Looking back at my notes, I find myself drawn to one of the “Eight Limbs of Yoga”.
#1 : YAMA
Learning about yamas help advocate a life of non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing or accepting bribes, and sublimating sexual energy.
As an ordinary person, like every other, there are temptations everywhere in life. It is so hard to refrain from certain actions sometimes. I tend to let my emotions take over me, and sometimes they just turn out in the wrongest of ways possible, with consequences i have to bear.
Learning about the 5 yamas,
- Ahimsa : non-violence
- Satya : truthfulness
- Asteya : non-stealing, freeing oneself of jealous instincts
- Brahmacharya : establishing non-duality
- Aparigraha : non-possession of anything that gives suffering for someone, non-possessiveness
I am more aware of my actions, as well as what i should consciously avoid doing. Then again, simply knowing is not enough. What’s most important is the constant practice of these actions. Personally, I guess I need to practice Ahimsa most. As a fiery person (some say extremely passionate, haha), I tend to punch the air, swing my body around violently when I’m feeling mad, to release the pent up energy I have inside me.
This journey to non-violence is going to be a long and challenging one. I guess the first step is to be conscious about it. First step done!
Let’s do this!
