Yoga to Transform (00:49)
Hi, welcome. So we are up to the fourth of the yama tonight, and we are talking about a no, we're up to the fifth of the yama. We're up to Aparigraha, which is non-grasping, non-greed, non-attachment. And it's the last of these yamas, which are the moral observances that we practice or we look at in yoga and
And this yama is really about teaching us to hold on to only what it is that we need in any given moment in what serves us and as it arises or as it arrives to allow it to arrive, but then also when the time is right for it to leave, to let it leave. So there's this a learning to be in this process of allowing things to come and allowing things to go.
And not needing to hold on so tightly to the positions or the people or the things in our lives or the status that we have, but just allowing it to be what it is. So graha means to take or to grab, and pari means on all sides, and is that negation. So don't take and grab everything, basically. So in the
Bhagavad Gita, which is a very powerful text, that which is basically a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. Krishna teaches Arjuna let your concern be with the action alone, and never with the fruits of the action. Do not let your fruits be the motive of your action and do not become attached to non action as well.
So he's basically teaching one of the more important lessons of well, there's quite a few important lessons in the Bhagavad Gita, but this is one of the more important ones to focus more on your journey, to focus more on what it is that you're doing and not to focus on what it is that you're going to get because of what you've been doing. And that sense of apari graha is about.
being motivated by what I'm going to get or holding on to things because I'm going to get something because I I've done this action. So it's more about focusing on how you proceed. It's more about focusing on the journey that you have and letting the outcome be what it is, letting yourself be okay with whatever the outcome may be.
which is really interesting, right? Because we we're in this modern world of manifestation. Like, you know, like, whoa, let's all learn how to manifest. And I love hearing people say, I manifested that. I'm like, did you, or did you just really just work really hard and take action that resulted in an outcome that you wanted, right? And so we we've we're living in a society right now which is really focused on outcomes, really focused on what I can get, and probably more than.
what can I give? And also more than what can I experience? Because it's not really about the outcome or what you get when you do something or you take up a certain path, but it's more about the person that you become on the journey towards whatever it is that you're getting. You don't want to miss the beauty of the experience, or you don't want to miss the beauty of
the journey or the becoming, the process of becoming, because sometimes we we focus on the outcome and we're afraid we might fail, or we're even afraid that we might succeed. And we don't then go after, we we take no action because the fear holds us back from stepping into our full potential. So this gripping into holding onto the fear is limiting just as much as holding on to the outcome.
or holding on to the positions that I already have is just as limiting. So you want to be able to take risks towards your heart's desire. And the key is to take action with all your heart and to focus on that rather than whether you will succeed or fail. We like leave that behind and just say, I'm just gonna
I'm just gonna do this. I'm just going to bake this cake. I don't know if my pavlova is going to work out, but I'm going to make the pavlova with as much joy in my heart as possible and see whether I succeed or fail. I'm just using that as an example. And quite often in the yoga practice or even in world, in the world, like when we start making money or whatever it might be, like the progress can become
quite boosting for our ego. We start making progress in the direction. We start feeling confident and good, and we start measuring ourselves based on measuring our worth, measuring our capability based on the progress that we make. but the progress doesn't actually have to be the only reward of you taking action towards your goals, of you practicing yoga. The progress is
Is an outcome, but sometimes you could just focus on the sheer joy of moving towards your goals than and let go of any attachment to your progress and measuring yourself, like you know, when we're trying to lose weight and we focus more on the number on the scale than we focus on the person we're becoming when we learn to eat more plants.
during the course of the day and replace them with processed, you know, replace the processed food with plant-based food, and more natural homemade cooking versus takeaways, etc. So that that becoming versus the have I lost any weight? Have I not lost any weight? the outcome isn't the point. The person you become in the journey is the point.
So when you look at your home, how much stuff do you have? If you opened your wardrobe, how many pairs of shoes do you have? How many t-shirts that all look exactly the same do you have? And then how many do you actually need? Really? Like, I was contemplating this when I was preparing for this class because I was thinking about, you know, back in the olden days, they used to dan socks, they used to patch.
jeans. They would, you know, you'd have one pair of jeans or two pairs of jeans and and that would be enough. And and I'm guilty of this too. I have plenty of pairs of jeans in my wardrobe because I haven't changed shape, but I've bought new jeans or I've been given jeans that are hand-me-downs from other people. Like unashamedly take hand-me-downs if you want to give me any. So we have all of these things.
And when we're out in the mall shopping, quite often it's like, that's a beautiful pair of shoes. And the question you have to ask yourself is, Do I really need another pair of shoes? Because my wardrobe floor is covered in shoes right now. the more we weigh ourselves down with the material possessions, the more baggage that we start to worry about. and it
Ways out and the material possessions make us start to worry about losing those possessions. because we start to believe that something outside of us will solve our problems. And that's based on the sense of lack, which we have discussed in one of the earlier yamas. so there's, you know, I feel empty, so I need to eat some ice cream or I need to buy a pair of shoes, or
You know, it's a new season, so the shoes are all slightly different this season. So I'll buy a new pair of shoes. and and hold on to stuff and hold on to stuff and keep accumulating more and more and more stuff. You know, I I knew a person who one person owned three vehicles that they drove regularly.
