While registering for classes last spring, I was all too aware that I only had two years left to boost my GPA, get my degree and graduate on time. As an education major, I was also all too aware that my junior year was going to be packed full of standardized tests and student teaching. Naturally, I was on the hunt for a one-credit blow-off course to make the fall semester just a little bit easier. Yoga seemed like the perfect choice! Best-case scenario, I would get to lay on the floor for two hours while still getting full credit. I got way more than I bargained for. I’m halfway through the semester and my one credit blow-off class is already changing my life.
Like most Westerners, I viewed yoga as a collection of poses used to improve your core strength, flexibility and balance. Those all sounded great to me, and I walked into my first day of class ready to transform into a back-bending yogi! No one was more surprised than me when, instead of beginning the workout, the professor started off class with a discussion on ethics. Ethics in a yoga class? Really? Really.
The ancient practice of yoga contains eight “limbs” whose practice acts as a guide on how to live a purposeful life. Posing is just one of the eight limbs that one hopes to master. The ethics of yoga count as two limbs, with breath control, sensory withdrawal, concentration, meditation and enlightenment rounding out the rest of the limbs. Practicing yoga is an entire way of life focused on creating peace of mind and stability. Professor Mosca, the current Carthage yoga instructor, takes the definition of yoga one step further. To her, yoga is also about practicing self-love. Every day in class she encourages us to listen to what our body needs and to act upon that need. Upon doing so, we will be one step closer to finding peace and stability in our lives.
Learning about the ethics of yoga (the Yamas and Niyamas) from my professor and practicing them every day has made a huge difference in my quality of life. Although I have only been studying the ethics for a month, and am by no means an expert, I have already begun to see changes in the way I perceive myself and the difficulties I face each day.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Henry
It all started with a homework assignment that instructed us to spend an entire day practicing a Yama and a Niyama of our choice. There are five Yamas, or restraints, as they are sometimes referred to, which can “help you transform negative energy” so you can focus your energy on personal growth. The five Yamas are non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderating the senses, and non-possessiveness. I chose to spend my day practicing truthfulness. Rolf Sovik, from his book Yoga: Mastering the Basics, defines truthfulness as “seeing and reporting things as they are rather than the way we would like them to be.” I interpreted this as not only being honest with others, but also about being honest with yourself.
As my life gets busy and I get stressed, it’s easy for me to put myself down. I beat myself up over the littlest, most unrealistic things. When I read about truthfulness and seeing things as they actually are, I immediately thought about the way I talk to myself. To practice the Yama of truthfulness, I spent the entire day being honest with myself. If I caught myself thinking anything negative about myself, I asked myself if what I was thinking was true and if I would treat a friend this way. By the end of the day, I found myself having to ask these two questions less and less.
For my Niyama, of which there are also five, I focused on self-purification. The other Niyamas, or observances, are contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and enlightenment. According to Sovik, these are “tools for cultivating happiness and self-confidence.” Yoga: Mastering the Basics. All five Niyamas are pretty straightforward, and self-purification is just as it sounds. To practice, I spent extra time on my skincare routine, drank only water, didn’t eat any junk food, and started a new workout plan. Everything, aside from working out, took almost no extra effort. And as a busy college student who gets maybe 10 minutes of free time a day, no extra effort is music to my ears!
For the most part, practicing the Yamas and Niyamas takes very little effort. I must admit that I was skeptical that I could actually apply all 10 Yamas and Niyamas to my everyday life. I mean, there are 10 of them! Surely that would take time, and despite how appealing living a peaceful life sounds, I have absolutely no time to spare. However, after spending a day practicing truthfulness and self-purification, I realized just how easy it is to make the ethics of yoga part of my daily routine. For the entire day, I only had to make minor adjustments to my life. The Yamas and Niyamas quickly became habits the more I spent practicing them.
The Yamas and Niyamas are not rules that must strictly be followed in order to achieve happiness and peace; they are guidelines that can make that goal easier to obtain. Nor are the definitions of the two sets of ethics set in stone. What makes the ethics of yoga special and appealing is that each person can create their own meaning of the 10 different restraints and observances. For example, no two people will practice self-surrender the same way. Each person brings their own beliefs and personal experiences to their practice, which has made yoga an appealing way of life for thousands of years.
Since taking the time to learn about the eight limbs of yoga, specifically the Yamas and Niyamas, I have found that I am more forgiving of myself, less stressed when I glance at my planner, and that I don’t let the past day’s negativities ruin a new day. I recommend that everyone take a day and research the eight limbs of yoga. To start, I would suggest work by Rolf Sovik or Deborah Adele. Then, pick a Yama or Niyama and spend the day making a conscious effort to practice it, just for fun! Maybe it will change your life just like it’s changing mine!
Rep image courtesy of Matthew Henry