The 5 Yamas of Yoga are the moral, ethical and societal guidelines for a practising Yogi. These Yamas are embedded in positivity and are the emphatic descriptions of how a yogi behaves. We may not strive to reach all these Yamas but they are still relevant. The Yamas are the pillars of Yoga. The Yamas are the universal vows to lead a true, genuine and honest life. We shall now see what are those Yamas.

1. Ahimsa (Non-Harming)

This is nothing but the practice of non-violence. The practice of non-violence urges us to be in good relationship with others in society. Not to hurt anyone, physically and emotionally. It also calls to make peace within ourselves. This is the lesson of the sages to us.

Ahimsa or non-violence is conscious practice. It is not just for yogis but it is universal. People who are not practising Yoga are also aware of non-violence. This is the conscious state of mind which enables us not to be judgemental, criticize others, and draw abrupt conclusions on people and events.

2. Sathya (Truthfulness)

The word ‘Sathya’ in Sanskrit means truthfulness. Sathya impels us to be truthful in everything we do. In all our actions, words and thoughts of our life, we should be truthful. The path of truthfulness is very hard to walk. To be truthful, we need to follow the first Yama of Patanjali.

Since Ahimsa is the first Yama, do not speak the truth if it hurts others. Here, we need to be slow and take our time in discerning whether our truthfulness is going to hurt someone or not. To live in truth creates the vision to see the higher truths of Yogic journey.

3. Asteya (Non-Stealing)

Asteya means non-stealing. This Yama forbids everyone from stealing tangible and intangible assets. Intangible assets can be someone’s information, trust or reputation or intellectual property. Asteya also is in opposition to exploitation, social injustice and oppression. This is difficult to practice. Once you keep practising this Yama, you are away from ‘Lobha’, which is greed. The Yama is an integral part of a yogi’s life and practice.

4. Bramhacharya (Continence or Celibacy)

Brahmacharya literally means ‘walking in God-consciousness.’ This is staying celibate throughout your life and channelizing your senses to God alone. Bramhacharis lead an ascetic and austere way of life. According to the sages, when the mind is freed from the senses, all worldly pleasures are replaced by inner joy.

One of the main goals of Yoga is to create balance and gain energy. We achieve this by following Bramhacharya. The goal of brahmacharya is to save the energy from indulging in sensual pleasures and channelizing it to other higher spiritual purposes.

5. Aparigraha (Non-Possessiveness)

Aparigraha urges us to let go of everything that we do not need. The basic things which we need for our survival is more than enough. The sages and yogis say we cannot possess worldly things at all. This is also a principle of not coveting others goods or property. The more we have the more greedy we become.

The Yama constantly reminds us to leave behind things which are worldly and strive for infinite and eternal things. Over accumulation of wealth and goods is strictly forbidden for a yogi to indulge in things which are against this Yama.

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