The Yogic Yamas as a Foundation for Plant Medicine Work and Spiritual Practice

Many ancient and holistic spiritual and healing systems involve some kind of preparation before any strong or intense transformative experience. In the Amazon Rainforest, a person may complete several plant dietas and receive many personal energetic cleansings to prepare their mind and body for drinking Ayahuasca. In Ayurvedic medicine, before undertaking the strong detoxification process panchakarma, a person will receive several days of preparation treatments through body therapies, herbs and a very specific diet. And in the Yoga system as outlined by Patanjali, the first practices to be observed, before considering attempting any of the physical postures, are the observation of the five Yamas, or retstraints.

The Yamas are a set of spiritual disciplines, outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, one of the oldest and most complete of the ancient Yogic texts, that one is advised to commit to following first, before embarking on any futher yoga practices. The five Yamas are Non-Harm or Non-Violence (ahimsa), Non-Stealing (asteya), Truthfulness (satya), Soverignity (Brahmacharya) and Non-Attachment (aparigraha).

I have always found the Yamas to be one of the most profound sets of spiritual guidelines in terms of how transformative committing to them can be, and they are often something that gets glossed over in modern Yoga in favour of the more physical postures and breathing practices. And in my years within the yoga, plant medicine and healing worlds, the relevance of the Yamas and the magic that can happen when we adhere to them becomes evermore clear. Where there is so much exposure coming out of abuse during medicine ceremonies, dangerously run ceremonies and yoga cults, I often think that if more people were committing to following the guidance of the Yamas, our spiritual and healing communities would look quite different.

I think of the Yamas as sacred restraints. Following the Yamas teaches us to be disciplined and, in general, the action of restricting or refraining from doing something tends to be purifying for us. Not only do we cultivate discipline and self awareness through adhering to the Yamas, but through navigating the challenges that come up for us as we commit to following them, we are able to shine a light on some of the fears and perceived limitations that are holding us back from our true self-knowledge and freedom.

1. Ahimsa Non-Violence/Non-Harm

'Harm none' comes before anything else - this first Yama invites us to consider the impacts of our actions upon others and not to take violent actions or actions that cause harm in any way. As with most of the Yogic and Vedic teachings, there are several different interpretations of how to observe ahimsa, ranging from the observation of a vegetarian diet to the monks who take the most careuful precautioms not to even step on a single ant. But overall, observing ahimsa is the recognition of the Divinity that exists within everything in this world and making the conscious effort not to cause harm to others as they, too, are a Divine part of creation.

It is heartbreaking that there are so many instances of abuse and harm in the healing, yoga and spiritual worlds. Alongside conscious ill-intentions, harm can be caused unconsciously through ignorance and neglect. Observing ahimsa not only means that we avoid taking harmful actions, but that we take a look at our shadow aspects and where we may be unconcisously causing harm through avoidance, arrogance or ignorance. And when the desire to cause harm is present, observing ahimsa gives us the opporunity to explore the personal fears at the root of that desire and shine a light on the aspects of ourselves that are ready to heal.

Ahimsa does not just apply to the external world but, most importantly, to how we treat ourselves. Observing ahimsa guides us to be conscious of our negative self-talk and of the beliefs and stories we live by that ultimatly do not serve our greatest wellebing. Practicing ahimsa towards ourselves, we can learn to cultivate self-love and compassion which then naturally expand into our actions in the wider world.

2. Asteya Non-Stealing

Observing asteya does not only mean not taking what is not ours to take, but taking only as much as we need from the Earth and not over-consuming or commodifying the rescouces we receive from the natural world. As psychoactive plants like Peyote, Ayahuasca and Wachuma have become more popular, they become at risk as their numbers decline. Observing asteya guides us to be aware of overuse and over-consumption, taking the plants and medicines that we need and no more.

Along with our awareness of physical objects and possessions, commitment to asteya also involves the non-stealing of others' time and energy. We can observe asteya by being respectful of others' time and space, by being punctual with our commitments, and by not taking more of another person's energy than we need.

Committing to asteya invites us to look at the roots of any desires we may have to take what is not ours or to take more than we need, and to confront the idea of lack which usually underlies these feelings, ultimately allowing us to experience a much greater depth of abundance in life.

3. Satya Truthfulness

Observing satya means that we commit to knowing the truth with the understanding that truth is alignment with the Divine. Much of the journey that we go on with the plant medicines, healing or spiritual practices is concerned with the unravelling of the truth, and the dissolving of deception or illusion, to bring us to a greater place of wisdom and clarity. Truthfulness requires us to be honest with ourselves, to live with integrity and to value the depth of experience and understanding that we realise when we align ourselves with what is true.

