How to practice the 5 Yamas of Yoga?

What Are Yamas (Restraints) And How To Practice The 5 Yamas?

There are eight parts of Raja Yoga, as mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali. (1) Yama, (2) Niyama, (3) Asana, (4) Pranayama, (5) Pratyahara, (6) Dharana, (7) Dhyana, (8) Samadhi.

Among these eight, Yama has been given the first place.

Yama-niyama is two important parts of yogic practice that provide a sufficient moral basis for yogic practice. In both types of moral discipline, there is a clear indication that the open field of the person involves engaging in some personal obligations.

Yama: Self-Restraint List Yama means to keep the mind fixed in Dharma. The form of Yama contains some moral principles of life.

In the chapter-2 (SADHANA PADA) verse 30 of Yoga Sutra, it is told in relation to Yama Ahimsa Satyastaya Brahmachayarparigraha Yama. That is, non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and aparigraha are the five Yamas.

Readers should not get confused by the word Yama, the God of death is also called Yama.

Here that Yama has no meaning; after assigning to the above five vows, he has been named Yama. Here the importance of the above five vows is from the word Yama. Next, some discussion is made about each respectively.

Yama: It includes following truth and non-violence, not stealing, following celibacy, and abstaining from amassing more things.

Yama is restraints-oriented. These five are - Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha.

Ahimsa (Non-Violence) For a yogi, doing Ahimsa is completely forsaken. Non-violence against any living being, my mind, word, and deed is non-violence. In this way, renouncing all kinds of hatred towards all beings is considered non-violence. Non-violence, in a narrow sense, is not only not related to the killing of anyone, but it has been kept in its wide use. It is also given in the form of love to all beings in an emotional condition. Patanjali believes that a yogi who is non-violent naturally renounces the enmity of all beings.

Satya – Truthfulness Satya is to say as the mind has understood, the eyes have seen, and the ears have heard.

But the truth must be not only external but also internal.

Knowing and believing a thing as it is is called truth. For example, knowing and fe eling a snake be a snake would be true, and seeing a snake as a rope and otherwise to see a rope as a snake would be untrue.

It is said in the scriptures that truth can be troubled but not defeated. All the world's religious texts unite the fact and make it the best.

It is believed that where truth resides, there are no other vices. Every judicial system in the world has been created to protect the fact.

When sattva is manifested through mind, word, and deed, it is called truth or truth. In Sanatan culture, truth is said to be the most special thing of God, and it is said that God loves the truthful one.

There is a saying that truth and water cannot be suppressed; the more it is buried, the stronger its power becomes. They make their direction and come in front.

Asteya – Not Steal The third Yama after truth and non-violence is asteya, not to steal.

The word Asteya has the opposite meaning of the Sanskrit word 'Steyn'. The word 'style' means 'to steal'. Asteya does not mean stealing or deceiving the wealth or property of

others for one's benefit. Asteya is an important Yama in the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali. On the contrary, "Asteya" means not committing any theft. The observance of Asteya is not limited to not stealing in physical form. Rather, it also has to be followed at the level of speech and thoughts.

Brahmacharya – The Brahman To control the sense organs along with all other senses—especially not to obtain sexual pleasure from the mind, speech, and body—is brahmacharya.

Brahmacharya is the protection of all the powers of the body with restraint.

Aparigraha – Not To Attach Renunciation of spontaneously acquired means of happiness is Aparigraha. In Asteya, theft is renounced, but charity is accepted. Accumulation of wealth, property, and enjoyment materials for selfishness is aparigraha, and not doing so is aparigraha.

By following Aparigraha, there is a massive increase in non-violence so that every human being can live happily by fulfilling his basic needs.

Aparigraha is also followed for the accomplishment of non-violence. Possession is always done by inflicting pain on others.

Conclusion Yama is the first step of Ashtanga yoga which means 'control' or 'restraint'. Control should be over all the three minds, speech and bodies. Yama is the moral promise that to attain inner strength, it is necessary to make the outer life sattvik and divine.

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