The first step in the land of Ashtanga Yoga is ‘Yama’ or restraints. When implementing a big change in ourselves, our lives, we need strength. That strength is gained by practising Yama, which restrains those tendencies that deplete our strength. There are five Yamas – 

1. Ahimsa (Non-violence)
2. Satya (Non-Lying)
3. Asteya (Non-Stealing)
4. Brahmacharya (Non-Indulgence)
5. Aparigraha (Non-Hoarding)

Ahimsa (/əˈhɪmsɑː/) – First and foremost, do no harm, not just to others but also to yourself. This is the most important lesson that Ashtanga Yoga gives us. While hitting someone may be positively frowned upon and an obvious conclusion that can be drawn from this, Yoga sees all, and it is not just physical violence that it asks you to refrain from. Non-violence in speech, like a harsh taunt or a hurtful comment, is also equally as bad. But this is just the surface of the problem. Violent speech and violent action stem from violent thought. Hurtful thoughts for someone else manifest in violence, and hurtful thoughts about our own self manifest in self-harm.

Satya (/sˈatɪə/)– This seems like the logical next step after non-violence, so it is pretty straightforward. Do not lie, and speak the truth (but, in a way that does not hurt anyone else. After all, Ahimsa comes before Satya). Let’s take a vow today, to speak the truth, the only truth, and nothing but the truth – truth that is not coloured by our own biases, but is a reporting of facts as they happened. When you speak out against an injustice, and you speak for the benefit of someone else, you practice Satya. 

Asteya (/əst̪eːjə/) – Thievery is a criminal offence, so I don’t need to warn you off that, unless you want to go to jail. But, there are other, more subtle ways of stealing – someone else’s idea, taking someone else’s credit, borrowing something and then not returning it. The idea here is to pay attention to little things, and before you take anything – whether a physical object or anything else – ask yourself, ‘Does this belong to me?’ 

Brahmacharya (/brɑːməˈtʃɑːrjə/) – While Yoga does not warn you off pleasure entirely, it does recommend laying off that second piece of cake for the fourth time that week. Anything in excess – food, entertainment, even work, should be avoided. The ultimate goal here is to cut down on your desires and indulgences, because the less we crave, the happier and healthier we are.

Aparigraha (/əpərigrəɦə/) – Everyone has experienced that pile of clothes descend on their head when opening an overstuffed cupboard. We want to avoid clutter, don’t we? Who doesn’t love a clean, organised, spacious room? The same goes for your mind as well. Nobody likes a mind full of unwanted, distracting thoughts that create clutter and do not let positivity in. So, let’s donate that dress you probably are never going to wear, but bought anyway, throw away any negative thoughts you have and clear the clutter in your mind and your surroundings.

And there you have it! I’ll leave you with a final thought – when you practice the last four Yamas, you automatically practice Ahimsa. And when you practice Ahimsa faithfully, you practice the rest of the Yamas along with it. Isn’t that wonderful?