The yama(s) and niyama(s) from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
I love to study ancient texts. Every time I read them; I discover something new. What I discover is almost always a reflection of where I am in my life at that time.
The yama and niyama from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are no exception.
There are many sutras in yoga. A sutra is a Sanskrit word that means rule or scripture. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a summary of the tenets of yoga. There are eight limbs to this path. The first limb are the yama and niyama. You will often see the yamas and niyamas as well. The s is optional.
The yama and niyama begin the sutras as they represent the ethical practices of yoga. It is definitely worth noting that they come before asana or postures. They are the threads and understandings that set the tone of the sutras.
There are five yama and five niyama. Yama means restraint.
The first two yama are ahimsa and satya.
Ahimsa means non-harming or nonviolence and satya means truthfulness. This not only means towards others; it also means towards ourselves. These two yama are the core of all of yoga philosophy. It is often hard to separate the two. In Deborah Adele’s book, The Yamas and Niyamas she describes how these to yamas work together and how satya bows to ahimsa.
“The marriage of these two guidelines creates a powerful dance between two seeming opposite.” “Their union is nothing short of profound love in its fullest expression. And when there is cause for disharmony or confusion between the two, truthfulness bows to nonviolence. First and foremost, do no harm.” – Deborah Adele
Here’s a common question to explore with the lens of these two yama. It is such a common question that many an article has been written about it!
Your friend recently got a new outfit. It is not your style nor do you find it flattering. However, it is clear that they love it! And then the dreaded question, “How do you like my outfit?” Here is a common balance between ahimsa and satya. If they love themselves in the outfit, does your opinion really matter? Now if they seem unsure about the outfit and are asking for feedback, how does that change your answer?
This seems like such an inconsequential question. How would you handle deeper questions or hot topic questions as you balance the perspectives of ahimsa and satya. What about the questions you ask yourself!??!
Let me know in the comments how you would handle this very common question while balancing ahimsa and satya and we can have the conversation develop and grow.