The Yamas, Yama and Yama Yoga Studios
I have often been asked why Yama Yoga? What does Yama mean and why did I choose it as the name for our Studio. The answer is both simple and complex, as many things in yoga are.
The term ‘yama’ actually refers to two different concepts. The first and probably the best known are the yamas of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali codifies 5 basic social principles or restraints as the first limb of his eight-limb path to liberation. Basically, these are the things that an ethical person does not do and they are:
ahiṃsā (non-violence)
satya (non-lying)
asteya (non-stealing)
brahmacarya (non-sensuality)
aparigrah (non- greed)
It was my commitment to these five principles, most specifically non-violence, that informed my choice of name so many years ago. Yet as I grew in my practice and study I discovered that Patanjali drew from a rich source of material to create his system and that there were other approaches to the yamas codified in such texts the Yajnavalkya Smriti, the Śāṇḍilya, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svātmārāma,[4] and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular. In the Varāha-upaniṣad, for example, there are ten yamas presented, those being:
1. ahiṃsā (nonviolence)
satya (truthfulness)
asteya (not stealing)
brahmacarya (celibacy when single, not cheating on one's partner)
kṣamā (forgiveness)
dhṛti (fortitude)
dayā (compassion)
ārjava (non-hypocrisy, sincerity)
mitāhāra (measured diet)
śauca (purity, cleanliness)
Discovering these further challenges for both myself and the students of the Yama Yoga community seemed like a gift. It was fundamental to me at the time and remains so now that we root ourselves at the very beginning of the path and remind ourselves that we are always beginners working on these steps even as our asanas may or may not advance. Having ten yamas, as opposed to five, just seemed like an opportunity to dig deeper into what it meant to always be a beginner.
With time, however, I discovered another meaning for Yama, one that was initially harder to reconcile myself with – Yama as the God of Death. To be honest I had no idea of this meaning when I choose Yama Yoga for the name of what I hoped would be a life affirming practice place, and I struggled with it until I understood that Yama, the God of Death and the yamas are both fundamentally linked to the concept of Dharma.
There is no underestimating the importance of the concept of Dharma to the yogic path. Although there is no simple translation of the term it has to do with right living, right actions, right purpose, the way etc. Although there are many different mythologies, stories and interpretation about Yama and his role there is no doubt that he oversees our adherence to our dharma and judges us at the end of life. This can be seen in his many names which include the Restrainer, the Lord of Justice, the Judge of Souls, the record keeper of our actions, the embodiment of righteousness, as even Dharma personified. As the son of Vivasat, the embodiment of social morality, he is dedicated to maintaining social order and harmony and ultimately determines whether we are reincarnated as lower or higher organisms according to our actions.
Which brings us back to Yama as a name but more than that a guiding principle at least for me, its founder and lead teacher. The yamas and Yama are clearly two different concepts representing different philosophies but there is cross over and they both encourage us to stay true to our moral imperative, our Dharma. In light of Covid 19 and the difficulties it has presented to our studio and retreat centers the name Yama helps to keep me focused on my dharma and the role of service in my actions. I hope it helps you too.