Yoga is more than completing a series of poses. It’s a lifestyle that can bring balance and clarity to all aspects of your life. To fully embrace your practice and integrate yoga into your life, it’s crucial to understand the principles of yoga.

At the heart of any practice are yoga’s core principles, known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

​

Today we will focus on the first, Yamas.

There are five Yamas, or guidelines, used by yogis to live ethically. The Yamas can be considered as a way of applying the behavioral codes of yoga to the way the yogi relates to the world. Practicing the Yamas brings peace and health to the individual, positively influences relationships, and strengthens character.

​

Here are the five Yamas and how to practice each:

• Ahimsa- non-violence or non-harming.   Physical, mental, and emotional violence are all to be avoided. Compassion and non-judgment are tools for cultivating nonviolence both toward others and ourselves. 

​

• Satya- truthfulness or honesty in words and actions. The practice of this Yama denotes that the need to speak the truth must be balanced with the need to not harm.

• Asteya- non-stealing. To practice Asteya, we must let go of envy, jealousy, greed, and desire for what others have.

• Brahmacharya- restraint or moderation. When we control our physical impulses of excess, we attain knowledge, vigor, and increased energy.

• Aparigraha- is non-attachment. Aparigraha urges us to let go of everything that we do not need. This includes both material possessions and negative thoughts. 

​

As you begin your journey to living by the Yamas, it is recommended that you learn more about each Yama and choose the one which speaks most strongly to you, to begin with. Attempting to address all five Yamas at once can be overwhelming. Mastering the Yamas is a lifelong practice, but just the act of learning them will lead you to live them out.

To begin your journey, check out this article from Yoga Journal: https://bit.ly/3b3zhN2

​

Let me know how I can help.