Greetings Yogis and
Yoginis,
This week in class we will be exploring Aparigraha, the fifth Yama.
This week in class we will be exploring Aparigraha, the fifth Yama.
Aparigraha is found in verse II.39 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
and can be translated as non-covetousness and/or greedlessness.
BKS Iyengar writes that, “Parigraha means hoarding or
collecting. To be free from hoarding is
aparigraha. By the observance of
aparigraha, the yogini makes her life as simple as possible and trains her mind
not to feel the loss or lack of anything.
Aparigraha means not only non-possession and non-acceptance of gifts,
but also freedom from rigidity of thought.”
From Judith Lasater:
“We begin by understanding greed, especially what motivates our own
seemingly greedy behavior. Greed
presents itself as the longing for both material and the nonmaterial,
especially wanting more than is needed.
Whatever you stockpile – fame, money, proficiency at advanced yoga
poses, or less flashy things - you will
eventually encounter two certainties.
First, all will be lost. Second,
these things, in and of themselves, will never satisfy your cravings, which are
expressions of your feelings of fear and emptiness. Sometimes we temporarily lose our way,
becoming convinced that if we acquire this thing or that skill, we will finally
become acceptable to ourselves and to the world. In our fear, we have forgotten that we are
already whole.”
This state of being is based on the belief that “things” can
make us happy. Even beneath the neatly sorted totes of “stuff”, we need to remind
ourselves that happiness comes from within.
Freedom from this compulsion to acquire allows us to seek the real
source of happiness – our true self.
Homework:
Next time you visit a store, think about what you are
buying. Will this purchase bring you
closer to your true self? Now, consider
Mr. Iyengar’s deeper understanding of Aparigraha as it relates to our thoughts.
How could letting go of rigid thoughts and opinions lead you to seek the real
source of happiness? How does Aparigraha
relate to your thoughts about your yoga practice?
Reflect on all of the yamas and the interdependent nature of
their practice. Take time tomorrow
morning to reflect on how your yoga practice can develop using the yamas as a
guide. Also, consider how the yamas can
bring you closer to your own true nature.
References:
Light on Yoga and Light
on the Yoga Sutras, by BKS Iyengar
Living your Yoga,
Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life, by Judith Lasater.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal,
and Vancouver Washington
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