April 30, 2025 • 29 mins
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In this eye-opening episode, Giana Giarrusso is joined by fellow yoga teacher Dee Doyno to explore the Yamas, yoga’s often-overlooked ethical foundation from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. These five powerful principles—Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha—were written over 2,300 years ago, yet they remain deeply relevant to how we live, love, and show up in today’s world.
Think of the Yamas as yoga’s moral compass—offering a framework for living with more awareness, compassion, and alignment:
- Ahimsa (non-violence): Discover how practicing gentleness with yourself can be just as radical as standing up to harm.
- Satya (truthfulness): Explore the tension between “your truth” and the truth in a culture of curated identities.
- Asteya (non-stealing): Learn how we unconsciously steal time, energy, and joy—and how to stop.
- Brahmacharya (moderation): Reclaim your energy in a world addicted to overstimulation.
- Aparigraha (non-possessiveness): Release expectations, detach from outcomes, and make space for peace.
Through personal stories—like setting boundaries on social media and learning to honor time commitments—Giana and Dee bring these ancient teachings to life in a relatable, often humorous way. They also introduce their upcoming Deepen Your Practice challenge, beginning May 1st, designed to help you apply these teachings in real time within a supportive community.
Whether you're new to yoga philosophy or looking to take your practice off the mat, this episode will inspire you to explore the deeper dimensions of yoga—and of yourself.
Join the challenge before May 2nd by visiting CLICKING HERE
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Nearly Enlightened Podcast, a high
vibe toolbox designed to helpyou connect to your body, mind
and spirit.
I'm your host, gianna Giarusso,and today I'm here to share
tools, conversations andinsights to help you on your
journey of self-discovery.
This podcast is all aboutexploring what it means to live
a conscious, connected andnearly enlightened life, because
the truth is, the answers don'tlie outside of us, they're
(00:24):
already within, and today is theperfect conversation for this
podcast.
Welcome back, dee.
Thank you for having me.
So this is a bonus episode ifyou're listening this week, and
this is because Dee and I have ayoga challenge, a deepen your
practice challenge that islaunching on May 1st.
(00:45):
So if you're listening to this,this is just like a little
extra inspiration or just alittle extra conversation around
these topics.
If you're not taking thechallenge, this is just a way to
explore yoga.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I'm so excited to have you.
I'm so excited to start thischallenge with you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Thank you.
Likewise, I'm really excited tosee how this all plays out, and
I'm really excited.
I think you said we have about40 people signed up, which is
really exciting, and let's just,let's dive in.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So the first day, day one, may 1st, we're getting
right into it.
We're starting with the Yamas.
So the Yamas are one um, onelimb, one of yoga.
It's the very beginning.
It's um.
I wanted to talk about all ofthe limbs of yoga because I feel
like in modern practices wereally only talk about like one
(01:46):
or two limbs breath work,definitely asana, the physical
practice, maybe a little bitabout meditation, but we just
kind of like glimpse over it andreally it's just about the
breath and the movement.
So I really wanted to bringlight to these other limbs of
yoga that kind of get glancedover in modern practice.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, I think it's as we continue to say.
It's definitely a conversationthat you and I have had many
times, and so that's the basisof this whole challenge is to
kind of, you know, touch on thethings that you won't even
probably hear about in yourasana class and to bring honor
to the practice that's over5,000 years old.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yes, and we were talking briefly about that.
So these we're not like pullingthis out of thin air.
This came from the yoga sutrasof Patanjali, which are a
collection of philosophicaltexts attributed to the sage Pat
and Jolly, and these sutraswere written like roughly 2000,
2,300 years ago.
(02:51):
So it's probably when thepractice stopped being verbally
passed down and people startedto like write some things down
and create texts.
So this comes right from one ofthe oldest texts.
And I didn't even start talkingabout the yoga sutras until my
300 hour and I had done two 200hours and we didn't talk about
(03:15):
it in either one of those 200hours.
So I think it's reallyinteresting because we do have a
lot of teachers signed up forthis challenge, which is so fun
and so amazing.
Um, yeah, so I know that'sunique, maybe to my situation,
but yeah, so I went through two200 hours without discussing the
yoga sutras, and I think that'sinteresting yeah, and I think I
(03:40):
think for my 200 hour it was arequired reading.
Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, and I think you know it is.
Some of these older texts arevery difficult to read or to
understand, and so I think youknow, when it's broken down into
ways where we can make itdigestible for people who might
not know about the eight limbsof yoga is one of our main goals
(04:07):
for all this.
So we are going to do just thatand, as you mentioned, we're
going to start the first week.
We're going to do the yamas,which are the first, one of the
first limbs of the eight limbedpath, and it's the yamas are all
about.
Basically like I mean correctme if I'm wrong but like moral
(04:29):
restraints here.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yes, ethical principles.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, disciplines that govern our behaviors.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
So I think of the first two limbs of yoga, the
yamas and the niyamas, kind ofas like the 10 commandments.
They're like very similar whenyou get into it and I know we
might be coming from differentreligions, different backgrounds
, non-religious, but it's justlike moral guidelines and it
even takes it one step further,which I think is cool.
Yeah, I love that.
(04:58):
So week one we're diving intothe yamas and day one is Ahimsa,
non-violence.
And I am really sorry, do notcome for me if I am pronouncing
any of the sanskrit wrong.
I am doing my best.
Um, and I do want to give deephonor to the roots and where
this actually came from, becauseappropriation is definitely
(05:21):
something that can come up and,um, like, I want to give deep
honor to, to this practice andwhere it actually originated
from, which was india.
Um, so ahimsa, non-violence.
If my sanskrit isn't perfect,I'm sorry, I don't speak italian
perfectly either.
