14: the yogic way to treat others
Have you ever heard of the yamas? They are one of the 8 limbs of yoga that focus on how you interact with others and yourself. I break down each yama and how you can apply each one to your life. These principles were founded in the yogic path and help us live in alignment with our highest self as we pursue an authentic connection to ourselves.
1. Ahisma (Non-harming): I like to think of this Yama as compassion towards yourself and other. A reason to express kindness and gratitude to the world around us. When can we start focusing on our similarities more than our differences? Practicing presence and being open to the conversation and moment as it arrives. Giving someone the common decency of listening without interruption or judgement is my favorite way to practice this Yama.
2. Satya (Truthfulness): I have stumbled and straight up fallen on my face trying to find and express myself in the most authentic way. In the pursuit of becoming the best version of me I had to face some fears and get realistic about who and what brought me joy. This came with a few speed bumps and metaphorical car crashes. However I refuse to turn away and abandon the woman looking me in the mirror. I believe in her and the dream she possess. As Brene Brown affectionally said, “Let go of who you think you should be in order to be who you are. Be imperfect and have compassion for yourself. Connection is the result of authenticity.”
3. Asteya (Non-stealing): I would argue that when our minds flutter from worry to worry, rather than giving pure attention to the whatever is in front of us, this is stealing – we’re actually stealing from ourselves. When I originally thought about this Asteya I thought about taking from others, however I beg for you to implore how you are stealing away from this moment? How to put this into practice by not committing to projects, people, books or work endeavors that don’t inspire you. Allocate your time and efforts for what lights you up.
4. Brahmacharya (Moderation): This yama is all about moderation and not overindulging. This can obviously apply to a wide range of topics and is often referred to the pleasures of life. How can treat each moment as sacred, each bite of food as something special and unique. How can we recognize the beauty of enough, instead of constantly earning for more.
1. Ahisma (Non-harming): I like to think of this Yama as compassion towards yourself and other. A reason to express kindness and gratitude to the world around us. When can we start focusing on our similarities more than our differences? Practicing presence and being open to the conversation and moment as it arrives. Giving someone the common decency of listening without interruption or judgement is my favorite way to practice this Yama.
2. Satya (Truthfulness): I have stumbled and straight up fallen on my face trying to find and express myself in the most authentic way. In the pursuit of becoming the best version of me I had to face some fears and get realistic about who and what brought me joy. This came with a few speed bumps and metaphorical car crashes. However I refuse to turn away and abandon the woman looking me in the mirror. I believe in her and the dream she possess. As Brene Brown affectionally said, “Let go of who you think you should be in order to be who you are. Be imperfect and have compassion for yourself. Connection is the result of authenticity.”
3. Asteya (Non-stealing): I would argue that when our minds flutter from worry to worry, rather than giving pure attention to the whatever is in front of us, this is stealing – we’re actually stealing from ourselves. When I originally thought about this Asteya I thought about taking from others, however I beg for you to implore how you are stealing away from this moment? How to put this into practice by not committing to projects, people, books or work endeavors that don’t inspire you. Allocate your time and efforts for what lights you up.
4. Brahmacharya (Moderation): This yama is all about moderation and not overindulging. This can obviously apply to a wide range of topics and is often referred to the pleasures of life. How can treat each moment as sacred, each bite of food as something special and unique. How can we recognize the beauty of enough, instead of constantly earning for more.
5. Aparigraha (Non-attachment): We were not born to stay clinging to a branch. We were born to soar. The first step is to take flight. Letting go of the past, allows us to move more fluidly into our futures. Letting go is the first step in walking in our current truth, change is the only constant and flowing with the evolution of ourselves and our lives is a powerful and courageous path to follow.
