An Overview of Yogic Ethical Principles

One of the oldest and most foundational text on yoga is called the Yoga Sutras. Among the things it describes is the eight-limbed path of yoga. Two of the eight limbs are the moral principles of yoga, called the yamas and niyamas. They are guidelines to strive for in relating to ourselves and others. They offer a course of study to discover who you are and gain the ability to observe our thoughts, emotions and reactions more and more clearly. They can help you learn more about your values and what feels right to you. These observations lead to the freedom to make conscious decisions about how you think and act. They are ways of thinking and behaving that can help us progress on the path to awakening.

No one will be able to maintain all of them all the time. It could be overwhelming to be learning about them for the first time and thinking you have to be “perfect.” They take time to cultivate and with practice you will get better at applying them to your life. These principles are not meant be be taken to their most extreme. Not trying to be everything or do everything, Just do one thing at a time.

The tantric philosophy, which I follow and my teachings are inspired from, is non-dualistic, meaning everything in life is included as a possible tool for awakening depending on what are intentions in doing the action are. Even when we think we are not good enough, tantra reminds us we are.

Over the years I have referred to these in many of my blogs, but never provided a comprehensive list, so here is a small introduction to each one. There is much more to say about each of these, but I hope it wets your thirst for more.

Yamas

Ahimsa

Ahimsa, non-violence, is the most foundational ethical teaching in yoga. All beings harm ourselves and others and it would be almost impossible to never do so, but it is a good thing to strive for. When we say namaste we acknowledge the spark of divine energy in all beings. So, if we were to hurt a being, even an ant, we would be hurting ourselves, because we are all part of the web of life – interdependent. How do you practice non-violence in your life? Towards yourself? Towards other? Towards the planet? Towards the animals? Where in your life can you be more loving? How can you be kinder and more generous to yourself in your practice?

Satya

The second yama is satya – truthfulness. The guidance here is to speak our truth with good intentions while not bringing harm to ourselves or others. It also asks us to live a truthful life. Where in your life could you practice satya more? We often have the most opportunities with the people who we are closest to. We sometimes tell a “white-lie” to people because we think the truth will hurt their feelings. Though we want to be skillful in how we speak the truth we do not want to lie either. Lying denies people the opportunity for personal growth.

Astaya

The third of the five yamas is ashtaya meaning non-stealing. This includes material as well as non-material objects, like information. Today, information is one of the main currencies in our society. In the information age, information is power. It can be very easy to take something your hear or read and represent it as your own. On that note, I think now is a good time to acknowledge my yoga teachers, starting with Katherine Generaux, then Katchie Ananda and the faculty at Niroga where I got my yoga therapy training. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and may I use it to serve others.

Bramacharya

Bramacharya translates to walk with God. It is often translated to celibacy. It is about using your life energy wisely. It is a god-like power to be able to create life. It can be powerful to hold strong boundaries around your sexuality. We can practice noticing our energy and making conscious choices about the best way to use it. Maybe you are full of energy today. If so, how can you utilize it wisely. On the other hand, you may need to conserve your energy and recover from a long work day/week/year. If so, now may be a good time to find deep, conscious relaxation.

Aparigraha

Aparigraha is the last of the yamas and is translated as non-greed or non-hoarding. This is one of the hardest yamas to fully understand and realize for Americans. We are a possession driven society. We are a society of hoarders. What possessions do you have that are necessary and highly important to you? Now, think of all the rest of your things. It turned out most of our possessions end up in this category. And, then they end up possessing us in some way, like needed to be stored, maintained, moved, cleaned and fixed. What do you grasp for: Material and non-material? Is there a way you can let abundance flow through you more?

Niyamas

Saucha

Saucha means cleanliness. This applies both to the environments we live in and our own body. The body is our temple, or home, and here we are reminded to take care of it. We are all used to bathing and having good hygiene, now more then ever. For saucha we can take our normal practices deeper as self-care rituals. I like to pamper my body with baths, food cleanses and sensual activities. You can also think of this guideline as keeping a clear mind. How do you celebrate your body as a temple for the spirit?

Santosha

The niyama is about cultivating contentment in our life. To be content means that there is nothing else you require besides what you already have. This is an unpopular idea in our consumer culture. One way I practice this is in my yoga poses. I breathe and focus on enjoying how it feels now, instead of wanting to get somewhere or fix something about it. Acceptance of where you are. Where we are; Releasing grasping for something else, and knowing it is good enough now to enjoy life are santosha.

Tapas

Tapas means heat or fire. It refers to self-discipline. Many of the obstacles in life can only be overcome by staying present with the discomfort that arises, whether it is physical or psychological. It is the commitment of effort it takes to live a life of depth, courage and vulnerability.

Svadyaya

Svadyaya is self-study. There are many paths to svadyaya. I often use meditation and relationships to help me. Meditation allows me to observe my thoughts and feelings and relationships allow others to reflect my actions back to me. This could be a teacher, friend, lover or co-worker. Everyone is a mirror. This is good, because sometimes we can not see ourselves as clearly as others can.

Ishvara Pranidhara

The final niyama is ishvara pranidhara, translated as devotion to source or the inner master. It is about serving something greater than yourself. So, consider what are you devoted to? How are you serving the world? Are you helping others. Let your inner-teacher guide you so that every action you take is an offering to the greater good.

I highly recommend diving deeper into these topics. For this, I recommend the book, The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele. You can also go straight to the source by reading the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. I have enjoyed the translation by Swami Satchitananda.