Sometimes I don't speak Englishperfectly either.
(05:43):
Um, hymns of non-violence,having self-compassion and being
gentle with yourself, um.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
This is our very first limb, very first
subsection of the first limb ofthe yamas yes, yeah, and I think
this one you know you can gothis one always is interesting
to me because you can take thisas deep or, as you know, as you
wanted to.
(06:15):
A lot of people will say usethis one specifically, because
there are a lot of yogi andyoginis, practitioners, who will
say you, you know that this isour vegetarian or vegan because
of ahimsa.
So if you ever hear about that,that's one of the things, but
it's also very much so, like youjust said, self-compassion and
(06:37):
treating yourself with kindnessand allowing that to ripple out
outwards.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yes, and even if you're talking about it in the
sense of the physical practiceof yoga, sometimes that
nonviolence can be being gentlewith yourself and not going
beyond what your body wants orneeds or is calling for, and
you're moving through a place ofego like and teach it.
And I'm sure a lot of teachersin this challenge can relate,
(07:02):
like you see a lot when you'reteaching classes and you see
where people go beyond Um, andeven you yourself in your own
practice, like going beyond whatis good for your body, like um.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I always say, and I always, when I'm teaching, I
always say, like find your sweetspot and don't push past Like
you want to, you want to feel it, but you don't want to be
hurting yourself.
And that's, you know, can gofrom physical into mental too.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Right, and this is a good reminder for me, because I
tend to push my classes, mypowery classes tend to be very
powery, um, and I really I pridemyself in pushing people out of
their comfort zone, but in asafe way, and um, I think that's
where ahimsa really shows up in, in the classroom, in the yoga
studio.
(07:52):
Um, good point, yeah, and andthinking about taking it off the
mat, non-violence, like beingnon-violent with others and at
yourself, and um, you know, Ithink in my early yogic days,
like that probably is why I wasalso vegetarian, um, because I
do so many people love animalsand their souls too, so um yeah,
(08:21):
I mean, and there's so many.
there's so much forinterpretation, Like I'm almost
at a loss for words.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, there is, and so that's what I mean.
Like you can take it as deep asyou want.
This challenge is for you toexplore with.
So, you know, if you want tomaybe do like, if that's kind of
what you want to explore, youcould always say like, okay, you
know, like one day a week I'mgoing to eat complete veg, cool,
(08:48):
awesome, like that's.
If that's something you don'tnormally do and you want to
explore that, you know you coulduse the hymns as bring that
into your everyday life in thatway.
If that's what works for you,it could be, you know, waking up
and saying three really nicethings about yourself to
yourself in the mirror.
You know you could.
There's so many different waysyou could go.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So many different ways.
So that is a little bit aboutday one, ahimsa, and we'll just
keep going along.
We'll talk.
This week We'll talk.
So these are going to be littlebonus episodes.
So this week we'll talk.
So these are going to be littlebonus episodes.
So this week we'll talk aboutjust week.
Actually, it's really just thefirst four or five days, so
we're just talking about theYamas and then we'll record a
(09:32):
second podcast for the Niyamasand we'll kind of follow this
through the challenge.
So this is just like a littleextra, just inspiration or
information for those that mightnot know so day two.
We're moving into satya andtruthfulness, and this is all
(09:52):
about truthful, being truthfuland authentic, and I think this
is a really importantconversation to have in today's
um worlds, because we hear a lotabout like my truth and your
truth, and truth is notsubjective, and this is a really
important conversation to haveand to bring to the masses, to
(10:15):
have these conversations in yogaclasses, about truthfulness and
the practice of satya, becauseI think one of the reframes that
we could use in today's societyis it's not your truth, that's
not my truth.
There's only one truth and yourtruth is feelings, it's emotions
(10:36):
, it's thoughts, it's um, notalways truth.
Yeah, so I think that this iswhere the practice can kind of
come off the mat and and we cantake it to today's society and
and start with ourselves, startbeing truthful, like, is this
the truth or is this how I'mfeeling?
(10:58):
Is this what's coming up for me?
Is this something that's beingtriggered in me?
So I think it's an interestingconversation to have and I'm
actually really excited about itand really excited to see
everyone's perspectives on Satya.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, that's a really good point.
That's kind of spicy, Reallyspicy.
I don't think I need to sayvery much more to that, Just
because I think to even likethink about everything that
could stem from this.
You know, like things that weexperience nowadays, like with
cancel, culture and all thisstuff because of people's
(11:35):
feelings and opinions, and youknow, you know, living in your
truth.
You know, living in your truth,no-transcript um, which I you
know, but I think that, yeah,it'll be really interesting to
(11:56):
see how, how this comes out.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, and I know we both have been through break
method and have done the uh, theself-study through break method
and I think that's a reallygood.
It kind of is a really goodmirror to to kind of see those
reflections of like is this myperspective?
Is this skewed through myexperiences, the lens that I'm
(12:23):
looking at things, or is thisactually the truth, the truth
with a capital T?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, no, for real.
Yeah, Is this my rose coloredglasses?
Are these the patterns thatI've lived my whole life?
And that's why I believe this,that this is the truth, my truth
, your truth.
Yeah, exactly yeah.
So you know what that is andhow can you maybe just make a
tiny little shift in your life?
(12:51):
How could you make a tinylittle shift in your life to
understand this concept or bringit into your everyday life?
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yes, and that brings us to moving into day three
Astea, astea I've heard itpronounced both ways
Non-stealing, and this one is aninteresting one.
And this one is an interestingone again.
Like, um, if you're coming fromlike a christian or catholic
background, this is very muchlike, feels like part of the ten
(13:20):
commandments non-stealing.
