So how can Yoga and Mindfulness on and off the Yoga Mat help us calm down those feelings of fearing we don’t have enough or need more to survive?
As an integrated way of life, Yoga includes moral standards (traditionally called “virtues”) that any reasonable human being would find in principle acceptable. Some of these standards, known in Sanskrit as Yamas and Niyamas ‘disciplines’ are encoded in the first limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path.
Yamas (Universal Morality). The Yamas are broken down into five wise characteristics, “they tell us that our fundamental nature is compassionate, generous, honest and peaceful.” – Below are links to each, this week the focus is on Asteya which means Non-Stealing. It doesn’t always have to be the black and white of not taking something that is not yours. Opening your mind to this Yama can help us on and off the Yoga Mat.
Asteya arises out of the understanding that all misappropriation is an expression of a feeling of lack. The practice of Asteya asks Yoga teachers to be careful not to take anything that has not been freely given. This includes misuse of information (for example breaches in privacy act, taking people’s information using it or your position in a way it was not intended ) – this applies to anyone in any business or organisation and when breached can cause harm in many ways. It can cause thoughts and feelings of mistrust and feeling like you are being taken advantage of, which has a huge effect on our health. It’s why the first of the Yamas Ahimsa ~ to do no harm ties in with all of the others in some way.
When we take something that is not ours, or use something in a way which it was not intended for, that too has an effect on our health. It signals to the body and mind there is ‘lack’ or I need to take what is not mine in order to survive which in turn can trigger fight-flight response. These feelings of lack are connected to the Amygdala making all the decisions which don’t often go well as it is not its role. (We talk more about this in our Mindfulness + Yoga Teacher Training)
In constantly looking outside of ourselves for satisfaction, we are less able to appreciate the abundance that already exists. That is what really matters our health and the riches of our inner life and the joy and love we are able to give and receive from others.
Feelings of lack are not a problem unless we are acting on them, being triggered by them instead of being Mindful enough of them that we can see them for what they are and instead choose to focus our attention on taking in the good of what we do actually already have. Consciously building new neural networks to our ancestors that may have had to steal to survive.
At the end of the day a simple practice is to consider :
What thought patterns are driving the bus?
How do I feel when I take that action?
Make taking in the good of what you have already a practice to as Rick Hansen puts it to feed the mouse (that little place inside that just wants to feel fed) to help calm down the aspect of mind that tricks you into being fearful that you do not have enough to survive.
Perhaps what Yoga and Mindfulness does when it is ‘doing us’ and not us doing the Yoga, is inviting us back home to that place inside that already exists which is generous, loving and kind.
When we get on our Yoga mat, release built up knots from fear, our true nature is what we find.
Namaste
Tammy
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WHAT ARE THE 10 YAMAS + NIYAMAS – CLICK HERE
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