YAMAS – GUIDELINES FOR WELLBEING
The yamas provide us with five guiding principles showing us ways in which we can overcome struggles and expand our lives. They are incredibly helpful in easing stress and anxiety because of the way they offer direction on how to relate to others so we can all live life with greater compassion, generosity, and peace.
Ahimsa – Compassion for all living things
Ahimsa is often translated as ‘non-violence’ or ‘non-harm’. It gives us the opportunity to let go of anger, fear or anxiety, and instead make room for peace and calm. This means showing kindness and compassion to ourselves and others through both our thoughts and our actions.
Satya – Truthfulness
Being truthful is the bedrock of any healthy relationship – with ourselves, with others and with the world. Whether it’s how much coffee we drink or how much our anxiety is holding us back, satya is about being honest with ourselves so we can make the changes needed for healing and growth.
Asteya – Non-stealing
The need to steal arises because of a sense of lacking something. When we lack the faith in ourselves that we can create what we need, we look for something to fill that emptiness. And when we feel insecure or incomplete, we end up wanting what others have. This could be material things, or it could be that we steal their time by being late or their energy by complaining to them or dwelling on the negative. The key to cultivating non-stealing is living in abundance – knowing that we have enough and we are enough.
Brahmacharya – Wise use of energy
Many of us waste a lot of energy worrying, people pleasing or endlessly pushing ourselves to work harder, get thinner or earn more. In order to be the best version of ourselves we need to understand where we are directing our energy, and whether it is helping us or hurting us so that we can focus our energy towards finding peace and happiness within ourselves.
Aparigrapha – Non-attachment
Aparigrapha is all about freedom. This includes freedom from material possessions, negative relationships and stress and anxiety. It teaches us to declutter our minds and our lives by only taking what we need, only keeping what nourishes us, and letting go of anything else. So often we don’t follow our dreams because we are too attached to the outcome and worry it won’t be good enough. Aparigrapha also gives us the freedom to put our hearts on the line and share ourselves with the world by forgetting about the outcome and simply doing what we love.
The yamas provide us with five guiding principles showing us ways in which we can overcome struggles and expand our lives. They are incredibly helpful in easing stress and anxiety because of the way they offer direction on how to relate to others so we can all live life with greater compassion, generosity, and peace.
Ahimsa – Compassion for all living things
Ahimsa is often translated as ‘non-violence’ or ‘non-harm’. It gives us the opportunity to let go of anger, fear or anxiety, and instead make room for peace and calm. This means showing kindness and compassion to ourselves and others through both our thoughts and our actions.
Satya – Truthfulness
Being truthful is the bedrock of any healthy relationship – with ourselves, with others and with the world. Whether it’s how much coffee we drink or how much our anxiety is holding us back, satya is about being honest with ourselves so we can make the changes needed for healing and growth.
Asteya – Non-stealing
The need to steal arises because of a sense of lacking something. When we lack the faith in ourselves that we can create what we need, we look for something to fill that emptiness. And when we feel insecure or incomplete, we end up wanting what others have. This could be material things, or it could be that we steal their time by being late or their energy by complaining to them or dwelling on the negative. The key to cultivating non-stealing is living in abundance – knowing that we have enough and we are enough.
Brahmacharya – Wise use of energy
Many of us waste a lot of energy worrying, people pleasing or endlessly pushing ourselves to work harder, get thinner or earn more. In order to be the best version of ourselves we need to understand where we are directing our energy, and whether it is helping us or hurting us so that we can focus our energy towards finding peace and happiness within ourselves.
Aparigrapha – Non-attachment
Aparigrapha is all about freedom. This includes freedom from material possessions, negative relationships and stress and anxiety. It teaches us to declutter our minds and our lives by only taking what we need, only keeping what nourishes us, and letting go of anything else. So often we don’t follow our dreams because we are too attached to the outcome and worry it won’t be good enough. Aparigrapha also gives us the freedom to put our hearts on the line and share ourselves with the world by forgetting about the outcome and simply doing what we love.