What is the first limb of yoga according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras?

Yama is first limb of yoga and it is as important if not more important as the asana (physical postures).

“Practice of asanas without the backing of Yama and Niyama is mere acrobatics.” -B.K.S Iyengar

The Yamas: Ethical disciplines. The Yamas represent a series of “right living.”

The Yamas are comprised of five principles that Patanjali listed in his Yoga Sutras:

1. Ahimsa: Nonviolence. The yogi sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings and therefore opposes violence and loses all fear. The yogi is stern with himself when dealing with his own faults but gentle with the faults of others.

2. Satya: Truth. Truth is God and God is Truth. Satya presupposes perfect truthfulness is thought, word, and deed. When the mind bears malice towards none, it is filled with charity towards all. The man firmly established in truth gets the fruit of his actions without apparently doing anything. God the source of all truth, supplies his needs and looks after his welfare.

3. Asteya: Non-stealing. Goes past not only taking what belongs to someone else. The yogi should reduce his physical needs to the minimum, believing that if he gathers things he does not really need, he is a thief. While other men crave for wealth, power, fame or enjoyment, the yogi has one craving and that is to adore the Lord. He who obeys the commandment Thou Shalt Not Steal, becomes a trusted repository of all treasures.

4. Brachmacharya: Life of celibacy, religious study and self-restraint. It is the battery that sparks the torch of wisdom. Without experiencing human love and happiness it is not possible to know divine love.

5. Aparigraha: To be free from hoarding. The yogi should feel that the collection of things implies a lack of faith in God and in himself to provide for his future. The yogi trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the proper time. Keep the mind in a state of equilibrium. Develop the capacity to remain satisfied with whatever happens to you. To those who worship Him alone with single minded devotion,which are in harmony with Him every moment, He brings full security. He shall supply all their wants and shall protect them forever.

Descriptions are from Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar.

How do you incorporate the Yamas into your daily practice on and off the mat?

Think you’ll be happy if you reach all your goals? Think again.

It turns out that the kinds of goals we choose to pursue matter just as much, if not more than, whether or not we actually reach them!

Studies show that pursuing wealth, power, popularity, validation and fame – what psychologists call extrinsic goals – leads to only fleeting happiness if you succeed. You always need more and more, and you never end up getting your fill. Which is why so many “successful” people look so miserable, in case you were wondering.

On the other hand, when our goals are about connecting with others, learning and growing, and doing the things that feel authentic – that speak to the real you – it’s another story. We experience Happiness with capital “H” – the kind that lasts. And we don’t just feel it when we reach a goal – we feel it on the journey, too.

-Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson via Entheos.com

http://www.namarupa.org/magazine/nr03/downloads/NamaRupa_03_02.pdf

Sri Pattabhi Jois, Sri T.K.V Desikachar, Sri B.K.S. Iyengar

http://theyogaposter.com/

A great visual guide to the practice of yoga

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_dismal_science/2013/05/do_charter_schools_work_a_new_study_of_boston_schools_says_yes.single.html

Yes, but not always for everyone.

“The upshot of this improvement in college readiness is that, upon graduation, while charter and public school students are just as likely to go on to post-secondary education, charter students enroll at four-year colleges at much higher rates. A four-year college degree has historically meant a better job with a higher salary, making a spot in one of Boston’s charter schools a ticket to a better life for many students.”

“The secret of many charter schools’ success isn’t a mystery: longer hours and additional school days, which are part of a “no excuses” philosophy that emphasizes frequent testing and often requires even longer days from charter school teachers.”

“In their short history, charter schools have shown enormous promise in improving the educations of many disadvantaged students. We shouldn’t lose sight of that, and we should be open to innovations coming out of charters that might be applied to a broader set of schools. But it’s naïve to think that charters will be the silver bullet that solves the education crisis in America.”

http://blogmaverick.com/2013/05/07/want-your-newborn-to-be-an-athletic-superstar/

“Well I have no idea how to make sure he or she gets there. But what I do know that is if you have any such aspiration for your soon to be bundle of joy, then there is one thing you must do:

You must save the cord blood from your child’s birth.

At the Dallas Mavericks we have been diving into any and all advances in medical science that can give us a competitive edge. (The new advanced metrics that will impact the game). I’m not talking performance enhancing drugs, I’m talking proactive analysis and advanced recovery methodologies.  One that is obvious is the use of Stem Cells.

I’m not going to go into the science or offer any insights into what we are doing,  but what I will tell soon to be and future parents is that your doctors and your children will thank you in 20 years when they are relieved to find out that they can utilize the latest in medical technologies because mom and/or dad had the foresight to save their cord blood

Let me clear here. This is not a cure all. The use of cord blood cells in regenerative applications is still in its infancy (See the joke I made there  . But what I do know that is medical science is advancing rapidly. What will be available to your newborn child in 20 years will be vastly different than what is available today. By banking the cord blood in a private cord bank, while relatively expensive (Do your homework PLEASE before making a decision which bank to use), you will have given your child a unique option that could lead to the latest recovery techniques being available to him or her.

You want to know what the next big thing is ? It’s personalized medicine. This is one baby step towards the future for your family

And let me be crystal clear again, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Not everyone agrees with me. It’s not cheap. It’s not a cure all. It’s an option. One that I have used with my children. But you have to make your own decisions”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2013/05/06/americas-most-influential-athletes-2/

I love that Tim Tebow is today’s most influential athlete. In a sometimes dark world he is light. In the world of sports he is constant positive energy.

http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/2013/05/07/5-ways-to-master-the-art-of-doing-without-doing/

5 Ways to Master the Art of Doing without Doing

1. Take action in a way that feels easy. You get to decide what to prioritize and what comes first on your to-do list. When you look at what you’ve decided to get done, what feels like the easiest, least stressful thing?
2. Do what lights you up. Say ‘yes’ to opportunities that make your heart sing. Literally: what do you feel in your chest when you consider saying ‘yes’? Constriction—like you can’t breathe? Or expansion—like you are being deeply breathed?
3. Listen to your Sat Guru. Sat = true. Guru = darkness to light; teacher. You have your own inner teacher within you, leading you out of the darkness of stress and overwhelm and into the light of your being. When something doesn’t feel right for you, listen. No matter what other people say.
4. Let there be spaces in your togetherness. Got it all together? Still feel stressed and anxious? That’s your body telling you that even though your digital personal assistant has your entire day mapped out and organized and all together; it’s not solving the core of what’s causing you stress. You need space in your day and your life for the unexpected. You need space for your dharma and what you’re destined for to arise. Trust me, it will be more than you ever expected.
5. When things are slower, be slower. When things speed up, don’t resist it. Go with the ebb and flow of your life and trust that the slow-times will pass, just like the times that feel too busy. Suddenly, you’re appreciating both polarities.