his article excerpt covers Yoga Sutra 2.39 and centers around the Sanksrit word: Aparigraha. Again, what you read below is an introduction to the Yoga Sutras and a part of our broader series covering the Yoga Sutras for Beginners, which is 15 article excerpts in total.
Each of the article excerpts within this series will give you a sneak peek into the wonderful work created by Yogi and author, Melissa Lavery, whose complete book, The Yogic Lifestyle is available at select distributors throughout the US as well as Amazon’s online bookstore.
All content excerpts are provided with permission by the publisher.
The book itself is organized into 3 parts and further divided into each of the 15 categories below:
The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Relationships
- Shanti: How to Maintain Personal Peace and Power in Relationships
- Yama: How to Eliminate Suffering and Cultivate a Better Relationship with the World
- Niyama: How to Cultivate a Better Relationship with Yourself and Commit to Personal Self-Care
- Pratipaksa Bhavana: How to Navigate Conflicting World-views and Build Relationships with Anyone
- Samadhi: How the Inner Journey Toward Self Will Bring You Closer to the Divine Consciousness
The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Health
- Asana: The Health Benefits of a Physical Practice (On and Off the Mat)
- Pranayama: How to Maintain Health Through Breath Awareness
- Samyama: How to Travel the Meditative Path to Health and Wellness
- Nidra: How to Improve Your Sleep Quality to Enhance Health and Wellness
- Sauca: How Cleanliness Paves the Path to Holistic Health
The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Abundance
- Klesa: How to Eliminate Ego’s Control and Cultivate an Identity that Attracts Abundance
- Satya: How Authenticity Leads to Attracting Abundance
- Astreya: How to Practice Non-Stealing to Attract Wealth and Abundance
- Aparigraha: How the Practice of Non-Hoarding Can Benefit Your Wallet and Illumniate Your Path
- Sadhana: How Consistent Practice Creates a Strong Foundation for an Abundant Life
The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Freedom
Aparigraha: How the Practice of Non-Hoarding Can Benefit Your Wallet and Illuminate Your Path
When non-greed is confirmed, a thorough illumination of the how and why of one’s birth comes.
Attachment is the root of all suffering. The world’s greatest spiritual leaders and innovative thinkers agree that to cling to anything is a detriment to one’s quality of life. When we fear losing something, when we divert all our resources toward accumulation, or when we obsess over any temporary earthly possession, we commit a tremendous disservice to our life’s purpose: To Be.
Any number of material possessions, including life itself, can be the epicenter of focus, detracting from serious self-development:
- Physical appearance of the body
- Title and social status
- Fixation on power, prestige, and reputation
- Bank account balance
- House size and vehicle model
- Collection of valuables, memorabilia, and heirlooms
- Clothing, shoes, and apparel accumulation
Humans have the potential to hoard literally any possession, idea, and source of abundance. This hoarding can lead to a host of issues, to include
- Diminished resources for those in need
- Unhealthy attachment to material possessions and the ego (identity)
- Crippling anxiety over the loss of life or reputation
- Alienating friends, family, and coworkers by dominating conversations and ignoring the ideas of others
- Feeling obligated to reciprocate, instead of giving and receiving freely
- Maintaining rigid ideas and opinions, even to the detriment of one’s health and safety
- Living a life out of alignment with one’s purpose and gifts
These consequences bring us misery in the form of isolation, despair, and meaninglessness. When we act from the ego, we distort consciousness. Living a life according to the sūtras and practicing aparigrahā (non-hoarding) will provide a clear lens through which to inform our actions.
What is Aparigrahā and How Does It Lead to Wealth?
In Sanskrit, aparigrahā translates to “non-hoarding”. Ironically, letting go is the key to abundance. Think about a water faucet. If you keep it turned off, tightly, it will not produce water. You may think you are saving water this way, or you may be trying to lower your utility bill, but by preventing the flow of water, you are depriving yourself of essential hydration. It isn’t wise to hoard water. People need it to survive. We should maintain water sources, nourish our bodies, and share our supplies with others.
Everything works this way: money, clothing, shelter, advice, love, and even time. Nothing can be gathered, stored, and securely locked away. When we act in this way, we keep that which we withhold from serving its purpose. Preventing the flow of generosity, benefit, and divine design is not only unwise, it is what keeps us enslaved to the very possessions we hold so dear. By holding tightly to anything, we diminish its worth and prevent blessings from flowing our way.
Clinging to Life
The most common attachment we have is to our body, our life. This clinging is understandable, since it is the vehicle of existence. If the body is unwell, it is difficult to manage daily responsibilities and interactions. If the body is dead, well, then that is the end of the journey. It is scary to be sick or to face death. But clinging to life—the ego—provides us with a false sense of identity. We are not the body! We are Awareness, itself.
The ego is the human way of creating an identity. I am a teacher. I am a writer. I am a person. All of these labels describe what I do or how I think of myself. But when we label and identify with such roles, we create boundaries between ourselves and others. We are not separate, and we are not composed of these superficial circumstances. Even the words “I” and “mine” can be dangerous to realizing that which liberates. When we eliminate the labels and the ego’s insatiable need to be central to all decision making, then we take a step toward freedom.
… (end of excerpt)
The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Freedom
Wrapping Up
… to continue reading from this chapter of The Yogic Lifestyle: A Foundation for Freedom please visit and order from the book’s page on Amazon. Again, we hope you found this valuable and wish you health and happiness along your journey. Namaste.
