TAG: Yamas

The Yamas are the first stage of Patanjali’s 8fold path. They consist of 5 universal moral principles that bring harmony between us and the surrounding world. They represent the positive and purer expression of our personality. That “better person” we are looking for through our practice. The ultimate implementation of these principles is not restricted to actions, but it also applies to our words and thoughts. And of course, it begins with us

Somewhere between the 2nd and the 5th century B.C., the great sage Patanjali wrote down the Yoga Sutras. This text became Raja Yoga’s (the meditation yoga) main source of inspiration. It consists of 196 aphorisms. It describes human psychology in a very concise, succinct, and even scientific way, and it offers a practical system of spiritual development.

The last yama we will examine this year is Brahmacharya. Brahma is the Absolute Consciousness, and charya is “to live close to”. Thus, the word for word translation for Brahmacharya would be “the one who follows in God’s footsteps”, the one who directs their energies and interest to seeking the Brahma. So, it refers to […]

Yes, there is also darkness inside us. Even from the moment we are born, we struggle to survive, not always competing in peace. Avoiding physical violence may be a relatively easy achievement, but the notion of a-himsa reaches even further – from the way we speak and express ourselves, even to the way we think. […]

The practice of Satya, the commitment to truth, also applies to our thoughts, our speech and our actions. Honest communication and action lays the foundations for healthy relationships and healthy communities. One of the best ways to practice it is through speech, which means that when we speak, we should do it with the confidence […]

Asteya which translates into “non-stealing”, and aparigraha, “non-accumulation”, “non-greediness”, “non-avarice”. And even though these two principles are different, at the same time they are interconnected, since one leads to the other. Asteya (non-stealing) may be the most important principle for a society’s well-being. If we were able to staunchly abide by it, there would be […]

The practice of Satya, the commitment to truth, also applies to our thoughts, our speech and our actions. Honest communication and action lays the foundations for healthy relationships and healthy communities. One of the best ways to practice it is through speech, which means that when we speak, we should do it with the confidence […]

Asteya (non-stealing) may be the most important principle for a society’s well-being. If we were able to staunchly abide by it, there would be no poverty, no war and no misery in the world, and in the contrary, we would live in peace and harmony. «Asteya-pratishthaayaam sarva–ratnopasthaanam». Yoga Sutras 2.37 According to this sutra, “When […]