Yama the first of the eight limbs described in the yoga text of Pattanjali This limb recommends five ethical practices or restraints Ahimsa: Applying non-violence/non harming to yourself and others. Satya: Truth -living according to your own truth. Asteya: Non stealing. Brahmachharya : Abstinence ; containing sexual energy. Aparigraha ; Non coveting ; letting go of desires. My take on these, is to practice to the best of my ability in the same way as I practice Asana ( Yoga poses).

Ahimsa is probably one of the best known Yamas of the Eight Limbs Yoga Path and is often described as "non-harming" or "non-killing". Patanjali's description in the Yoga Sutras is as follows: "Himsa means to cause pain. Ahimsa not to cause pain.' The translation of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda goes on to say: "Killing is different from causing pain. Causing pain can be more harmful than killing. Even by your words, even by your thoughts you can cause pain". (Patanjali Yoga Sutras Book 11.30). Ahimsa in our lives So how do we bring Ahimsa into our life? Firstly, I believe we have to have some understanding of how we can harm ourselves; looking at some areas of our lives that might not be working for us. If we hate our jobs; don’t feed ourselves in a caring way; berate ourselves for not being good, rich and/or successful enough etc... we are acting on Himsa. These are just a few examples, as we all have d...