Yama is the first of the eight-part Ashtanga Yoga. The word Yama means restraint or control.
Together
with Niyama (to be followed), the
Yamas and Niyamas constitute the Dos
and Don’ts of spiritual living.
Without practising these two fundamentals one cannot make any spiritual
progress.
How many are the Yamas?
The Yamas are five. The Nisymas are also
five. Together they make something like the Ten
Commandments of spiritual living.
What are the Five Yamas?
The
five Yamas prescribed in the Ashtanga
Yoga is:
1.
Ahimsa:
Non-Violence
2.
Satya:
Truthfulness/ Not-Lying
3.
Asteya:
Non-Stealing/ Not Coveting which that does not belong to one
4.
Brahmacharya:
Celibacy/ Self Control over Sexual Desires
5.
Aparigraha:
Not Accumulating/ Non-Grabbing/
If
we see carefully the Yamas are
expressed in the negative - Non-Violence, Non-Stealing, etc. Therefore they are
termed as “Don’ts”. On the other hand, the Niymas
prod one to do the prescribed things
and hence called the “Dos”.
I
will write separate posts on the Yamas
as they merit meticulous understanding.
Practice
of Yamas is not only essential for progress
in yoga but bestow extraordinary powers on practice diligently for many years.
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