What are the 8 limbs of yoga?
The name “8 Limbs” derives from the Sanskrit term Ashtanga: "Astha" meaning eight, and "ang" meaning limb. These "8 limbs" are broken down into the following: Yama (attitudes toward our environment), Niyama (attitudes toward ourselves), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (restraint or expansion of the breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (complete integration).
In this post, I will dive into the 1st of the 8 limb, "Yama" - personal integrity and ethical conduct. Think of this limb as a guide to our own behaviour on how we carry ourselves in our day to day. This is probably my favourite of the 8-limbs outside of the physical practice. I always tell people that, if Yoga was a religion, I would be a devout follower! Mainly because I find the principals explained by the Yamas are so universal that any one can embrace their principals and apply it to their life.
The following are five Yamas:
Ahimsa (nonviolence) - Both towards ourselves and towards others
Asteya (non-stealing) - In the context both tangible and intangible things (ie. time)
Satya (truthfulness) - Being truthful to ourselves and others
Aparigraha (lack of greed, non-possessiveness) - One I constantly remind myself when I want more food at the buffet 🤣, do not hoard tangible and intangible things (ie. knowledge)
Brahmacharya (sexual constraint) - Monitoring how we utilize our sexual energy, and we should never use our sexual energy to harm others or ourselves
How to practice the five Yamas?
I find the Yamas are very accessible to understand for someone who is new to yoga. Let's take a look at how we can take the Yamas and apply their thoughts and guidance in our daily routines:
Ahimsa (nonviolence) - Aside from the obvious nonviolence in a physical, aggression sense, these can also refer to "not harming" ourselves, others around us, in a less visible way. For example, choosing to not abuse substances that may harm our bodies in excess of moderation. Think of the saying "do onto others as you would do onto yourself". Practice being kind, forgiving and accepting of others and yourself.
Asteya (non-stealing) - Again, to move aside from the obvious thought of not stealing physical property and tangible goods, I always think of this Yama when I teach a yoga class and I want to squeeze in one last posture before savasana. My YRT (registered yoga training) teacher once explained that when we push our classes beyond its limit, we are taking away time from someone else to serve our own yoga teaching. I love this concept of not stealing time because it is relatable in more ways than just from our yoga class. I try to apply this in my work as well as in yoga class: when I book meetings with my clients, I make sure to ask if they are able to continue when our time together is up - being mindful that we do not have right to take more time than we are allocated; in my yoga class, I always make sure to leave 5min at the end of class for savasana, even if we didn't have time to go through the postures I had initially planned.
Satya (truthfulness) - In our modern day society, where everyone is trying to do more with less and wear multiple hats, we are having to constantly remind ourselves that we can do it all. Satya tells us that we need to not only speak truthfully, but to also behave truthfully, especially to ourselves. Is there a time where you were asked to do something where you weren't exactly sure how to do it, but found yourself convincing your inner voice that you "got this"? This has definitely happened to me, and all it brings about is anxiety and uncertainty. Being truthful to yourself takes courage and a little bit of vulnerability, however, being untruthful can cause more harm to our those around us and ourselves too. Learn how to identify the fears and negative feelings that force you to twist reality. When you understand and process these fears, you get to realign your actions, speech, and thoughts with truth. Satya helps us to learn how to deliver the truth with compassion and care.
Aparigraha (lack of greed, non-possessiveness) - Holding on to things that do not serve you (ie. bring you happiness, joy, knowledge...etc.) prevent you from being free. It doesn't mean material possessions only. But it also means “holding” on to concepts and ideas that you have about life, yourself and your personalities, and the events in your daily life. Have an open mind towards new perspectives or other peoples' point of views without holding onto one absolute truth or way of doing things. Take the time to declutter your home, letting go of things that have not been used in a long time can be mentally freeing as well.
Brahmacharya (sexual constraint) - Practicing self control and choosing wisely the what media outlets we allow ourselves to be exposed to that may generate excess sexual desires. I'm not an expert in this Yama, however, my understanding of brahmacharya is to essentially have control over your desires or when you have an excess of sexual energy. This awareness can help you keep your body and mind dynamic and focused. This Yama will help you to be moderate on all sexual activities. As a result, you abstain from dwelling on them and remaining faithful and committed to in your relationship!
These are the 5 Yamas of the 1st limb of yoga! Stay tuned for future blog posts on the rest of the 7limbs!
Namaste,
Kathie
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