Ayahuasca can be especially helpful in unravelling the layers of illusion or deception that we carry with us, shining light onto the deeper truths within, and can be an incredible ally in our commitment to satya, often showing us just how destructive lies can be to our spiritual and overall wellbeing. Observing satya invites us to ask ourselves why we are driven to lie, either to others or to ourselves, allowing us to expose the fears, and often discomfort and suffering, that lie behind our deceptions and excuses. Through committing to satya, we are given the opportunity to be completely honest with ourselves and to receive the peace and clarity that come with being in alignment with what is real.

4. Brahmacharya Sovereignity

I've seen far more different interpretations of Brahmacharya than any of the other Yamas. The literal translation is Bramha - the Supreme Consciousness/Divine, and Charya - behaviour or conduct; so to conduct ourselves or behave in accordance with what is Divine. Brahmacharya is often equated with celibacy and is also often translated to mean to use our energy with awareness or to be true to ourselves. I chose sovereignity as a translation for Brahmacharya because the best interpretations, in my understanding, are those that consider Brahmacharya to be acting with awareness of our wholeness and not losing our energy to those things that do not serve us.

There are many ways that we can lose energy, or use our energy inappropriately, and one of the reasons that Brahmacharya is so often equated with celibacy is because it is often in romantic and sexual relationships that we have the most complicated energetic exchanges - so much so that some yogis have deemed it more effective to completely refrain than to master how we use our energy within our relationships. Observering Brahmacharya invites us to look at how we use our energy in our lives, to understand where we lose energy to people, objects and ideas, and to reclaim our lost energy and our sense of wholeness. Practicing Brahmacharya means that we do not indulge in excesses that lead to sickness or unhappiness, that we behave moderately, and that we take full responsibility for our actions without blaming our circumstances on others.

Conscious use of our energy isn't something we are taught in school, and throughout the plant medicine, healing and spiritual worlds cases often arise of inappropriate sexual relationships or unhealthy power dynamics that do not serve the healing of the person receiving the treatments. Practicing Brahmacharya means that we develop an awareness of the energetic exchanges within our interactions with others and learn to behave appropriately, keeping clear and healthy boundaries, and without taking advantage of positions of power or exploiting others, as well as being aware of how we use our energy and mainain our boundaries in situations where we ourselves may be open to exploitation or unhealthy power dynamics.

Ayahyasca and Wachuma are both great at showing us where we may be losing energy or where we are not using our energy for our greatest wellbeing. Through understanding our energetic interactions in the world and refraining from indulging in the people, objects or ideas where our energy gets lost, we are able to reclaim our sense of wholeness and understand who we truly are much more deeply, usually experiencing profound improvements in our health and wellbeing at the same time.

5. Aparigraha Non-Grasping/Non-Attachment

Observing aparigraha means that we recognise that nothing in this world is permanent and that everything is constantly in a state of change and will eventually come to an end. Instead of clinging to material posessions, people, situations and ideas, we realise that they will not be that way forever and learn to enjoy their presence in our lives whilst accepting that, at some point, it will all change. Aparigraha is a reminder that attaching ourselves to anything external will only lead to greif and suffering when it does eventually transistion into something else, and so we let it go and allow it to be without holding onto it or allowing its presence, or lack of, to affect our happiness..

Practicing aparigraha can be a powerful tool in our plant medicine and healing work because it allows us to let go of wounds from past events and traumas, and unhelpful ideas about ourselves, much more easily. It can sometimes be very easy to cling on to things that have happened to us, believing that in some way they contribute to who we are, and through observing aparigraha we are able to see the truth of their transience, let them go with less resisitance, and accept change more gracefully, ultimately making space for healthier new beginnings and new cycles in our lives.

Committing to the Yamas

Unless you had a spiritual upbringing or background, for most people mastering the Yamas will not come overnight. There is so much complexity within the understanding of each one that I believe true mastery of the Yamas would take many lifetimes, but the smallest changes in awareness can have profoundly transformative effects. One way to bring the observation of the Yamas into your life is to pick one to bring into your yoga, medtation or other spiritual or physical practice, and to practice with the observation of that Yama. This might mean speaking to yourself more kindly as you practice, or not pushing yourself past your limits, it may mean committing to showing up to your class on time, or to let go of any attachments to ideas that you have around receiving specific results. The effects of your practice will naturally overflow into your life and you will begin to notice a difference in your insights and behaviour without even trying.

Another way to begin to observe the Yamas is through meditation and journalling exercises, spending time exploring your relationship with each one and perhaps your feelings around that discipline. This can be especially helpful if you are looking to reveal fears and limiting beliefs and to reflect upon yourself more deeply. And with any spiritual practice or process, remember that ahimsa always comes first, and that is especially and most importantly towards yourself. Approaching the Yamas, or any spiritual or healing work, with self-compassion and self-forgiveness will bring you the greatest rewards.