The Ten Living Principles
3 Sep 2019 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Talking about The Ten Living Principles: The first limb or the yamas, consists of characteristics observed and codified by wise people since the beginning of time as being central to any life lived in freedom. They are mostly concerned with how we use our energy in our relationship with others and, in a subtler sense, our relationship with ourselves. The sages recognized that stealing from your neighbor was likely to promote discord, lying to your wife would cause suffering, and violence begets more violence; the result is hardly conducive to living a peaceful life. The second limb, the niyamas, constitutes a code for living in a way that fosters the soulfulness of the individual and has to do with the choices we make. The yamas and niyamas are emphatic descriptions of what we are when we are fundamental nature is compassionate, generous, honest, and peaceful.
In the West, we are taught from an early age that what we do and what we own are the sole components for measuring whether we are successful.”We measure our success and that of others through this limited vantage point, judging and dismissing anything that falls outside these narrow parameters. What yoga teaches us is that who we are constitute the ultimate proof of a life lived in freedom. If you do not truly believe this, it is likely that you will measure success in your yoga practice through the achievement of external forms.
How we speak, how we treat others, and how we live are more subjective qualities and attributes we need to learn to recognize in ourselves as a testament to our own progress and as a gauge of authenticity in our potential teachers. When we remain committed to our most deeply held values we can begin to discern the differences between the appearance of achievement and the true experiences of transformation, thereby freeing ourselves to pursue those things of real value.