The Yamas Explained | First Limb of Yoga Deep Dive- Sunday Check- In
- Nicole Young
- Jun 14
- 3 min read
This coming week on Sunday, I will be celebrating the Summer Solstice. There will be no Sunday Check‑In, but I will be releasing a full‑hour class in honor of the longest day of the year.
On YouTube, two classes:
• Build Balance & Presence | Full Body Standing Yoga in Nature — 50 minutes
• Summer Solstice — a full‑hour ritual class to embody the lightest day of the year and set intentions as the sun shifts back toward darkness
On Patreon:
• The BTS that corresponds with the Summer Solstice Journey into the wild, as well as the class 🙂
• A full‑hour special Somatic Sensuality class where we honor the Summer Solstice through a myriad of circular motions. From spinning to hip circles, be prepared to have your perspective shifted through these somatic movements.
This week, instead of a questionnaire, I wanted to do another deep dive into the limbs of yoga — in particular, the first limb, the Yamas.
The Yamas are our actions in the world, our social obligations.
They are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacarya, and Aparigraha.
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is thought of as non‑violence and is probably the most misunderstood. You know how, as humans, we get an idea in our heads and try to do things perfectly? That’s a conundrum for this Yama, because we live in an imperfect world. It is impossible to never cause harm. From what we eat — even plants are alive — so something must be harmed in order for us to consume. Driving causes insects to splat on the windshield. Even on our bodies we have tiny invisible creatures that are killed when we exfoliate. And even with the best intentions, we may harm someone by accident or even harm ourselves. Maybe by eating something we thought was okay, through a random accident, or by pushing our bodies too far with activity or too much rest.
It feels impossible to act with Ahimsa when simply being alive causes harm. So how should we take this? Intention is everything. Treat people with love and respect. Treat yourself with love and respect. Honor the food you eat, the effort it took to get to your table, and the life energy it holds for you. Intend to live your life spreading the opposite of violence — which is love — where you can, and let that be enough.
Sometimes you may need to fight for your life. Sometimes you may hit an animal with your car. And always, we need to eat to stay alive. Harm will inevitably happen. All you can do is the best you can: live with gratitude, help where you can, spread love to counteract the violence that comes from simply being alive, and rest in knowing you are practicing Ahimsa.
Satya — Truthfulness
Simple: do not lie. And if the truth is harmful or unproductive to say, don’t say anything. Don’t say things just to flatter or embellish. Do your best to be honest and true to your word. We have all lied, but we should continuously strive for honesty.
Asteya — Non‑Stealing
Do not steal or take advantage of people. Be honest and fair in business. Do not take advantage of someone’s generosity or mental state. Just because someone may be gullible doesn’t mean you should accept the offer or manipulate the situation.
Brahmacarya — Wise Use of Energy
This can mean abstinence for some, but I don’t think that’s the lesson here. It’s about anything that drains our prana or energy so that we are not able to focus on what matters. What drains our energy? Many things: too much sex, addictions, too much exercise, not enough exercise, too much social interaction, not enough social interaction, too much food, not enough food.
Do you see the pattern? Brahmacarya is less about cutting things out entirely and more about finding balance. This requires self‑awareness — knowing what’s needed in your life. Do you need more or less? How do you balance the scales to have a strong life force that allows you to achieve your true purpose?
Aparigraha — Non‑Attachment
Let go of strong attachments to things and people. Try not to hoard or place your value in your possessions or in coveting what others have. This doesn’t mean you can’t have wealth or beautiful things — just that you shouldn’t over‑identify with them. If it comes, let it. If it goes, let it.
It’s a bit of a catch‑22: the more you grasp at things, the more easily they slip away. The less attached you are, the more easily abundance can flow in.
I hope you have a beautiful Summer Solstice!
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