It just feels like somethingthat's common sense and we can
think about it in the tangible,physical sense which I think a
lot of people tend to go there,like, oh, don't go into a store
and steal something, but, um,this goes way beyond um, just
(13:42):
like physical things, because wecan be non-stealing of time, of
energy, or we could be stealingof energy and time, um, and
this is a, this is a big one forme.
And again, this can get spicywhen I teach.
I teach very regularly.
I teach about 10 classes a week.
Everyone knows this about me bynow but always in those classes
(14:06):
it's like the same three peoplethat are always late, always
late, always late, always late,always late.
And it's fine, like I wouldrather you get here, get the
time, get on your mat, but therecomes a point where we can go
and we can be honest withourselves, we can have a good
truthful look at ourselves.
We can practice Satya.
(14:26):
And why are you chronicallylate?
Are you always hitting that bus?
Or like you're leaving on timebut, like things happen, you get
distracted, or are you pushingit to the last minute?
Are you always rushing?
Do you have bad time managementskills?
Um, like, what is the storythat you're telling yourself?
Because now you move into, youare stealing energy from the
(14:49):
people who are here on time.
You're stealing your own energyby not being on time, um, and
this is something that we talkabout, like later in the yamas
and the niyamas, but like havingthis discipline and for me,
like I really feel like yoga isa practice of, of discipline and
um, so yeah, non, going back tonon-stealing now I'm like
(15:10):
really down a rabbit hole.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, no, I think even too, I really like the
perspective of likeenergetically.
Sometimes, if I'm like you know, it's very I have a four year
old it's very easy for me tofeel frustrated on a daily basis
and if I am, you know, if Isnap or if I, like you know, act
a way that I don't want to act,I kind of have to take myself
(15:35):
aside and say okay, am Istealing someone's joy?
Am I stealing my son's joy hereby saying no, or am I stealing?
You know what I mean?
Like, even even if with aperson, if I'm having a
difficult conversation withsomeone, you know, I always am
trying to find that space where,yeah, like you were saying, the
(15:56):
energy of being kind, you knowso, even to practicing Ahimsa
here, it's like they all kind offlow together.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
They really do.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So that you're not stealing someone's joy, time,
energy, things I use that onthings.
Yeah, yes, of course, I feellike that's the most tangible
one and obvious one that you canthink of and just, yeah, being
able to make those smalladjustments and maybe get a
little bit of a differentperspective.
(16:29):
There's other ways you cansteal from people.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think we'll talk about it
more in the emails too.
So if you want to sign up forthat, you have until May 2nd.
We're going to close.
We're going to close everythingdown on the night of May 2nd.
So if you're listening to thisbefore and you want to jump in
there is still time I will linkit in the show notes or you can
(16:53):
reach out to one of us onInstagram or social media and
we'll be happy to share thatlink with you.
And that moves us into day four, which is brahmacharya
moderation and finding balance.
And this one is um and this oneis.
(17:21):
There's many ways to interpretthis one um, some people I'm
gonna just I don't want tobutcher it so a lot of people
take this as um, like sexualrestraint and celibacy.
Um, and chastity I've heard itframed that way, which is very
(17:43):
interesting um, and I think thisone too kind of like flows into
like we were just speakingabout.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
it also works with your energy and what you're
where, where, how, why you'respending your energy and what
you're spending it on.
I think it also is really easythis one to bring out of the
physical and into mental,emotional, more like, more when
we're speaking about it morally.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Um, I like, I like that how you put that.
Um, because it is like anenergy check-in for self and and
for others think about it.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Like even just think about it too, like with this
challenge, like which we'll getinto in the later weeks, like
how much energy and time are youspending on this?
Like what are you?
Come back to the beginning Ithink we mentioned this in the
other podcast like set yourintention for this challenge,
don't you know?
Be social and have fun with it,but are like you know also I
want to say it because it's notabout deprivation, but like
(18:49):
having those discipline,disciplines in space, so that
you're finding balance in thepractice and in, because I
guarantee you, so many of us inthis challenge are spending too
much time on social media oh mygosh, yes and um.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Like I I always this is like my thing, like I throw
myself into something and Ithink I told you this like my
may, may is absolutely insane.
I was like what was I thinking?
Like I was feeling all of this,like maybe Gemini energy
starting to come in and mybirthday month and starting to
get excited and just througheverything in May, because I'm
ready to like gear up.
And you were the perfectreminder.
(19:32):
You were like, okay, well, letme know what you need, like let
me know what I can help you with, and because you need to enjoy
this too, and having thatbalance and moderation and not
just like putting the blinderson.
And I think, like I said, a lotof us are teachers in this
challenge, which is interesting,and when you first begin your
journey, you're so serious andyou take yoga so seriously and
(19:56):
you kind of like forget to havefun.
So I think that this is aperfect little check in to be
like okay, but is this still fun?
Because this, if you're doingit right, it should be fun.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
It should bring you joy, it should make you feel
lighthearted totally yeah, andso it's like this, as you just
said, it's like an energeticcheck-in and a sacred pause in
your life, in your daily life.
Just, you know, even setting I,I have timers on my phones for
certain apps, like, okay, whenthe hour's up, it's done.
You know there's certain thingsyou can do and, like you were
(20:30):
saying, as teachers, as moms,you know, you know, in my world,
I have to see, okay, where am Ioverextending myself?
Do have I?
Have I given myself any timespace?
You know and this is something,too, I worked a lot with in
break method that you mentionedabove in the self-study is am I,
are my behaviors reflective ofthe fact that I haven't taken
(20:52):
time to restore and balance myown energy so that I can
continue to walk forward in ahappy and loving way, or am I
overextending myself to everyonearound me and then I just act
like a complete lunatic?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
you know?
Yes, Because when you reachthat point where you feel spread
thin and like you're, you'reoverextended like you're.
You're overextended like you'rejust not acting as yourself in
your truthfulness, you can't,yeah, you can't.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
There's, no, there's no way for you to do it if
you're, you know, as they say,the candle lit on both ends.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So finding a way that you can nourish yourself, it's
like that, the classic fillingup your own cup so that you fill
over yes, and like I reallyhope and pray and like you said,
we had a couple intentions oflike why we were doing this and
I hope that it is this is morenourishing than feels like work.
(21:49):
Yes, this challenge like Idon't want it to feel
challenging, I want- it to feelnourishing yes, yes, totally
agree with you there totally.
And that brings us to the lastof the yamas, which is a
parigraha.
Non-possessiveness is again.
(22:14):
You can take it to tangibleitems or it can be more of a it
can be a thought, it can be apattern.
I think about this like assomebody who has had bouts of
anxiety, letting go of theoutcome, like even this, like I
(22:35):
like creating this challengelike it could have brought up a
lot of anxiety for me, andsometimes I still get.
I'm like nervous, excited forit because you don't know what
people are going to think.
And now, like a decent amountof people are signed up, so it's
like okay, now you have 40people's opinions that are going
to be coming at you, so thatcan induce anxiety.
(22:55):
But like letting go of theoutcome and again, like bringing
it back to my roots, it's likelet go and let God, like you
have to, kind of you put thework in and you let the rest.
Kind of let the chips fallwhere they may, as they say.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, exactly, letting go of expectations.
And I know, for me, the personI am, um, and especially you
know tapping and I like to tapinto my human design a lot, and
for me, specifically, if I, if I, attach any expectation to
specific outcomes, it createschaos in my life.
(23:34):
So the fact that, even justkind of going along with what
you were just saying about, youknow, this challenge for both
you and I, I exactly did justthat.
I threw my hands up and I waslike we're going to just do that
, do this, and we're going tofigure it out as we go and we're
going to have fun with it.
I think that that's the thingand that's where the flow comes
in.
And I'm pleasantly surprisedwith the turnout that we have.
(23:56):
And you know, I think thatthat's where, that's where the
fun does come in is when you'redoing things in a way that feels
, you know, with intention, thatfeels good for you and let the
pressure off.
Let's let the pressure go.
There's no one, you know we'rethe only ones putting pressure
on ourselves.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yes, Someone, one of my, one of my teachers, like
when I first started yoga, usedto say like when you worry about
something, you just like, youdouble your suffering.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, you feed that instead of, you know, just
letting it happen, right, yeah.
So even so, you could take thisagain.
You could take it as you know,cleaning out your mind or your
heart, or you could think aboutthis, about cleaning out your
closet.
I know, in the northernnorthern hemisphere it's spring,
(24:46):
spring time, spring.
Do some spring cleaning, seewhat you can donate, see, you
know.
So there's there's.
The fun thing about thischallenge is, again, you know,
you can take it physically whatdo you need right now?
exactly and as the days go by,you know, know, you can just
figure out okay, no, I need todo this today, or I need, I'm
(25:07):
going to focus on my you knowthe physical state and you know,
with this one, I think thiswill fit really good with my
emotions and everything.
So there's so many, there's abig pendulum here that you can
swing to and from and apply itto your own life.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, and that's why I'm so excited about this
challenge and I'm so excited tohear other perspectives, because
that's part of the challengetoo, and when you get your
prompts.
So if you're not in thechallenge, or if you are in the
challenge and want inspirationfrom others, click that hashtag
deep in your practice, becauseeverything um everyone's hosts
(25:47):
will be there and I'm excited tosee the different perspectives,
because this is a 5 000 yearold practice and a 5 000 year
old science that's been passeddown verbally for thousands of
years and um like I think thatis why this has lasted for so
(26:07):
long because these principleswork, and also the teachers that
have passed it down what theirperspectives have been exactly,
yeah, and that's why, too,there's so many different um
styles of yoga nowadays too,because it's it's been passed
down for thousands and thousandsof years.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
But I think, especially in the West, it's
important for us to honor wherethis practice is coming from,
and this is a really beautifulway, I think, um to do that and
to begin or to just remindyourself, if you are a teacher
and you've been practicing foryears, doing this and going
through it, just to kind of like, you know, energetically,
(26:50):
cleanse yourself and bring thatand ask yourself how can I bring
this actually into one of myclasses?
Or how can I bring this and, youknow, carry it in or or
motivate and inspire my studentsto learn a little bit more,
because I think that that'swhere the ripple effect happens.
So it is really interesting.
We have so many teachers inhere and I'm excited and I did
(27:11):
want to mention, you know, ifyou're not doing it on Instagram
and you're still going toparticipate and receive these
emails and you hear this podcast.
You know, send us an email Ifthere's something you're really
interested in or know you havefeedback, like, I would love to
hear if you know if you're goingthrough this, like how it's
going for you.
Send send us an email and letus know how it's going for you,
(27:33):
because I think that that'simportant too yes, we're all.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
We're both very accessible via social media um
email, so we'll be checkingdaily as well.
So if you need us, reach out.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Yep, you'll have support from us.
And then the other thing, too,is like it's as a social media
challenge, like be social.
Gianna and I met online.
Yes, so it's.
You know, these are ways whereyou can find soul sisters or
soul tribes, so don't be afraidto connect with other people who
(28:09):
are in this challenge.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Maybe we'll have to do some bonus points for like,
for like commenting or something.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah, I think that I think as we start flowing, we'll
be able to add a little bitmore on that and maybe go
through weekly and have sometallies or something, I don't
know.