And a couple of motorbikes and another vehicle that sat in the garage. And it's like, why does one person need so many vehicles? But they, you know, and then they would worry a lot about the vehicles being stolen or the or the other stuff that they had being stolen. And I'm not judging that, but I'm saying, like, what what is it about that need to hold on to those things and have all of those possessions?
within the person that that makes them think, I need, I need these things to make me feel validated or okay or or worthwhile or whatever it might be. I don't know. It's not a judgment. It's just an an observation. and talking about diets. So from an Ayurveda and yoga perspective, managing our diets are really important. And there's this level of like
Ayurveda 5,000 years ago was saying eat till you're 75 to 80% full. And now they're doing the blue zone diets, and they're finding that areas where the blue zone is, the people are eating till they're 75 to 80% full. So it's like not having to overeat. And overeating is seen as a hindrance in the yogic path. and and even on that, like most of the food waste.
In society, most of the waste in society is food and clothing. And most of the the waste that goes to our dumps that is picked up every week by the rubbish people is uneaten fresh food from our refrigerators. So that when we're shopping, how do you make sure that you're buying just enough to sustain you and that you eat the food that you have and that you eat? You know, I'm always kind of having this conversation with my children. It's like, don't
Cook up a toasted sandwich when they've got some leftover chicken pie. Eat the chicken pie. Don't let the chicken pie go off. You know, if you've got vegetables in the fridge, plan a meal to eat the vegetables so that we're not wasting. And same with the clothes, like the fast fashion is the biggest contributor to the dumps at the moment around the world.
so and that's this conscious consumerism of learning to think about like, do I really need to be buying this? And what part of me is needing to be buying this? And is there another way that I could be filling whatever it is that I'm looking for by purchasing this material possession or
like so non-greed, like accumulating more than I need, and holding on and becoming attached to my things. that I start to then define myself based on my positions versus based on who I am, because the yogic part says that nothing outside of you can define you and nothing outside of you can solve any of the problems that you have in your life. And yes,
Life is way more comfortable when you can pay your bills with ease and and go on holidays and all of that stuff. I'm not against creating a good income and a good living for your life. And that's not what we're saying here. We're saying like when you become overly attached, like check the attachment. Check what it is that you're attached to and why you're attached. because there's this ability to kind of ride the waves of life that Aparigraha brings.
Because what it really does is give you the opportunity to just notice life as it comes and as it goes. And even notice the the moments of your life where there's painful memories or positive memories that you hold on to. And
What is it about holding on to those memories? And notice how holding on to those memories are keeping you stuck in a place in the past and stealing from this experience of right now, or being attached to a fearful expectation or outcome in the future, or a positive outcome in the future is keeping you stuck in not seeing the beauty of the moment that you have in front of you right now. So it offers us.
Really big amounts of freedom are when you start practicing the sapatigraha, when you start like non-grasping and letting go of the need to accumulate and become attached to your things. I know I've had things stolen and you know, people with lots of possessions, I know, are worried about all of their things being stolen. And I'm I take a phil philosophical kind of perspective perspective, which is
That person obviously needed it more than I did in that moment. You know, no, it's not a nice experience, but at the same time, like my possessions can come and can go, and I can remain quite centered about that nowadays. so it gives you this freedom when you practice Aparigraha because it allows you to be present with what is actually happening.
And it letting it gives you the opportunity to let go of what was and what might be. And letting go of the need to accumulate and hold on to material possessions is freeing. So this practice is to see what happens for you when you just let go and allow what is to arrive and to leave on its own terms.
You will detach from things you no longer need and have more trust and confidence in things arriving when they will. It simplifies your own life. So that is a parikraha, the practice of non attachment, non greed, and non grasping. So a practice that you can do is to journal.
what are the things in your life that you're quite attached to that you worry about losing? Or what are the memories from your past, painful or positive, that you hold on to and you grasp onto? And and how is holding on to those memories holding you back from the beauty of the moment that you're living in now?
And then what are some outcomes that you are focused on achieving, or you're afraid of going after? So maybe there's a goal that you're striving towards, but you're striving so hard that you're missing the beauty of the process of becoming versus the outcome. Or that you are so afraid, you're afraid of.
Going for that goal. So you haven't taken any action. The fear is holding you back. And how is striving for the goal over enjoying the process of becoming stealing from the beauty of this moment in your life? Or how is the fear of not going for a goal, taking no action, stealing from your future potential?
And maybe take a look around in your home and maybe it's time to start planning for a spring cleanse. I know we're straight in the middle of winter right now, but what are some of the things that you could start decluttering around your house? And as you notice the declutter, just notice how freeing it is as you become lighter as you let go of the material possessions. Like I I've go through my wardrobe quite frequently and and
get rid of things and there's nights where I lie in bed and I think, I wish I still had that dress. But I don't. And it's okay because I probably would have only worn it once. again. So, so what are the things that you can declutter in your home? I like to live quite simply, but I also have two teenagers who bring things into the house, you know, and that's okay. So there's the
Letting go. And next time you go to buy something, maybe wait 24 hours and go back the next day if you still think you need to buy it. And look at what is it inside of you that is this a real need or is this a want? And what are you trying to fill by purchasing that item? So take some time.
Go back to those questions, write them down and journal your answers and maybe uncover some insights into why you might be holding on to certain things and not letting go. And then see if there's a way that you can become more at peace with the flow of life, allowing things to arrive when they arrive, and more importantly, allowing things to go when they go.
Namaste
