Looking at Yama

A new day, a new year, that could seem the same as any old day, any old year. What is the big deal? Well, there is none unless you want it to be so. I am choosing to use the number on the calendar as a catalyst for focus and direction. As 2014 begins today, I am going back to the beginning of my yoga practice. Today is the first, so I begin at looking at the first limb of the eight-limb path of yoga.

In the ancient text "Yoga Sutras" by the sage Patanjali, the yoga lifestyle is outlined into eight parts or limbs. I enjoy the term limb here because it seems too simple and linear to describe yoga like a magazine article "8 Amazing Ways to Get the True You!" Eight limbs imply that each is a branch that is part of one whole tree. Which is much more accurate to the reality of life and living. Everything is interconnected. Practicing any part of yoga helps enhance the whole "tree".

Yamas- or social disciplines/ethics, are the first limb. Goodness knows the world needs more people to stop and reflect on ethics, let alone make the step to putting them into practice. As I always say to myself and anyone who will listen - just by practicing yoga and developing yourself, you do the whole world a favour!
There are five in the Yoga Sutras and they are as follows:

ahimsa - non-violence
satya - truthfulness
asteya - non-stealing
brahmacharya -  restraint
aparigraha - non-coveting

Fairly straight forward, but of course they are quite open to interpretation. What I like to do is first find a way to apply them to my practice of yoga on a mat. It would be pretty general to say, all these things are good in daily life and wouldn't the world be a better place etc etc. But if we all know that then why aren't we all doing it? Okay, there's probably lots of reasons but the point I'm trying to get at it is - we don't take time to PRACTICE. In the same way we learn skills through practice, we can learn behaviour and even thought through practice. By setting aside the time and energy to actively work on developing these five yamas we will be more likely to draw upon them in day to day situations. It's training. For the body, mind and spirit. Tadaa!

Non-violence on the mat can be applied in the way that you choose to treat your body during your yoga practice. If you are someone who wants to be better and better and gets there by pushing against your body's natural resistances with force, then you are actually doing violence to yourself. This is where we also use satya, truthfulness. If you are truthful with yourself about your current capabilities then you will know that it would be violent to force your way past. For example, imagine a person in a simple seated forward fold where the hamstrings and back are not yet flexible enough to allow them to reach their toes. They lie to themselves and say, yes I can if I pull really hard and force myself! This person is risking putting pressure on the lower spine which could lead to a slipped disk if repeated over and over. The reason for this person to even want to force themselves to reach their toes could be a lack of the fifth yama: non-coveting. See how it's all connected? Perhaps this person has seen pictures of other people in deep forward folds and covets that image or that body, wishing it were theirs.

Non-stealing is a bit harder to apply to just a person on a mat, but perhaps it could creep in when practicing with a group of people and being ethically strong enough to not steal from anyone else in anyway. Whether stealing a belonging, or an idea, or their sense of personal space.

Brahmacharya, restraint, is one of the yamas that is most open to interpretation since it has been referred to as sexual restraint. As soon as sex enters the conversation there tends to be some extremes in opinion, but the wonderful thing about yoga again - is that it's for YOU. If you feel strongly about something and having complete restraint or no restraint feels wrong to you then, you are in control of your own self and can choose to decide what is best. While I believe that sex is a hugely important in being part of this world, it still is another thing that we can use for our betterment or our downfall. Therefore it should be approached with full awareness. Restraint doesn't have to be just about sex as well. I see it as another way of saying: moderation in all things. Or just don't get so caught up in anything that causes you to lose yourself.

So the next time you practice try watching out for at least one of these yamas and you may find that a few others come into play. Observe and experience.

Happy New Year!