So people can get get moreexcited and motivated.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Well, thank you all for being here and look out for
these bonus episodes um comingthrough the month of May through
our deepen your practicechallenge.
Thank you so much for tuninginto today's episode of the
nearly enlightened podcast.
If this conversation resonatedwith you, I would love it.
If you shared it, leave areview or reach out and let me
know your thoughts.
(28:54):
And if you're looking for moreways to deepen your connection
to body, mind and spirit, checkout the meditate to elevate
guided meditation portal orvisit nearly enlightenedcom for
more resources.
Until next time, stay curious,stay connected and remember the
answers already lie within.
Welcome to the Nearly Enlightened Podcast, a high
vibe toolbox designed to helpyou connect to your body, mind
and spirit.
I'm your host, gianna Giarusso,and today I'm here to share
tools, conversations andinsights to help you on your
journey of self-discovery.
This podcast is all aboutexploring what it means to live
a conscious, connected andnearly enlightened life, because
the truth is, the answers don'tlie outside of us, they're
(00:24):
already within, and today is theperfect conversation for this
podcast.
Welcome back, dee.
Thank you for having me.
So this is a bonus episode ifyou're listening this week, and
this is because Dee and I have ayoga challenge, a deepen your
practice challenge that islaunching on May 1st.
(00:45):
So if you're listening to this,this is just like a little
extra inspiration or just alittle extra conversation around
these topics.
If you're not taking thechallenge, this is just a way to
explore yoga.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I'm so excited to have you.
I'm so excited to start thischallenge with you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Thank you.
Likewise, I'm really excited tosee how this all plays out, and
I'm really excited.
I think you said we have about40 people signed up, which is
really exciting, and let's just,let's dive in.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So the first day, day one, may 1st, we're getting
right into it.
We're starting with the Yamas.
So the Yamas are one um, onelimb, one of yoga.
It's the very beginning.
It's um.
I wanted to talk about all ofthe limbs of yoga because I feel
like in modern practices wereally only talk about like one
(01:46):
or two limbs breath work,definitely asana, the physical
practice, maybe a little bitabout meditation, but we just
kind of like glimpse over it andreally it's just about the
breath and the movement.
So I really wanted to bringlight to these other limbs of
yoga that kind of get glancedover in modern practice.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, I think it's as we continue to say.
It's definitely a conversationthat you and I have had many
times, and so that's the basisof this whole challenge is to
kind of, you know, touch on thethings that you won't even
probably hear about in yourasana class and to bring honor
to the practice that's over5,000 years old.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yes, and we were talking briefly about that.
So these we're not like pullingthis out of thin air.
This came from the yoga sutrasof Patanjali, which are a
collection of philosophicaltexts attributed to the sage Pat
and Jolly, and these sutraswere written like roughly 2000,
2,300 years ago.
(02:51):
So it's probably when thepractice stopped being verbally
passed down and people startedto like write some things down
and create texts.
So this comes right from one ofthe oldest texts.
And I didn't even start talkingabout the yoga sutras until my
300 hour and I had done two 200hours and we didn't talk about
(03:15):
it in either one of those 200hours.
So I think it's reallyinteresting because we do have a
lot of teachers signed up forthis challenge, which is so fun
and so amazing.
Um, yeah, so I know that'sunique, maybe to my situation,
but yeah, so I went through two200 hours without discussing the
yoga sutras, and I think that'sinteresting yeah, and I think I
(03:40):
think for my 200 hour it was arequired reading.
Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, and I think you know it is.
Some of these older texts arevery difficult to read or to
understand, and so I think youknow, when it's broken down into
ways where we can make itdigestible for people who might
not know about the eight limbsof yoga is one of our main goals
(04:07):
for all this.
So we are going to do just thatand, as you mentioned, we're
going to start the first week.
We're going to do the yamas,which are the first, one of the
first limbs of the eight limbedpath, and it's the yamas are all
about.
Basically like I mean correctme if I'm wrong but like moral
(04:29):
restraints here.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yes, ethical principles.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, disciplines that govern our behaviors.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
So I think of the first two limbs of yoga, the
yamas and the niyamas, kind ofas like the 10 commandments.
They're like very similar whenyou get into it and I know we
might be coming from differentreligions, different backgrounds
, non-religious, but it's justlike moral guidelines and it
even takes it one step further,which I think is cool.
Yeah, I love that.
(04:58):
So week one we're diving intothe yamas and day one is Ahimsa,
non-violence.
And I am really sorry, do notcome for me if I am pronouncing
any of the sanskrit wrong.
I am doing my best.
Um, and I do want to give deephonor to the roots and where
this actually came from, becauseappropriation is definitely
(05:21):
something that can come up and,um, like, I want to give deep
honor to, to this practice andwhere it actually originated
from, which was india.
Um, so ahimsa, non-violence.
If my sanskrit isn't perfect,I'm sorry, I don't speak italian
perfectly either.
Sometimes I don't speak Englishperfectly either.
(05:43):
Um, hymns of non-violence,having self-compassion and being
gentle with yourself, um.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
This is our very first limb, very first
subsection of the first limb ofthe yamas yes, yeah, and I think
this one you know you can gothis one always is interesting
to me because you can take thisas deep or, as you know, as you
wanted to.
(06:15):
A lot of people will say usethis one specifically, because
there are a lot of yogi andyoginis, practitioners, who will
say you, you know that this isour vegetarian or vegan because
of ahimsa.
So if you ever hear about that,that's one of the things, but
it's also very much so, like youjust said, self-compassion and
(06:37):
treating yourself with kindnessand allowing that to ripple out
outwards.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yes, and even if you're talking about it in the
sense of the physical practiceof yoga, sometimes that
nonviolence can be being gentlewith yourself and not going
beyond what your body wants orneeds or is calling for, and
you're moving through a place ofego like and teach it.
And I'm sure a lot of teachersin this challenge can relate,
(07:02):
like you see a lot when you'reteaching classes and you see
where people go beyond Um, andeven you yourself in your own
practice, like going beyond whatis good for your body, like um.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I always say, and I always, when I'm teaching, I
always say, like find your sweetspot and don't push past Like
you want to, you want to feel it, but you don't want to be
hurting yourself.
And that's, you know, can gofrom physical into mental too.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Right, and this is a good reminder for me, because I
tend to push my classes, mypowery classes tend to be very
powery, um, and I really I pridemyself in pushing people out of
their comfort zone, but in asafe way, and um, I think that's
where ahimsa really shows up in, in the classroom, in the yoga
studio.
(07:52):
Um, good point, yeah, and andthinking about taking it off the
mat, non-violence, like beingnon-violent with others and at
yourself, and um, you know, Ithink in my early yogic days,
like that probably is why I wasalso vegetarian, um, because I
do so many people love animalsand their souls too, so um yeah,
(08:21):
I mean, and there's so many.
there's so much forinterpretation, Like I'm almost
at a loss for words.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, there is, and so that's what I mean.
Like you can take it as deep asyou want.
This challenge is for you toexplore with.
So, you know, if you want tomaybe do like, if that's kind of
what you want to explore, youcould always say like, okay, you
know, like one day a week I'mgoing to eat complete veg, cool,
(08:48):
awesome, like that's.
If that's something you don'tnormally do and you want to
explore that, you know you coulduse the hymns as bring that
into your everyday life in thatway.
If that's what works for you,it could be, you know, waking up
and saying three really nicethings about yourself to
yourself in the mirror.
You know you could.
There's so many different waysyou could go.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So many different ways.
So that is a little bit aboutday one, ahimsa, and we'll just
keep going along.
We'll talk.
This week We'll talk.
So these are going to be littlebonus episodes.
So this week we'll talk.
So these are going to be littlebonus episodes.
So this week we'll talk aboutjust week.
Actually, it's really just thefirst four or five days, so
we're just talking about theYamas and then we'll record a
(09:32):
second podcast for the Niyamasand we'll kind of follow this
through the challenge.
So this is just like a littleextra, just inspiration or
information for those that mightnot know so day two.
We're moving into satya andtruthfulness, and this is all
(09:52):
about truthful, being truthfuland authentic, and I think this
is a really importantconversation to have in today's
um worlds, because we hear a lotabout like my truth and your
truth, and truth is notsubjective, and this is a really
important conversation to haveand to bring to the masses, to
(10:15):
have these conversations in yogaclasses, about truthfulness and
the practice of satya, becauseI think one of the reframes that
we could use in today's societyis it's not your truth, that's
not my truth.
There's only one truth and yourtruth is feelings, it's emotions
(10:36):
, it's thoughts, it's um, notalways truth.
Yeah, so I think that this iswhere the practice can kind of
come off the mat and and we cantake it to today's society and
and start with ourselves, startbeing truthful, like, is this
the truth or is this how I'mfeeling?
(10:58):
Is this what's coming up for me?
Is this something that's beingtriggered in me?
So I think it's an interestingconversation to have and I'm
actually really excited about itand really excited to see
everyone's perspectives on Satya.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, that's a really good point.
That's kind of spicy, Reallyspicy.
I don't think I need to sayvery much more to that, Just
because I think to even likethink about everything that
could stem from this.
You know, like things that weexperience nowadays, like with
cancel, culture and all thisstuff because of people's
(11:35):
feelings and opinions, and youknow, you know, living in your
truth.
You know, living in your truth,no-transcript um, which I you
know, but I think that, yeah,it'll be really interesting to
(11:56):
see how, how this comes out.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, and I know we both have been through break
method and have done the uh, theself-study through break method
and I think that's a reallygood.
It kind of is a really goodmirror to to kind of see those
reflections of like is this myperspective?
Is this skewed through myexperiences, the lens that I'm
(12:23):
looking at things, or is thisactually the truth, the truth
with a capital T?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, no, for real.
Yeah, Is this my rose coloredglasses?
Are these the patterns thatI've lived my whole life?
And that's why I believe this,that this is the truth, my truth
, your truth.
Yeah, exactly yeah.
So you know what that is andhow can you maybe just make a
tiny little shift in your life?
(12:51):
How could you make a tinylittle shift in your life to
understand this concept or bringit into your everyday life?
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yes, and that brings us to moving into day three
Astea, astea I've heard itpronounced both ways
Non-stealing, and this one is aninteresting one.
And this one is an interestingone again.
Like, um, if you're coming fromlike a christian or catholic
background, this is very muchlike, feels like part of the ten
(13:20):
commandments non-stealing.
It just feels like somethingthat's common sense and we can
think about it in the tangible,physical sense which I think a
lot of people tend to go there,like, oh, don't go into a store
and steal something, but, um,this goes way beyond um, just
(13:42):
like physical things, because wecan be non-stealing of time, of
energy, or we could be stealingof energy and time, um, and
this is a, this is a big one forme.
And again, this can get spicywhen I teach.
I teach very regularly.
I teach about 10 classes a week.
Everyone knows this about me bynow but always in those classes
(14:06):
it's like the same three peoplethat are always late, always
late, always late, always late,always late.
And it's fine, like I wouldrather you get here, get the
time, get on your mat, but therecomes a point where we can go
and we can be honest withourselves, we can have a good
truthful look at ourselves.
