When I started my blog, I thought it wasn’t necessary to write about the Yamas and Niyamas. So much can be found about them; as a teacher I know them by heart and I assumed that everyone already knew about them. But I realised I had to write about the Yamas in my Yoga blog as they are the foundation of Yoga. I also realised my assumption above was wrong. Many don’t have that knowledge. So I will write this blog on the Yamas and the next on the Niyamas. And if you already know a lot about them, I hope you will enjoy a refresher!
“Without the Yamas, known as the ethical rules, there is no Yoga”, Sri Dharma Mittra says.
As a reminder, the eight limbs of Yoga are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. The eight limbs must be practised to destroy the impurities of rajas and tamas, the prerequisite to reach discriminative discernment or viveka. Discriminative discernment is the way to liberation. Find more in my blog on chapters 1 and 2 of the Yoga Sutras.
Yama means restriction or restraint. The Yamas are top of the list, the first limb of the Ashtanga Yoga system. The Sutras are always written in a way that what comes first is the most important element. Anything an aspiring yogi does has almost no meaning if he doesn’t live his life following the Yamas. They must be reflected upon and put into practice. They are not limited in time, space, class and circumstances (2.31): they are non-negotiable.
There are five Yamas:
(1) Ahimsa or non-violence: this means not injuring any living creature, anywhere, at any time. It is of course impossible to avoid harming tiny entities such as bacteria or insects but one must strive to avoid hurting even an insect. Ahimsa has of course a direct implication on what we eat. A yogi doesn’t eat meat, the flesh of another living creature. Vegetarianism, and ideally veganism, is essential. Non-violence goes further than actions: it must be followed in thought and word as well.
When the yogi is firmly established in non-violence, the Sutras provide, all beings around him cease to feel hostility.
(2) Satya or truthfulness: Vyāsa (we now know that he is the most respected commentator of the Sutras and possibly Patanjali himself) defines truth as ‘one’s words and thoughts being in exact correspondance to fact, that is, to whatever is known through the three processes of knowledge accepted by the Yoga School (sense perception, inference and verbal testimony)’ (Edwyn Briant). Speech, Vyasa continues, should be for the benefit of all creatures and not their harm.
Sankara writes: “Let him not speak what is true but unkind; let him speak what is kind and not untrue. This is eternal righteousness.”
Ahimsa will always prevail over any other Yama or Niyama. If you must choose between saying the truth but hurting someone, or saying nothing: say nothing, it will not be untrue.
When a yogi speaks the truth, the Sutras provide, whatever he says comes to realisation.
(3) Asteya or non-stealing: a yogi doesn’t take what belongs to others and doesn’t even have the desire to do so. Asteya doesn’t only apply to things. We shouldn’t take too much time from others, for instance by asking unnecessary questions when we can do our own research. We should respect one’s need to be alone as well.
When a yogi is established in non-stealing, the Sutras provide, precious jewels come.
(4) Bramacharya or celibacy: Vyāsa defines celibacy as the control of the sexual organs. B.K.S Iyengar observes that it doesn’t mean that we should suppress our sexual energy. It would be denigrating our own origins. B.K.S Iyengar gives a great condensed explanation of Bramacharya in Light on Life. It is not abstinence from sexual activity but the ethical control of a very powerful natural force. The degree of control will depend on the degree of evolution of the practitioner, he says. Some still have their energy stuck at the first and second chakras! Like cavemen, Dharma would say. Older souls have more control. B.K.S Iyengar explains that when his wife was alive, his bramacharya was expressed as his fidelity to her. After her death, desire withered and his bramacharya was that of a celibate. Bramacharya means channeling our sexual energy.
When a yogi is established in chastity, the Sutras explain, power is attained. This is interpreted as meaning power of knowledge and action, power of our bodily organs and our mind.
(5) Aparigraha or non-hoarding: this means living without excess. This doesn’t mean that the creation of wealth is wrong in itself, but that we should not hoard it. Wealth is energy and energy is meant to circulate. We must not become attached to things acquired.
According to the Yoga Sutras, when we are established in non-attachment, the nature and purpose of existence are understood. Commentators explain that the yogi knows exactly who he was in a previous birth, what sort of a person in what sort of circumstance. ‘He is able to perceive exactly how the present birth is the consequence of previous activities and how present activities will fructify in the form of a specific future birth’ (Edwin Bryant).
The effects described in the Sutras for the practice of each Yama are not random and magic. It is simply the result of the laws of Karma, following the natural laws.
Paksa and Pratipaksa
I have written already a little about a very important sutra on negative thoughts i.e thoughts going against any of the Yamas and Niyamas, and how to deal with those thoughts (2.33 and 2.34), in my first blog of the Yoga Sutras. I will add to it below.
“Upon being harassed by negative thoughts, one should cultivate counteracting thoughts.” (2.33)
We must deal insightfully when those thoughts arise. The method is called ‘paksa-pratipaksa’, seeing one side of the argument (paksa) and taking the opposite position (pratipaksa). The work is internal. It is about taking responsibility for our thoughts and having the willpower to change in order to do what’s right.
There is in Yoga that constant idea of balance, the careful measurement, internal and external, on our mat and off our mat, to find the middle way, to find stability, to find equanimity.
As B.K.S Iyengar explains, ‘the student of Yoga who learns to balance himself internally at every level, physical, emotional, mental, by observation of paksa and pratipaksa, (…) lives in harmony with the natural world. Because he is stable he can adapt to outside changes. (…) This blending of paksa and pratipaksa in all aspects of yoga is true yoga.”
The way a yogi follows the Yamas in his yoga journey is a reflection of his success or failure of the higher levels of Yoga, Iyengar writes as well. If you decide to follow a teacher for spiritual teachings, and not simply asanas, do your research on them and most importantly get to know them in person, by spending time with and around them. See how they apply Yamas. I am lucky to have a spiritual teacher alive that I trust. I think there are very very few teachers worth following for spiritual teachings. But I also know Yoga is within each of us. Someone shows you the way first but then, armed with the knowledge of the foundations of Yoga, mainly Yama and Niyama, with your asana practice as a means to purify body and mind, by spending time reflecting on life and events, simply do the best you can to follow those teachings, rather than to follow a teacher. The scriptures will never disappoint you and the work always start with yourself.