I thought an appropriate subject for my first blog post would be the eight limbs of Yoga. The physical practice that we do in a Yoga class in fact comprises only one of eight elements that make up Yoga. Click through to see a breakdown of all eight in order below.
(photos: Lululemon athletica)
These eight 'limbs' were laid out thousands of years ago by a sage called Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (the holy grail for all yogis). The eight limbs are a breakdown of different qualities that can be applied to one's daily life in order to achieve a more yogic existence. At first, these guidelines may sound extreme and restrictive, however, looking more closely they are all achievable, and, amazingly, still relevant despite being so very old.
The first is Yama. There are five Yamas, all of which pertain to one's ethics and integrity. They are; ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (nothing in excess) and aparigraha (non-coveting). These might seem like passive ways of behaving. But, I like to think of the Yamas as ways of kindness. Each second of every day we are having an effect on the world around us, and therefore, every small action we make has either a negative or a positive impact upon others. I ask myself - how can I give the most kindness possible today? Some ways I do this are through being Veg