We can practice Satya.
(14:26):
And why are you chronicallylate?
Are you always hitting that bus?
Or like you're leaving on timebut, like things happen, you get
distracted, or are you pushingit to the last minute?
Are you always rushing?
Do you have bad time managementskills?
Um, like, what is the storythat you're telling yourself?
Because now you move into, youare stealing energy from the
(14:49):
people who are here on time.
You're stealing your own energyby not being on time, um, and
this is something that we talkabout, like later in the yamas
and the niyamas, but like havingthis discipline and for me,
like I really feel like yoga isa practice of, of discipline and
um, so yeah, non, going back tonon-stealing now I'm like
(15:10):
really down a rabbit hole.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, no, I think even too, I really like the
perspective of likeenergetically.
Sometimes, if I'm like you know, it's very I have a four year
old it's very easy for me tofeel frustrated on a daily basis
and if I am, you know, if Isnap or if I, like you know, act
a way that I don't want to act,I kind of have to take myself
(15:35):
aside and say okay, am Istealing someone's joy?
Am I stealing my son's joy hereby saying no, or am I stealing?
You know what I mean?
Like, even even if with aperson, if I'm having a
difficult conversation withsomeone, you know, I always am
trying to find that space where,yeah, like you were saying, the
(15:56):
energy of being kind, you knowso, even to practicing Ahimsa
here, it's like they all kind offlow together.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
They really do.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So that you're not stealing someone's joy, time,
energy, things I use that onthings.
Yeah, yes, of course, I feellike that's the most tangible
one and obvious one that you canthink of and just, yeah, being
able to make those smalladjustments and maybe get a
little bit of a differentperspective.
(16:29):
There's other ways you cansteal from people.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think we'll talk about it
more in the emails too.
So if you want to sign up forthat, you have until May 2nd.
We're going to close.
We're going to close everythingdown on the night of May 2nd.
So if you're listening to thisbefore and you want to jump in
there is still time I will linkit in the show notes or you can
(16:53):
reach out to one of us onInstagram or social media and
we'll be happy to share thatlink with you.
And that moves us into day four, which is brahmacharya
moderation and finding balance.
And this one is um and this oneis.
(17:21):
There's many ways to interpretthis one um, some people I'm
gonna just I don't want tobutcher it so a lot of people
take this as um, like sexualrestraint and celibacy.
Um, and chastity I've heard itframed that way, which is very
(17:43):
interesting um, and I think thisone too kind of like flows into
like we were just speakingabout.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
it also works with your energy and what you're
where, where, how, why you'respending your energy and what
you're spending it on.
I think it also is really easythis one to bring out of the
physical and into mental,emotional, more like, more when
we're speaking about it morally.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Um, I like, I like that how you put that.
Um, because it is like anenergy check-in for self and and
for others think about it.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Like even just think about it too, like with this
challenge, like which we'll getinto in the later weeks, like
how much energy and time are youspending on this?
Like what are you?
Come back to the beginning Ithink we mentioned this in the
other podcast like set yourintention for this challenge,
don't you know?
Be social and have fun with it,but are like you know also I
want to say it because it's notabout deprivation, but like
(18:49):
having those discipline,disciplines in space, so that
you're finding balance in thepractice and in, because I
guarantee you, so many of us inthis challenge are spending too
much time on social media oh mygosh, yes and um.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Like I I always this is like my thing, like I throw
myself into something and Ithink I told you this like my
may, may is absolutely insane.
I was like what was I thinking?
Like I was feeling all of this,like maybe Gemini energy
starting to come in and mybirthday month and starting to
get excited and just througheverything in May, because I'm
ready to like gear up.
And you were the perfectreminder.
(19:32):
You were like, okay, well, letme know what you need, like let
me know what I can help you with, and because you need to enjoy
this too, and having thatbalance and moderation and not
just like putting the blinderson.
And I think, like I said, a lotof us are teachers in this
challenge, which is interesting,and when you first begin your
journey, you're so serious andyou take yoga so seriously and
(19:56):
you kind of like forget to havefun.
So I think that this is aperfect little check in to be
like okay, but is this still fun?
Because this, if you're doingit right, it should be fun.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
It should bring you joy, it should make you feel
lighthearted totally yeah, andso it's like this, as you just
said, it's like an energeticcheck-in and a sacred pause in
your life, in your daily life.
Just, you know, even setting I,I have timers on my phones for
certain apps, like, okay, whenthe hour's up, it's done.
You know there's certain thingsyou can do and, like you were
(20:30):
saying, as teachers, as moms,you know, you know, in my world,
I have to see, okay, where am Ioverextending myself?
Do have I?
Have I given myself any timespace?
You know and this is something,too, I worked a lot with in
break method that you mentionedabove in the self-study is am I,
are my behaviors reflective ofthe fact that I haven't taken
(20:52):
time to restore and balance myown energy so that I can
continue to walk forward in ahappy and loving way, or am I
overextending myself to everyonearound me and then I just act
like a complete lunatic?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
you know?
Yes, Because when you reachthat point where you feel spread
thin and like you're, you'reoverextended like you're.
You're overextended like you'rejust not acting as yourself in
your truthfulness, you can't,yeah, you can't.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
There's, no, there's no way for you to do it if
you're, you know, as they say,the candle lit on both ends.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So finding a way that you can nourish yourself, it's
like that, the classic fillingup your own cup so that you fill
over yes, and like I reallyhope and pray and like you said,
we had a couple intentions oflike why we were doing this and
I hope that it is this is morenourishing than feels like work.
