Hatha yoga: Encyclopedia II - Hatha yoga - Yama

Hatha yoga - Yama

Yama is a "restraint" or rule for living virtuously. Ten yamas are codified in numerous scriptures, including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha while Patanjali lists five yamas in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The ten traditional yamas are:

• Ahimsa: Abstinence from injury, or harm to any living creature in thought, word, or deed. This is the "main" Yama. The other nine are there in support of its accomplishment.
• Satya: Truthfulness in word and thought (in conformity with the facts).
• Asteya: No stealing, no coveting, no entering into debt.
• Brahmacharya: Divine conduct, continence, celibate when single, faithful when married.
• Kshama: Patience, releasing time, functioning in the now.
• Dhriti: Steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance, fear, and indecision; seeing each task through to completion.
• Daya: Compassion; conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
• Arjava: Honesty, straightforwardness, renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
• Mitahara: Moderate appetite, neither eating too much nor to little; nor consuming meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.
• Shaucha: Purity, avoidance of impurity in body, mind and speech.

Patanjali's five Yamas include Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (continence) and Aparagriha (abstinence from avarice) fall under Yama.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Yama", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki