limbs(asthanga)of yoga, but they are not to be seen as
sequential stages. Rather, they serve as different entry
points into an expanded sense of self through interpreta-
tions, choices, and experiences that remind you of your
essential nature. These are the components of Raja yoga,
the royal path to union. Let’s review each of them in
some detail.
The First Branch of Yoga—Yama
Yamais most commonly translated as the “rules of social
behavior.” They are the universal guidelines for engaging
with others. The Yamas are traditionally described as
- practicing nonviolence
- speaking truthfully
- exercising appropriate sexual control
- being honest
- being generous
All spiritual and religious traditions encourage people
to live ethical lives. Yoga agrees but concedes that living
a life in perfect harmony with your environment is
difficult from the level of morality—through a prescribed
set of shoulds and should-nots. Patanjali describes the
yamas as the spontaneously evolutionary behavior of an
enlightened being.
If you recognize that your individuality is intimately
woven into the fabric of life—that you are a strand in the
web of life—you lose the ability to act in ways that are
harmful to yourself or others. You adhere to the rules
of social conduct because you are behaving from the level
32 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga