind and body to develop concentration > Perfect concentration leads to a thoughtless mind and superconsciousness (samadhi) > Higher consciousness brings knowledge of reality and peace.
Sage Patañjali prescribed a process to achieve inner peace in a collection of writings called the Yoga Sutras. He described this process as having eight parts or “limbs”; thus, the system is called Ashtanga (ashta = eight, anga = limb) Yoga.
The eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are:
Yama (restraints)
Niyama (observances)
Asana (posture, seat)
Pranayama (control of prana, breath)
Pratyahara (withdrawing the mind from sense perception)
Dharana (concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (superconsciousness)
Yamas
Translation: “Reigning In” or “Control”
Yamas are the restraints that one can practise to cultivate peace. These are social observances that we can take to move through the world more peacefully. We can apply these to how we treat ourselves, but these actions are directly related to how we behave externally with others and the world around us.
Some of the yamas (and niyamas) are not dissimilar to The Bible’s ten commandments. Like the ten commandments, I also noted ten principles to follow when you look at the yamas and niyamas.
The five yamas are:
Ahimsa (nonviolence)
Satya (truthfulness)
Asteya (nonstealing)
Brahmacharya (continence)
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
Ahimsa (nonviolence)
Translation: “absence of injury..”
Nonviolence as a concept is to refrain from causing any pain to any living being, including oneself. Focus on restraining every action, word or thought to ensure nonviolence. If we have thoughts or comments that contain anger, greed, lust, or attachment, these may be considered forms of violence. Ahimsa is the reason why many yoga practitioners, Hindus, and Buddhists are vegetarians.
During your yoga practice, can you identify when you have unkind thoughts toward yourself? Focusing on nonviolence during your yoga asana practice may be an opportunity to objectively recognize when your inner critic comes out to bring your down. Once we can identify our violent thoughts, we can calm and quiet that voice and instead foster love and self-care. This practice will help us recognize that inner critic in our daily lives. With this knowledge, we can modify our activities and interactions with others more easily. Patañjali wrote that one who practices ahimsa perfectly would influence all around them, and they will also become non-violent.
Satya (truthfulness)
Translation: "reality" or "truth"
Satya is the practice of developing honesty. Cultivating truth begins with our thoughts and actions, then finally with our words. Something as simple as an exaggeration is considered dishonest. People have a great gift to be able to justify their actions through rationalization and pretense. Sadly, with so many issues polarized in media, we are inundated with these tactics to “win” an argument and support harmful behaviour. Every day we can witness the power of deceit.
If you consider honestly rationally, it is a lot easier to be truthful. If you are always genuine, your mind and body don’t need to hang on to the confusion and stress of maintaining a lie. Suppose you can practice being honest or perhaps looking at this differently, identify when you are manipulating the truth. In that case, you may realize that you have a desire that is driving a dishonest thought to obtain desired outcomes even at a very subtle level. Having these breakthroughs in your thoughts will transform your perspective and forever change how you communicate with others.
When speaking truthfully, it is also important to remember the first rule of nonviolence. You should not speak the truth if it brings pain to others but finds ways to communicate truthfully without causing pain. Patañjali wrote that the actions of one who is perfect in satya will always be productive. One’s words and blessings will always come true.
Asteya (nonstealing)
Translation: “nonstealing.”
Nonstealing is one of the yamas that the western world is most familiar with as it is part of The Bible’s ten commandments: Thou shalt not steal. Sage Patañjali described asteya as the misappropriation of material and non-material things. So, not only should we not be taking things that don’t belong to us, but we should also consider how we may steal people’s time when we arrive late or extend a meeting too long, pilfer people’s ideas and take credit for them, or even accept praise when it is undeserved. Is your employer stealing from you when they ask you to work overtime without compensation? Are you stealing from yourself when you choose to work late rather than honouring your schedule? Finding integrity in asteya means that we may find freedom from the illusion of ownership. Patañjali wrote that when you practice asteya perfectly, everything you need will be available to you, and you will be content with the things you have.
During your asana practice, looking at nonstealing through the lens of time may invite you to consider a few ideas like:
Ensuring you are on your mat a few minutes before a class to give yourself time to acclimate and transition from the hustle of your day to the focus of your practice
Giving yourself permission to hold and explore poses for a moment longer without hurrying into the next pose
Declining to do poses that aren’t resonating with you, or maybe not doing them a second time
Brahmacharya (continence)
Translation: “walking in God-consciousness.”
Brahmacharya is the practice of sexual continence. For a monk or severe spiritual aspirant, sexual continence is often interpreted as absolute celibacy. For people living non-secular lives, the recommendation is to maintain an appropriate relationship with their partners. The belief within Patañjali’s writings is that sexual activity has the potential to divert you from the yogic or spiritual path when used inappropriately or excessively. Sexual activity depletes energy that can otherwise be channelled into spiritual progress. When that energy is harnessed and directed toward the goal of yoga, it is tremendously potent.
While studying for my yoga teaching certification, I had the opportunity to explore more modern interpretations of brahmacharya to expand from considering not only sexual energy but also to identify all of our desires. When one thinks of the word “desire,” I feel that people’s minds will most often relate it to sex. However, people can desire lots of other things like wealth, fame, and beauty. Brahmacharya’s literal translation is “to walk on God’s path.” Perfect celibacy is an attitude of mind: to be pure of thought, word, and deed. To practice celibacy, we can avoid consuming foods that are not sattvic; we can remove ourselves from worldly situations and environments.
Some people define brahmacharya as a guide to maintain a balance between doing things that are good for you (like eating a salad) versus being indulgent (like eating french fries). I feel that what brahmacharya is teaching us is to practise self-discipline and restraint to not be at the mercy of our most base desires. The goal is to not over-indulge in pleasure or even to avoid giving in to temptation entirely. Practicing brahmacharya may mean to moderate or curtail all sensual activities: I don’t need to eat sweets, I don’t need to have that second glass of wine (some may ask if you even need the first glass), I don’t need to watch programs with gratuitous sex and violence, I don’t need to objectify a person because they are beautiful. By restraining ourselves, we are better able to contain and rechannel our energy. Patañjali wrote that if you follow strict celibacy, you will gain great physical and spiritual vitality.
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
Translation: “not grasping things.”
The literal translation of aparigraha is “non-grasping” and describes the goal to avoid the accumulation of unnecessary possessions. The purpose of this thinking is not about the possessions themselves but rather to release our attachment to things. We can become attached to material objects but also relationships, opinions, and beliefs.
“What other people think of me is none of my business.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.
We can allow ourselves to hold on to beliefs about ourselves that may or may not be accurate (oh, hello, satya), but how are you affected if someone thinks something about you with which you disagree? Can you move through the world, doing the things you do because you enjoy doing them, and not expect to be praised or condemned for those actions? Can you take a deeper look at what inspires you?
By following aparigraha, you can gain an increased awareness of your underlying tendencies or desires. You can examine assumptions you have made and allow this evaluation to improve relationships with others. Over time, you can cultivate an attitude in which you do not desire anything unnecessary. You can become aware of your deeper motivations and even an understanding of your existence. Guru Baba Hari Dass wrote, “perfection of aparigraha gives dispassion, and one gains knowledge of the past, present and future.
The yamas were designed as a practice to ask individuals to take a step back and observe themselves impartially. What consequence do our thoughts and actions have on the world? Can we look at ourselves and identify what is driving us and what we desire? By pinpointing our motivations, perhaps we can let some of our illusions and attachments go, develop insight on some habits that may be harmful to ourselves or others, and behave a little better today than we did yesterday.
One could focus exclusively on the yamas for a lifetime and move no further through the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. The yamas (and niyamas) behave as the foundation for all the other limbs. As one studies the other limbs, you can continue to reference the yamas (and niyamas) as a resonating force to support your understanding. My teacher, Tracy (Chetna) Boyd, likened Ashtanga’s eight limbs as spokes of a wheel rather than rungs of a ladder. Following the Ashtanga is not a step-by-step process. The limbs’ lessons are interdependent, and you can never abandon practicing one limb to begin perfecting the next. The intermingling knowledge grows and weaves with you, allowing you to better understand yourself, your life’s purpose, and your attainment of peace.