Hello folks
I am a beginner at Yoga and looking to “deepen” my home practice. I am currently on a yoga foundation course.
I have recently been applying the Yama’s and Niyams to my Asana practice. For the sake of this post I will focus on Yamas.
I am struggling to apply “Asteya” AND “Aparigraha” to my daily asana practice. If there is anyone with an interesting perspective on this, I’d love to discuss it with you.
I’m not sure these are supposed to be literally applied to asana but are more spiritual attitudes to be integrated into ones personality by practice in daily living.
So you do want help with your homework/study…thank you for being honest.
Asteya and Aparigraha are often put together and are part of the practice of non-attachment these can absolutely be applied to asana practice…they do overlap…
[B]Aparigraha[/B] non-grasping, non-possessiveness…in Asana practice- to be content where you are in your practice, not over pushing your self…not being greedy to move on to more advanced asanas…not being greedy or demanding of your teachers time and attention…
[B]Asteya[/B] non-stealing- When doing Asana, the postures in Yoga, are you trying to “steal” the pose? Are you forcing your body beyond what it is capable of doing, stretching too far, holding a pose too long? If you do this, you are stealing from your body the positive affects of the Asana and could replace these positive affects with injury, which would be a violation of Ahimsa, non-violence.
These links may be useful to you…
http://www.eyeblinks.me/E__Paths_Yoga/MA12a__Asteya.html
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Nice reply. I hadn’t thought about it that way before. Thank you 
An error my dear friend is to confine yoga to a time slot and the four walls of a studio. Secondly, asana is not the central practice in yoga, pranayama is.
But, the fundamental error is not recognizing the entire schematic of eight limbs of yoga. Pratyrhara, is a breakthrough state where one learns to get non-attached with the external world, thus, paving the way for dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Pratyahara is achieved through a concerted practice of yama, niyama, asana and basic pranayama. Each has its role to play. Asana allows dissolution of body awareness to be able to become aware of the subtle interior. This awareness makes prana accessible for subsequent control over it. But, external forces and internal weaknesses still pose hurdles and yama-niyama is a set of observances and behavior that eliminates the hurdles and act like a firewall. So, yama-niyama are to be applied to one’s life, not to asana.
More specifically, asteya is not stealing anything which is legitimately someone else’s and aparigraha is not accepting anything that is not legimately ours.
Dear Suhas Tambe,
The original post was asking how to apply the Yama and Niyama to his/her practice and was not in any way suggesting that asana was yoga.
He/she is studying yoga and I am sure is aware of how to apply the Yamas and Niyamas in everyday life…the question was specific to how to apply them to asana practice.
Thanks for the replies everyone.
[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;72519]An error my dear friend is to confine yoga to a time slot and the four walls of a studio. Secondly, asana is not the central practice in yoga, pranayama is.
But, the fundamental error is not recognizing the entire schematic of eight limbs of yoga. Pratyrhara, is a breakthrough state where one learns to get non-attached with the external world, thus, paving the way for dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Pratyahara is achieved through a concerted practice of yama, niyama, asana and basic pranayama. Each has its role to play. Asana allows dissolution of body awareness to be able to become aware of the subtle interior. This awareness makes prana accessible for subsequent control over it. But, external forces and internal weaknesses still pose hurdles and yama-niyama is a set of observances and behavior that eliminates the hurdles and act like a firewall. So, yama-niyama are to be applied to one’s life, not to asana.
More specifically, asteya is not stealing anything which is legitimately someone else’s and aparigraha is not accepting anything that is not legimately ours.[/QUOTE]
I should have stressed that I am specifically looking at how to apply the yamas and niyamas to the Asanas. You are clearly at a different stage in your Yoga practice than me. But thankyou for your perspective anyway.
[QUOTE=yogacambodia;72516]So you do want help with your homework/study…thank you for being honest.
[/QUOTE]
Isn’t this obvious? Why else would I use a forum other than for looking for help with Homework/study. All yoga is is homework/study and a forum is a practical tool for helping you along the way. There are no assignments on the Yoga foundation course it is purely for beginners looking to deepen their home practice.
I would argue that you are also on here to help with your homework/study regardless of where yoiu are on your yogic journey.
Thankyou for the links and the perspective though - very helpful. You’re clearly very passionate about you’re practice.
I am glad it was helpful…keep up the study.
Regarding Asteya and Aparigraha’s application to asana, some additional thoughts:
Asteya (non-stealing) In each pose, wherever we are in that pose, we have what we need. And we need to use what we have. Going to YOUR edge, not beyond.
Aparigraha (non-coveting) We want to “be like that person”, or “look like that person in Vrksasana”. And as I tell my students, no one will look the same. The goal is not to look the same. The goal is to do what is needed and right for you. Never look around in class to see what others look like. Imagine you are all alone in class. I have them imagine drawing a circle of white light around them that shelters them from the outside world. That seems to serve them well.
And to Suhas, Sometimes helping students learn the yamas through their asana practice helps them to better understand and practice them in daily life. As the student grows, so will their understanding and being able to extend them in their daily lives. Little baby steps.
And ryanlikealion, good luck with your studies.
Interesting. My learning, thanks.