Missed part 1? Read it here.
The first limb of yoga according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is made up of the five yamas. These are often translated as moral restraints similar to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament.
I don’t like this view particularly. The words “restraint” and “commandment” smack of rules and dogma to me. I went to Catholic school and at Catholic school there is one great big thing that is cultivated alongside education. Guilt. I cannot tell you the number of times I was told I would burn in hell (don’t get too excited, all of the crimes were petty – apparently one burns in hell for running with scissors though, so think on!).
I don’t think guilt helps anyone and I think if we try too hard to live the five Yamas as rules at all times we end up beating ourselves up if we find we’ve broken one. So I prefer to think of them as guidelines. Things to consider when moving through life.
The Ten Commandments are kind of black and white. You must do this or else! The Yamas veer towards shades of grey, and life is all about shades of grey, about doing the best that you can in a given situation.
The Yamas are also up to individual interpretation allowing us to choose our own path. I want to be able to make my own decisions about life. Yes, I will look to others and to texts and stories for advice, but ultimately I want to decide what to do by myself, not be told by an ancient set of rules. And if other people interpret them differently, well that’s OK too. I don’t for a minute assume that because I think something is right, it is right for everyone.
So let me give you a little Suburban Yogini soundbite for each Yama, my intepretation, no rules, no dogma.
1. Ahimsa (non-harming) – Be kind to myself, I deserve it. Because until I truly love myself, how can I love another?
2. Satya (truthfulness) – Speak my own truth and be honest with myself. Respect every individual perspective and angle of vision.
3. Asteya (non-stealing) - Learn to differentiate between what I want and what I need. Don’t drain myself in jobs I hate or waste money on things I don’t need. Be aware of stealing another’s time or energy and always remember there is enough of everything (including time, even if it doesn’t always feel like it).
4. Brahmacarya – Now this is a tricky one! Often translated as celibacy or sexual abstinance, I believe it to be more about moderation. This is another example of individual choice. It is not about the nature of the sexual relationship but the attitude towards it – being conscious and present. And of course, trying to be non-judgemental of others’ choices and others’ reactions to the sexualised world around me.
5. Aparigraha (greedlessness) – Let go and trust. Loosen my hold on situations that are bad for me. Don’t hold on too tight to those I love, let them be free. Notice when I am being self-centred and open up my heart instead.
Ultimately as your practice of yoga deepens you will find you are living your life according to your interpretations of the Yamas each and every day and you will find that they are not so hard to live by after all.
But these are my interpretations and they are rather simplified – blog posts are not meant to be thousands of words long after all! Please do go out there, read up on them, come to your own conclusions and share! I would love to hear what you think!
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I like to describe the Yamas as “moral disciplines” and the Niyamas as “ethical observances” for me explaining them this way doesn’t make them seem so stern.
Maybe because it isn’t using a harsh word like restraint which comes across as a little harsh like you said.
I think Dharma Mittra said yoga without the yamas and Niyamas is like spaghetti without the sauce
I agree with your last paragraph. As your practice on and off the mat deepens the first two Limbs become the two you typically work on and through the most.
So glad you decided to open up discussion on these!
I’m so excited about these posts! I’ve been wanting to pick up a copy of the Yoga Sutras and learn more, can you suggest a version that is relatively easy to read/understand for a beginner to the terminology?
Hi Jesse.
Honestly I recommend Darren Main’s book “Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic” as a good introduction to the sutras. He puts it all in a very modern day context without losing the subtlety! I recommend this book a lot, I should get commission!.
Also fora good translation of the Sutras I recommend TKV Desikachar’s Heart of Yoga, which is a great book about yoga with a Sutra translation in the back.
Thanks for stopping by
I completely agree with you on that one, I am not a fan either of the word “restraints”, I prefer “life principles” or “guidelines” if I may say so.
My interpretation is as follows (not too far from yours actually):
ahimsa starts with being kind to myself, which therefore extends to others;
satya is being true to myself and acknowledge what is going on in myself, and respect others; asteya: don’t let myself be distracted, not wasting my energy or stealing people’s time and energy;
bramacarya: all things in moderation, but certainly not abstinence;
aparigraha: let go, don’t try too hard, let go of what I think I should do and embracing what I can do.
And your last paragraph is so true, as your yoga practice deepens you find yourself living your life according to these principles, you live yoga
Thanks so much for sharing this. I absolutely love and identify very closely with your personal interpretations of each yama.
I love this; I’m really enjoying checking out your blog for the first time! great interpretations and set of the yogas
I like your interpretation of asteya especially. I have to remind myself pretty much constantly that there’s plenty of time and I needn’t rush around trying to fit everything in at once. To think of that behavior as asteya really puts it in perspective.
I also highly recommend Darren Main’s book – it’s very accessible and really written from the heart.
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