You wave your ice cream cone in front of your friend’s face when you know she is on a diet…and it falls flat on the ground.
You notice that the tire that needed constant filling with air—and which you ignored—is now flat just as you are heading out the door to attend a special event. You won’t make it there in time, now.
You try to keep up with the flexible person next to you in yoga class, and wake up the next morning with a sore back and neck.
We have come to understand that yoga is present in every living, breathing moment. It is a body of knowledge, a practice, and a way of life. It dwells in many aspects of our daily existence—how we see the world, the words we use, the ways we relate, the choices we make, and ultimately how we move and act to shape our experience. Its presence is subtle and permeating. As we begin to understand the greater framework of yoga, we can look to the Yamas and Niyamas.
We have come to understand that yoga is present in every living, breathing moment. It is a body of knowledge, a practice and a way of life. It dwells in many aspects of our daily existence: how we see the world, the words we use, the ways we relate, the choices we make, and ultimately how we move and act to shape our experience. Its presence is subtle and permeating. As we begin to understand the greater framework of yoga, we can look to the Yamas and Niyamas.
On first glance, this principle may seem straightforward. From a young age, we are encouraged to share rather than take. We witnessed shoplifters get caught, burglars go to jail, and infidelity break marriages. The action of stealing is evident. Yet the subtler forms of stealing through intent and thought are often hidden in our habits, so deep that they are disguised. Asteya is the third Yama or self-restraint of Patanjali’s Yamas and Niyamas.
“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
On the surface it seems simple, yet the embodiment of this principle penetrates the deeper layers of our being. Ahimsa is the practice of non-violence. It is foundational to all yogic philosophy and within it we discover that love lies at the root.
Let’s face it: being human isn’t easy. Everyday we are called by curiosity, challenged by confusion and contradiction, confronted with choice, provoked by wonder and awe. We travel a vast emotional landscape, often times getting swept away in a storm of thoughts that pull us far from our bodies, uproot us from our homes and lead us into sentiments of separation. As spirit, living in a human body, we are tasked with the endeavor of exploring our limitless potential within the constraints of our physical reality.