Yamas Guide: How to Practice the 5 Yamas of Yoga

Yamas means “restraint” in Sanskrit. Religious texts of Hinduism and Jainism outline five social restraints and moral codes known as the yamas. In the Indian sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras treatise, yamas are the first limb of yoga in the Ashtanga yoga system—also called the eight-limbed path.

Different texts may include different yamas, but the five yamas found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are the best known.

1. 1. Ahimsa: Non-violence, or avoiding thoughts or actions that might harm others, including nature. To practice ahimsa, try a loving-kindness meditation and send kindness to loved ones, yourself, and your community. In your yoga practice, treat your body with kindness by observing your physical limits and resting when needed.
2. 2. Asteya: Non-stealing. Modern interpretations of this yama also include non-appropriation and giving. Asteya goes beyond not stealing material possessions—it is also about not stealing from the environment and yourself. Practice asteya by being mindful of your consumption of natural resources, and avoid unauthorized appropriation of ideas and cultures.
3. 3. Satya: Truthfulness in words, thoughts, and actions. The Sanskrit word sat means “that which is.” Practice satya by observing reality without judgment. In your yoga practice, be honest with yourself by observing your body and honoring your limits.
4. 4. Aparigraha: Non-possessiveness of material goods and people. Practice aparigraha by letting go of expectations and attachments. Drop your expectations of what an asana (pose) is supposed to look like to experience the pose more fully.
5. 5. Brahmacharya: Celibacy (also interpreted as fidelity), conservation of energy, or moderation. You can incorporate brahmacharya into your life by resting when you need to. Find ways to relax and recharge so that you have the energy to do things that are really important to you. Child’s pose is a great way to feel grounded and supported in rest.

The eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga outline ways to live a purposeful life. The earlier limbs, starting with the yamas, focus primarily on basic ethical teachings,and the later limbs focus on internal concepts, like meditation. The eight limbs of yoga are:

1. 1. Yamas: Social restraints and moral codes of yoga. The Yoga Sutra describes five different yamas, including ashimsa (non-violence), asteya (non-stealing), satya (truthfulness), aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and brahmacharya (celibacy or fidelity).
2. 2. Niyamas: Observances, rules, and guidelines. The Yoga Sutra describes five different niyamas, including saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-reflection), and ishvarapranidhana (surrender to a higher power).
3. 3. Asana: Yoga postures or poses. This limb emphasizes the importance of caring for the body and developing the discipline to advance spiritual growth.
4. 4. Pranayama: Use of breath. Pranayama consists of breathing techniques that can reduce stress and improve physical and mental health. In pranayama, you focus deeply on breath control through inhalation, breath retention, and exhalation patterns.
5. 5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal. Pratyahara is disengaging your mind from external disturbances and controlling your reaction to them. During pratyahara, your five sense organs still detect external stimulation, but you don't allow them to disrupt your state of mind.
6. 6. Dharana: Concentration. The goal of dharana is to bind your consciousness to one particular object, place, or idea. Focusing your attention on one thing helps quiet your mind by closing off a path for other thoughts to seep in.
7. 7. Dhyana: Meditation. Dhyana is similar to dharana, except during dhyana, you reach a state of being where you are so completely immersed in your meditation that it becomes a part of your consciousness.
8. 8. Samadhi: Bliss or enlightenment. Samadhi is the highest state of consciousness one can achieve through meditation. It consists of a yoga practitioner reaching spiritual enlightenment where the self, the mind, and the object of meditation merge together into one.

Every limb builds on the techniques of the previous limb. As such, the early limbs like yamas serve as the foundation for the more internal, meditation-based later steps.

Proper form and technique are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of a yoga practice. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before practicing yoga. Yoga poses may be modified based on your individual needs.

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