The Yamas: First limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga)
Building upon my last blog article on the famous Eight Limbs of Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga, I’d like to introduce you to the yamas (social restraints), the first of the Eight Limbs.
In Sanskrit, the word yama translates to a rein, a curb, or a bridle. It is the act of checking or curbing — a restraint. Interestingly, Yama is also the name of the god who presides over the ancestors and rules the spirits of the dead (in other words, the name of the grim reaper in Indian tradition).
In the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, the yamas are five rules related to your relationships with other people: They are a set of principles that organize and order your interactions with other people.
The five yamas are:
1. Ahimsa (non-injury, non-harming, non-violence)
2. Satya (honesty, speaking the truth)
3. Asteya (not taking what is not yours, non-stealing)
4. Brahmacharya (appropriate relationship, celibacy)
5. Aparigrahah (non-hoarding, not accepting, non-greed)
The yamas are are teaching us to not be mean, tell the truth, do not take what is not ours, maintain appropriate relationships, and not accept inappropriate payments or gifts.
If you run your life in accordance with the principles of the yamas, you will have less rajas and tamas (see my previous blog post on the Eight Limbs of Yoga for more on the gunas here). You will be less upset, and if you are less upset with other people, your ability to be balanced (sattva) and present will be greater.
How often have you ended an interaction with somebody and then felt, “Holy cow, I’m exhausted! I can’t work. I can’t do anything. I need a nap or something.”? That’s an example of not living your life according to the yamas.
The principles of the yamas help you remove the energy vampires and drama queens from your atmosphere. Of course there are circumstances where you can’t do that because perhaps you’re related to them, right? So, how does it work?
Observing the yamas reduces the influence of those kinds of people upon you. You can’t get rid of Aunt Mary because she’s your Aunt Mary, and she has some role in your life for eternity. According to the principles of the yamas, however, the way you interact with her will create less rajas and tamas during your encounters (the same rules apply in your relationship with your in-laws — you’re welcome). Practicing the yamas and implementing them into your life can be so very useful.
Even within our Yoga community or work environment, there are some people who can be difficult to handle. A good rule of thumb about determining whether or not you can interact with somebody is by asking yourself, “How much does this person follow the principles of the yamas?” and, “How well are they demonstrating they have understood and are abiding by the yamas?” If they are not, then you have to decide if you can interact or spend time with them.
So, the yamas is the first limb, the first rule. Most people think it’s asana, posture practice (“Must do asana. Yoga is asana. Let’s do asana and then maybe do some pranayama, and we’ll be enlightened!” Incorrect.) Funny, but sadly true.
Patañjali explains to us (specifically in Sutra 2.29) that ethics and integrity, the yamas, form the foundation of a true Yoga practice. They are the first practices we must do, and this is so important! It is not thought possible to practice the higher levels of Yoga without first very seriously studying, practicing and implementing the yamas in ones life.
Stay tuned to learn more about each of the five yamas as well as the rest of the Eight Limbs in my upcoming blog articles.
A note for context: My perspective is based in the Viniyoga/Desikachar lineage. Viniyoga is a traditional Indian lineage of Yoga taught by TKV Desikachar, who was the son of Krishnamacharya. My teacher, Chase Bossart, was a 20+ year private student of Mr. Desikachar. I have studied this text with Chase, word for Sanskrit word, for over three years.
Namaste,
Kelly