Part
1 - Life through Yoga: The Social Principles
There
are a lot of people taking yoga classes here in the western part of the world,
and there are many different kinds of yoga classes being offered as well.
It always surprises me that we in the west we believe yoga is an exercise.
Yoga here is associated with the postures, also known as asanas in
Sanskrit, and that's where most people's knowledge ends when it comes to yoga.
Little do they know that yoga is a lifestyle. I'd like to introduce
you to a few more concepts about yoga, and if you choose to practise these on a
daily basis, then you just may get to experience what yoga truly is.
The
Yamas are the guiding principles to follow that will lead us to a life of
peacefulness and freedom. Each characteristic builds on the next. Let’s start:
1.
Compassion (Ahimsa) - for all living things, including ourselves. Listen
to your thoughts and how you talk to yourself. Is it supportive, kind and
loving? The more non-violent your thoughts, the more peaceful you become,
the more you will also be compassionate to your outside world, like other
people, living things and the earthly environment. Continually ask
yourself if your thoughts, actions and deeds are allowing for growth and
well-being of every being involved?
2.
Truthfulness (Satya) - this means not just speaking truth by words, but also
being true to ourselves and all others involved. Much of this starts with
choosing the best words. To further explain this topic, much of
conversations are based on our imagination and often erroneous conclusions, not
necessarily what we know to be true. A good example is gossip; it hurts
every being. The hardest part is being true to ourselves. It is
something that lies deep in hearts and souls, places we easily get distracted
from with life's daily distractions. Check in regularly, even before
speaking the truth, and ask what the right words are and does your choice allow
you to live in peace.
3.
Not stealing (Asteya) - not taking what is not yours. But this principle
goes further, it also means not taking more than what you need. Choosing
to take more than needed means you are feeling lack, and that results in buying
more things to feel better. Look around your home and see all the gadgets
and tools you have at your disposal. Act out of abundance rather than
neediness. Start a gratitude journal and you may just find that you don't
need all those things, what you need is your health.
4. Merging with Oneness
(Brahmacharya) - merging our energy with that of God. This relates
to the energy that we have in our physical bodies and how we choose to use it.
Again, if we look at the bigger picture, then we can merge into oneness
just by feeling the air move through our lungs and allowing us to breathe and
feel alive; or by feeling the blood being pumped around our body and limbs to
connect all parts into the one body we have. Sexual energy can also lead
to a great deal of merging, so the question becomes how you use your sexual
energy. It's not to be used to hurt others but instead bring you closer
to God, and only you can decide whether celibacy or procreation is best
for you.
5. Not Holding on to (Aparigraha) –
holding on to things makes us feel certain and secure, but life changes all the
time and requires us to adapt. The more
we hold on to things and images of how we and others are, the more painful and
troublesome it is to adjust to life’s constant change. Stop resisting change, allow it to change you
to grow. After all, life is just an
experience.
