be a good human

Be a good human.  What a simple sentence.  Seems so easy.  But many of us fail; not all the time, not most of the time, but sometimes.  The joy of this life is at every moment we get to choose how we show up for the world and ourselves.  If we fall down, it doesn’t determine who we are for the rest of our lives, we have an opportunity to remake ourselves.  To show up as our true selves.

Yoga, as you may know if you’ve been reading my blogposts, is not a movement practice (even though the West loves to put a spotlight on the poses), it is an energy management system.  Through yoga philosophy we are guided on how to live a more authentic life.  If you’ve been to my classes for the last year (or more?—time is a man-made construct!), you’ve noticed the mantras I’ve been sharing: Ahimsa, Gratitude, Satya.

Ahimsa and Satya are 2 of the 5 Yamas.  In yoga philosophy, the Yamas are the first "limb" of the eightfold path and serve as a moral foundation for conscious, ethical living. They act as self-restraints or universal vows that guide how we interact with the world and ourselves.  Ahimsa translates from Sanskrit into English as non-harming.  Non-harming thoughts, words, actions.  Satya is truth.  Truthfulness in thought, word, and deed.  Gratitude is not a Yama, but…I don’t need to spell that one out, right?

The remaining 3 Yamas are:

Asteya: Non-stealing or not taking what isn't freely given.

Bramacharya: Right use of energy and moderation (often translated as celibacy or non-excess).

Aparigraha: Non-possessiveness, non-greed, or non-attachment.

The Yamas are simple and straightforward yet can be very challenging.  They create a framework for us to use as we move through our daily lives.  If we fall down?  Get back up and try again.  Every moment is an opportunity to show up as truest, best self.

I end every class with the same parting words with a reinforcement of the day’s mantra.  While holding Anjali Mudra (palms pressing together near the center of the sternum), I use these parting words:

“Anjali, gift or celebration, Mudra, the hand gesture, reminds us of the Divine that resides in each and every one of us.  Take this awareness of the Divine off the mat, honor it within yourself.  Honor it in others.  Take (insert mantra being used—currently Satya), allow it to guide you as you move through your day, your week, your year.  THIS is yoga.”

Remember, yoga is not what is practiced on the mat.  It is how we show up in the real world.  For ourselves and others.  THAT is yoga.

Xx

Jesi