As promised my lovelies, here are the yamas (with a little modern twist!)
Satya - means truthfulness. This is best practiced when you are true to the real you. I spent a lot of my time twisting myself into other people's ideals. It was a waste of my precious time. And it's a waste of yours too! Know yourself. Know what you love and what you believe in and what you stand for and don't sacrifice it for anyone or anything.
Ahimsa - means non-violence. Most people spend more time beating themselves up then lifting themselves up. Spending time agonizing over whether or not you said the right thing at your company's staff meeting or berating yourself for messing up a task you were in charge of. Very rarely do our thoughts comfort us in those situations. We can think up endless ways to torture ourselves and point out our flaws, but that does us no good. Next time you experience a cycle of negative thoughts, put up a big mental stop sign and start building yourself up. And this holds true for how we treat others too. Taking a moment to give a compliment to a stranger or telling your friends how much they rock is something that not only makes the other person feel great, but we feel pretty terrific also.
Aparigraha - means non-greedy. Rather then spending time desiring what other people have or being jealous of what others do, you can spend that time making your life everything you want it to be. Ditch the greed. Use what others have as motivation to drive you to your dream life, not to drive you insane.
Asteya - means non-stealing. Don't take what doesn't belong to you - whether it be ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. And share what does belong to you - again... ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. I learned a lot of things from many wise and beautiful people and what good is it if I can't share it? I don't 'steal' the knowledge I have and hold it close. I don't claim to ever be an expert in what I do. I share what I know and look for guidance from others when I need it.
Brahmacarya - means sexual control. You have a lot of love to give. You can choose how and when to share it and the person you want to share it with. You can feel empowered by your sexuality and know it's an honor to connect with another person in such an intimate way.
Take these ideas and practices and see how they fit into your life.
I use them to help me live an attentive and active life, both mentally, physically and spiritually. I always love having some help and guidance along my journey!
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