Yoga has always been more than exercise. When we practise, we’re supposed to embody the yamas of yoga in order to become centred and purposeful within our lives. The eight of them are the following:
Ahimsa – the practise of entering the world with a non-violent attitude and practising in not only self-love, such as resting your body when you’re tired but also love for those around you in your community.
Asteya – this yama on the service refers to not stealing but interpretations can include not desiring material items, not stealing from the environment and not treating yourself badly in order to avoid ‘stealing’ your potential.
Satya – perhaps the most important yama in the modern day, the practise of staying truthful to yourself and your path. This also includes being honest with yourself and others. Often, the way to describe this rule has been to “observe reality without judgement.”
Aparigraha – this is the practise of letting go of all of your connections to the earth – whether material or personal – in order to experience the world around you more profoundly.
Brahmacharya – this yama indicates your need to recognise when you need to conserve your energy and find rest in order to channel it into things you really want to do. There are many ways in which you can bring the yamas into your life outside of the studio but it’s important to remember that intention to practise them weighs a lot more than simply including them as part of your routine on the yoga mat.
Take us as an example – here at Yogafurie, we continue our mission to bring yoga to everyone despite knowing and understanding the truth that through our hot yoga classes, we inevitably help contribute to the overall climate crisis. Practising Satya helps us to understand and accept the personal responsibility we have towards the environment and ways we can help prevent further damage.
We decided to ensure that all the energy we use in our hot yoga classes is from a renewable source, allowing us to stay true to our values and path. In addition, we recognised that this only offsets our impact – not adding a valuable contribution. That’s why we partnered with the Forest of Avon Trust for the past two years – planting a tree every week in community places such as parks and schools with plans to double our goal every year.
Want to learn how to practise the yamas for yourself? We can help you get started! With welcoming, beginner friendly classes, you can ensure that you’ll be in good hands and an expert on the mat in no time. Be sure to check out our selection of classes down belowhttps://yogafurie.com/hot-yoga-bristol/
