Yamas: The Ethical Backbone of the Practice by Gabe Hopp
Chances are that you came to yoga through the route of physical fitness, stress relief and/or more flexibility. And, when you got going in your practice, you started to realize a myriad of benefits from the practice. You likely opened up to the power of the breath, to the way you feel calm and grounded after practice and to the clarity of mind inherent in the focus and concentration of the asana. But, have you ever considered the ways in which yoga makes you a better person?
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the teachings outline an 8-limbed approach to dedicating your whole life to living as a yogi. It includes practices we know like yoga postures, breathing and meditation. But, the very first thing that Patanjali talks about (and the very first thing is always the most important thing!) are the ethical practices of yoga. The 5 ways in which you can improve your interactions with the world that have nothing to do with getting on your mat. Though, we can have a lens of how they work in conjunction with our yoga practice too.
The ethical considerations of yoga are kindness, honesty, not stealing, practicing moderation and non-possessiveness. Collectively, they make up the yamas, which are suggestions for how we can improve our interactions with the world around us. This topic takes a whole day in teacher training, so this is a quick explanation, but if you’re interested in a deeper dive, there are myriad books out there on the subject and you could also join our teacher training program!
When we do yoga, we start to have the sense that everything is connected. We start to create connectivity between the body and the breath, between the body and the mind, between our individual consciousness and the group consciousness of a yoga class. When we get connected, we may start to realize more global connectivity, including the way we connect with others. When we feel a connection with others, when we recognize their humanity, we are much less likely to treat them unkindly, and more likely to act in a way that is non-harming. This is the practice of ahimsa, the first of the yamas, the ethical practices of yoga.
When we become rooted in non-harming, this creates a strong foundation from which the other yamas grow and become a part of our daily actions. When our base is not harming others, it encourages us to act in accordance with this value. We want to present ourselves honestly and authentically, the second practice of the yamas, called satya. Satya is about telling the honest truth, which is rooted in kindness, in ahimsa.
Asteya is practice number 3, which is to avoid taking that which is not ours. When we live moderately, known as brahmacharya, it is easier to see that we don’t need to take from others in order to have everything we need. Living moderately applies to all of our actions and suggests avoiding living in extremes, which are not ultimately sustainable.
And finally, Patanjali asks us to let go of our attachments to possessions, achievements and labels. Through detaching ourselves from the mindset of acquisition and control over stuff, we move through the world with more ease and less suffering.
Do you see any of these practices naturally occurring through your dedication to yoga? Or are there any that you want to commit yourself to working on?