An Exploration of Patanjali’s 8-Limbed Path – The Yamas
As we begin our exploration of the Patanjali’s 8-limbed path, it is important to take a moment to honor who Pantanjali was and consider why his work of the Yoga Sutras is foundational within the study of yoga. The sage Patanjali is thought to have lived somewhere between 500-200 B.C. and most of what we know about him comes to us through legends and lore. Patanajali is said to have written on various topics, including medicine and grammar, but his culminating and most prominent work was the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are 196 versus or aphorisms, divided into four books (padas), which lays out the path of Yoga all the way to spiritual enlightenment. Although it is complex and there are many rich translations of the text, it is also a simple methodology which when put to use can provide great guidance to any practitioner. Patanjali’s 8-limbs are laid out in the text and they build upon, yet at the same time intersect each other, creating a framework that can lead to unification of mind/body/spirit. The first five limbs deal with our own individual efforts, while the final three bring us into union with a higher power (i.e. God, the Universe, your true Self etc).
In this blog post and the coming ones, we will examine each individual limb in order to deepen our understanding of the Sutras.
Pantanjali’s 1st Limb – The Yamas
The yamas are the first of the eight limbs and they are essentially our moral values and rules of conduct. The yamas reference our relationship with the world around us and they guide us towards self-restraint and ethical action in our lives. Practicing the yamas requires awareness and diligence in order to release judgments of ourselves and others. The yamas are comprised of five ‘vows’ or components that practitioners should try to follow unconditionally, even (and especially) when challenged in difficult life situations. Practicing the yamas creates a strong foundation upon which the rest of the limbs can build upon.
1. Ahimas or Non-Violence + Compassion
Ahimsa is non-violence on every level. This means not hurting ourselves or others physically, verbally, mentally, or emotionally. Ahimsa is to live with a sense of cooperation and harmlessness in the world and this includes treading lightly on the Earth we walk. We know that violence, anger, and judgment only incite more of the same. We can see that clearly in our country’s current political climate. But compassion, kindness, and forgiveness also radiate so as we cultivate ahimsa within ourselves, it will naturally seep out into the world around us. Big shifts begin to happen at the micro-level and ahimsa is a seed to be planted. Ahimsa requires the courage to live life in a compassionate way.
2. Satya or Truthfulness
Satya or truthfulness is the second of the five yamas. Satya is honesty and consistency in mind, speech, heart, and action. Satya is to be genuine and authentic. For example, if you say that you are content in a work situation in which you really are not simply to appease your boss, your innate body wisdom on a cellular level and your heart/gut, know that this is not true despite what your mind and words might say. Satya is to admit when you are wrong, having difficult conversations when necessary, and deeply reflecting upon your values, in order to move honestly through the world. It is the expression of truthfulness from the inside out. This goes hand in hand with processing difficult emotions – if we cannot be honest with ourselves about the emotions we are holding within, it can lead to dis-integration or dis-ease. Satya is to honor your own truth, no matter what others think or feel about it. This yama requires reflection so that we can decipher what holds true for us personally. Then, like ahimsa, our truth will radiate out into the world in a powerful way. When ahimsa and satya are practiced together, you then have built a strong foundation on your path of yoga.
3. Asteya or Non-Stealing
Patanajali states in the Sutras II.37 “When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.” Non-stealing may seem obvious on the surface level; do not take what does not belong to you. Most of us learn this as a as a life lesson when we are young children. Taking credit for someone else’s work is stealing. Giving something to someone with the expectation of getting something in return can be considered a form of stealing. But to go a bit deeper here and in relation to yoga, the appropriation of the practice of yoga is stealing as well. Yoga has an ancient, intricate lineage but much of what we see practiced here in the West has been diluted into something that is barely recognizable. To practice yoga without a sense of reverence, respect, and knowledge of the lineage from which it comes goes against is against asteya. We must acknowledge without doubt that yoga does not equate to a thin, able-bodied person in expensive clothing doing physically challenging postures. It is a much deeper practice and if we do not honor the roots of our yoga, we are very likely not in alignment with the third yama of asteya.
4. Brahamacharya or Moderation
I like to think of the fourth yama, brahmacharya, as overall balance in every aspect of life. It is the conservation of energy and limiting distractions, in order to deepen one’s spiritual nature. Brahmacharya is often translated as restraining our sensual or sexual urges or even practicing complete celibacy. But it needn’t be about depriving ourselves of pleasure, rather channeling our energy beyond the physical/sensual, towards something deeper. We live in a world that is saturated with pressure to accumulate material possessions and we so often look outside of ourselves for fulfillment. When we firmly realize that more does not equate to better and begin to shift our gaze within – this is brahmacharya. We begin to withdraw our attention and senses from the many distractions that swirl around us everyday, and begin to use our energy to cultivate and sow the seeds of inner peace.
5. Aparigraha or Non-Attachment
Aparigraha is the fifth yama on the pathway to spiritual enlightenment. Simply stated, aparigraha is the acceptance of change as a natural part of life. It is the acknowledgement that our fulfillment cannot depend on external circumstances. To release the need to grasp outside and instead, look within ourselves for contentment - that is aparigraha. I believe the current pandemic has clearly shown us the importance of the fifth yama. So many of us had the best-laid plans for 2020 that never came to fruition due to circumstances utterly out of our control. This is proof of a deep truth - that nothing is really ever in our control. Instead of looking at this as a scary concept, what if we shifted our perspective and began to embrace this idea of change as constant? This goes hand in hand with surrender. Our breath is an example of the beauty of change and transition. When we inhale deeply, we have no choice but to exhale it out, letting it go as we move into our next nourishing round breath. The breath, is a beautiful metaphor of aparigraha.
I hope that this has been a helpful step into the first limb of Patanjali’s 8 fold path. Please tay tuned for my next blog post, in which we will explore the second limb, the niyamas.