I've started practicing yoga since end of 2010. It is one of the most beneficial activity that I've adopted into my life. I felt natural in many of the yoga poses as they reminded me of playtime in my childhood.
This year, I received a book as a gift from a dear friend who's also a practicing yogi. It's titled "Meditations from the Mat". This book presented the practicing of yoga from a 8-limb perspective, and it is in the form of a journal where the author created a passage for each day.
I've just finished the chapters in Yamas and Niyamas, the don'ts and do's of a yogi. Though they are ancient doctrines, the author had interprete them from a modern perspective, which makes it easier for aspired yogis like myself to adopt.
While learning about the Yamas, the author suggested to go over the 5 aspects of Yamas during decision making process and contemplation. They are "non-violence", "non-stealing", "truthfullness", "non-hoarding", and "moderation". It's not easy to adhere to all the Yamas in every moment, but I tried to remind myself as often as possible, so that I can be conscious of my choices and their impacts. There were times when I couldn't remember 1 or 2 of the Yamas, and I feel that perhaps that is an indicator of what I need to work on more.
"Moderation" is the one Yama that I had troubled with the most. Perhaps it has something to do with the culture I was brought up in, or perhaps it's a habit passed down from my parents, there are too many times when I over indulged on pleasing the senses or emotions. It'll be a work in progress for a while. Becoming aware of it, at least, is a good start.
As far as Niyamas go, I have even more work to do.
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