It is more than asana practice. It is more than meditation – those these are a great start! The great sage Patanji – often credited as being the ‘Grandfather of Yoga’ set down this framework within ‘8 limbs’.
Patanjali’s first limb of yoga: the yamas are wonderful guidelines for us all to live the best life possible. They are not a moral judgement, but a way for us to stop searching what we are always looking for: personal fulfilment, with the second advantage that followed correctly, they also benefit society. The result of not following these teachings is simply that we will continue to suffer. So, simple steps that if not followed will result in suffering? It should be a straightforward choice, but is very difficult to stay on the path.
The first yama is ahimsa, non-violence, or the absence of cruelty or harm. This refers not just to physical violence, but also to the violence of words or thoughts –either towards yourself or to others.
Really ahimsa seems to affect every practice of yoga, for example, practicing asana without paying due attention to ahimsa can vastly reduce the benefits the poses can bring. On your yoga mat, your drive for external achievement can show through in your asana practice. The other students cannot see your bandhas, or your breath, or your mental focus, but can see the length of your spine in downward dog, or how close your heels go to the floor. Although another student may be impressed at the end of the practice, it is you who lose out through the chance to gain the true benefits of an inwardly focused practice. Similarly, over forcing your body into a position that you are not ready for today can lead to injury. There is much benefit from easing off 10-15% from your asana practice, so that you stop externalising and start bringing your focus to another level.
There are four other yamas, which are: satya (truthfulness), asteya (non stealing), brahmacharya (moderation in all things, abstinence) and aparigraha (non covetousness). These other yamas all integrate closely with each other, but most of all with ahimsa, as neglecting to follow them results in your own suffering, which is surely violence to yourself.
For example, asteya and aparigaha are closely connected for if you didn’t covet something that you don’t have and don’t have the resources to procure, then you wouldn’t need to steal. Speaking on a purely physical sense, our culture values physical assets very highly, and therefore we set ourselves goals on attaining houses, cars and other material possessions. Even when we have enough, we work towards more, and we are so frightened to lose what we have accumulated that this causes suffering to both ourselves and others. We don’t want to give away more because we want it for ourselves. This causes suffering when this wealth accumulation is threatened, like with a huge drop in the stock market. All that we have worked so hard for seems to have disappeared, and this attachment can cause worry and discontent. This fear and worry can come through at work or at home through a snappiness and blame-game – ahimsa.
The second limb of yoga: niyama, has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances. While the yamas outline actions and attitudes we should avoid, the niyamas describe actions and attitudes that we should cultivate to find our balance and wholeness and to alleviate the suffering the yamas cause. The five niyamas are: saucha (purity), santosa (contentment), tapas (austerity), svadhyaya (self-study) and isvara pranidhana (devotion to the Lord).
I have found great assistance in my seeking of happiness through swadhyaya: reading many yogic texts and practicing many different types of yoga: meditation, asanas, bhakti, karma yoga etc. It has helped me to turn my outward focus on external achievement to look inward, face myself and evaluate my true Self.
The times in my life when I am most closely linked with my true Self is the when I have dedicated myself to studying and practicing yoga. Keeping the mind and body pure (saucha) through eating well, but not much, abstinence from alcohol and a daily yoga practice. I feel the fog lift. I work hard, and with devotion and have progressed well in my mediation practices, glimpsing moments of overwhelming peace and a connection with the whole universe.
My own pursuit of happiness seems inextricably linked with my commitment to my yoga practice. If I get lazy, or change my routine through travel or other obligations then my yoga practice falters and my attention to myself departs. So, I know, if I don’t practice saucha and drink one or two glasses more than I should of alcohol, I will feel ill the next day, and is difficult to do my yoga practice. I am therefore more distant from my true Self, and I feel disconnected and let small things become big obstacles and ruin my day. No yoga practice makes it easy to avoid the hard self-examination necessary to follow the niyamas, and makes it easy to fall back into the yamas.
Self-study has led me to knowing both myself and what the cause of my angst and frustrations are. It is slowly helping me create space for my happiness. I know that if I keep myself healthy, sleep and eat well, attempt to connect myself to a higher energy and devote myself to my yoga practice, I start to accept where I am as the right place to be and just enjoy.
By Rachel Walker
Comments
Post has no comments.