(21:49):
Yes, this challenge like Idon't want it to feel
challenging, I want- it to feelnourishing yes, yes, totally
agree with you there totally.
And that brings us to the lastof the yamas, which is a
parigraha.
Non-possessiveness is again.
(22:14):
You can take it to tangibleitems or it can be more of a it
can be a thought, it can be apattern.
I think about this like assomebody who has had bouts of
anxiety, letting go of theoutcome, like even this, like I
(22:35):
like creating this challengelike it could have brought up a
lot of anxiety for me, andsometimes I still get.
I'm like nervous, excited forit because you don't know what
people are going to think.
And now, like a decent amountof people are signed up, so it's
like okay, now you have 40people's opinions that are going
to be coming at you, so thatcan induce anxiety.
(22:55):
But like letting go of theoutcome and again, like bringing
it back to my roots, it's likelet go and let God, like you
have to, kind of you put thework in and you let the rest.
Kind of let the chips fallwhere they may, as they say.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, exactly, letting go of expectations.
And I know, for me, the personI am, um, and especially you
know tapping and I like to tapinto my human design a lot, and
for me, specifically, if I, if I, attach any expectation to
specific outcomes, it createschaos in my life.
(23:34):
So the fact that, even justkind of going along with what
you were just saying about, youknow, this challenge for both
you and I, I exactly did justthat.
I threw my hands up and I waslike we're going to just do that
, do this, and we're going tofigure it out as we go and we're
going to have fun with it.
I think that that's the thingand that's where the flow comes
in.
And I'm pleasantly surprisedwith the turnout that we have.
(23:56):
And you know, I think thatthat's where, that's where the
fun does come in is when you'redoing things in a way that feels
, you know, with intention, thatfeels good for you and let the
pressure off.
Let's let the pressure go.
There's no one, you know we'rethe only ones putting pressure
on ourselves.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yes, Someone, one of my, one of my teachers, like
when I first started yoga, usedto say like when you worry about
something, you just like, youdouble your suffering.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, you feed that instead of, you know, just
letting it happen, right, yeah.
So even so, you could take thisagain.
You could take it as you know,cleaning out your mind or your
heart, or you could think aboutthis, about cleaning out your
closet.
I know, in the northernnorthern hemisphere it's spring,
(24:46):
spring time, spring.
Do some spring cleaning, seewhat you can donate, see, you
know.
So there's there's.
The fun thing about thischallenge is, again, you know,
you can take it physically whatdo you need right now?
exactly and as the days go by,you know, know, you can just
figure out okay, no, I need todo this today, or I need, I'm
(25:07):
going to focus on my you knowthe physical state and you know,
with this one, I think thiswill fit really good with my
emotions and everything.
So there's so many, there's abig pendulum here that you can
swing to and from and apply itto your own life.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, and that's why I'm so excited about this
challenge and I'm so excited tohear other perspectives, because
that's part of the challengetoo, and when you get your
prompts.
So if you're not in thechallenge, or if you are in the
challenge and want inspirationfrom others, click that hashtag
deep in your practice, becauseeverything um everyone's hosts
(25:47):
will be there and I'm excited tosee the different perspectives,
because this is a 5 000 yearold practice and a 5 000 year
old science that's been passeddown verbally for thousands of
years and um like I think thatis why this has lasted for so
(26:07):
long because these principleswork, and also the teachers that
have passed it down what theirperspectives have been exactly,
yeah, and that's why, too,there's so many different um
styles of yoga nowadays too,because it's it's been passed
down for thousands and thousandsof years.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
But I think, especially in the West, it's
important for us to honor wherethis practice is coming from,
and this is a really beautifulway, I think, um to do that and
to begin or to just remindyourself, if you are a teacher
and you've been practicing foryears, doing this and going
through it, just to kind of like, you know, energetically,
(26:50):
cleanse yourself and bring thatand ask yourself how can I bring
this actually into one of myclasses?
Or how can I bring this and, youknow, carry it in or or
motivate and inspire my studentsto learn a little bit more,
because I think that that'swhere the ripple effect happens.
So it is really interesting.
We have so many teachers inhere and I'm excited and I did
(27:11):
want to mention, you know, ifyou're not doing it on Instagram
and you're still going toparticipate and receive these
emails and you hear this podcast.
You know, send us an email Ifthere's something you're really
interested in or know you havefeedback, like, I would love to
hear if you know if you're goingthrough this, like how it's
going for you.
Send send us an email and letus know how it's going for you,
(27:33):
because I think that that'simportant too yes, we're all.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
We're both very accessible via social media um
email, so we'll be checkingdaily as well.
So if you need us, reach out.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Yep, you'll have support from us.
And then the other thing, too,is like it's as a social media
challenge, like be social.
Gianna and I met online.
Yes, so it's.
You know, these are ways whereyou can find soul sisters or
soul tribes, so don't be afraidto connect with other people who
(28:09):
are in this challenge.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Maybe we'll have to do some bonus points for like,
for like commenting or something.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah, I think that I think as we start flowing, we'll
be able to add a little bitmore on that and maybe go
through weekly and have sometallies or something, I don't
know.
So people can get get moreexcited and motivated.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Well, thank you all for being here and look out for
these bonus episodes um comingthrough the month of May through
our deepen your practicechallenge.
Thank you so much for tuninginto today's episode of the
nearly enlightened podcast.
If this conversation resonatedwith you, I would love it.
If you shared it, leave areview or reach out and let me
know your thoughts.
(28:54):
And if you're looking for moreways to deepen your connection
to body, mind and spirit, checkout the meditate to elevate
guided meditation portal orvisit nearly enlightenedcom for
more resources.
Until next time, stay curious,stay connected and remember the
answers already lie within.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.