Aparigraha: Practicing the Philosophy of Non-Attachment in Yoga
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
--Epictetus
Our October Theme of the Month is Aparigraha, the last of the 5 Yamas, the ethical underpinnings of yoga for living in the right relationship with others. Aparigraha is often translated as “non-greed,” “non-possessiveness,” or “non-attachment.”
Understanding the meaning of Aparigraha
Aparigraha is more than not coveting or wanting what isn’t ours. It also means not accumulating or hoarding things. This means not accumulating any unnecessary possessions outwardly or inwardly.
When we have a lot of things, we tend to become attached to them, both physically and mentally. Even if we may not materially possess something, we may still hold or cling to it in our thoughts and emotions. Aparigraha stops the mind from identifying with this and not that. Things take your energy, which takes your focus and time away from spiritual practices.
The True Practice of Aparigraha in Yoga
When we are practicing aparigraha in yoga, we are developing an attitude of non-dependence on objects and trust in ourself. We practice aparigraha to be free from suffering because the conditioned material world of desires will not provide us with real happiness.
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali has an interesting way of explaining why it’s important to practice aparigraha. In Sutra 2.39, he states Aparigraha sthairye janmakathamta sambodhaha: When refrainment from covetousness becomes firmly established, knowledge of the whys and wherefores of births manifests.
How does the non-accumulation of things relate to previous births? The reality is that one who is not greedy is secure, can think deeply, and understand oneself. In a sense, the more stuff we have, the more we need to take care of it. If we’re busy acquiring things, protecting them, and worrying about them, there is no time to contemplate the existential nature of life. Without the desire to have possessions, one is free from the material world and gains perspective on the purpose of this life and past lives, and thus the law of Karma.
In the end, when we’re free of attachment to things and all the worries that go along with that attachment, there are no obstacles to true understanding. Everything becomes clear. Whether this sutra resonates with us or not, this important Yama teaches us to only take what we need, only keep what serves us at the moment and then let go when the time is right.
In the Bhagavad Gita, aparigraha is expressed when Krishna says: “Let your concern be with action alone, and never with the fruits of action. Do not let the results of action be your motive, and do not be attached to inaction.” Krishna is essentially saying that we should never concern ourselves with the outcome of a situation. We should only concern ourselves with what we’re doing at this moment as we work towards that outcome. The practice of aparigraha, while difficult, teaches us to begin to detach ourselves from expecting a particular result or something in return, be it physically or emotionally.
The Gita also teaches, “You have the right to work, but for work’s sake only. You have no right to the fruits of work. The desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working. Never give way to laziness, either.“ Again we are being instructed to enjoy the action or the work itself, without expecting anything in return. There is no time for worrying if what we are doing is good enough or if we’ll be successful enough. Instead, we do it just for the doing. As T. S. Eliot said, “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.”
Yoga is not a competition to see who can gather the most poses.
Practice yoga for the love of practicing
This is true for us on the mat or the meditation cushion, and all of life. We must practice for the love of practicing. Progress in our practice is undoubtedly encouraging, but we must not get attached to it.
The body is always changing. We do not practice to “accumulate” poses. We practice for the sake of practicing, for how good it feels to move the body, to breathe, to quiet the mind. If we can practice in this way, enjoying the moment, and not going beyond our edge in asana practice, the body will unfold naturally.
There will be less attachment to “getting the pose” or “holding onto the pose.” This is true for practicing pranayama and meditation. If we’re practicing with the expectation that we are going to get “something” or “somewhere,” we’re missing the experience itself and not practicing aparigraha.
Whether in formal practice or in daily life, to have a deeper experience, we must be prepared to let go of our attachments, be it to “stuff “or our fixed ideas. Aparigraha does not mean we should not want comforts; it just means we should not be attached to them. When there is always the wish to have more, we are never satisfied with what we have right now. If we are not careful, our possessions will begin to possess us.
Embrace change and learn to let go
Aparigraha reminds us that everything changes, that everything is impermanent. There is nothing that is truly ours that we can hold onto. If we have only what we need, let go of it when we don’t, we can find ease and grace in a world of change. We can downsize and declutter our space. We can be mindful of the desire to accumulate things just for the sake of having things. More importantly, we can learn to let go of any preconceived ideas, patterns or habits that no longer serve us.
Here are some ways you can practice non-attachment and non-possessiveness:
Fully Exhale — When you are fully exhaling, you are letting go. Breathing is the perfect metaphor for not holding onto anything, as we can’t hold onto a breath. Each breath is different. Let your breath be a guide to non-attachment. When you learn to empty the lungs, you are able to take in a much fuller breath. We can fill up and nourish, but we also have to let go.
Let Go — Like holding onto a hot pan, we realize that some things should be let go of. These might be thoughts, ideas, routines, jobs, toxic friendships, or even reliving an experience that already happened. What is no longer serving you? Each time you let go of something, which you are grasping tightly—a thing or an idea, an assumption or an expectation—there is a sense of relief, of having laid down a burden.
Be Generous — This is the opposite of clinging and hoarding. We can be generous with more than money or donations. We can be generous with our time, attention, energy, presence, information, knowledge, encouragement, understanding, kindness, and love. It’s much more than giving away what we don’t want. Every time we make a genuine offering or even think a generous thought, for its own sake without thought of reward, we strengthen our essence. Generosity opens us to the loving, abundant, good-natured core of ourselves.
Practice Gratitude — With gratitude, we acknowledge and focus on the goodness in our lives. Paying attention to what you’re grateful for can switch the channel of negative thinking or any ideas of lack and help you appreciate what is here in your life right now. In the process, we realize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside of ourselves. Try keeping a gratitude journal by acknowledging three things to be grateful for each day or week. Write a thank-you note or better yet, thank someone face to face.
Do Your Best to Forgive — Free yourself by offering forgiveness to those who have hurt you and to yourself. As Ann Lamott said, “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.” Forgiving doesn’t mean condoning a behavior. It just frees you from resentment. Perhaps it’s a letter you need to write or a conversation to be had.
Downsize & Declutter — Marie Kondo, in her best-selling book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," recommends going through everything you own and asking yourself—Does this spark joy?—and if it doesn’t, thank it for whatever it gave you, and give it away. And if it does, ask yourself: “Why?” Do the things that surround you make you feel light and free, or do they make you feel heavy and weighed down? Soon you will begin to understand where your attachments lie.
Eat Moderately — This is a constant in yogic texts. Ayurveda recommends Mitahara, which translates as a moderate diet or moderation when it comes to eating. This means listening to your body and not overindulging. We are instructed to keep the stomach one-fourth empty of food at mealtime. It is believed that this allows sufficient room for healthy digestion and helps to minimize food waste.
Aparigraha, like the other yamas, is a guideline for a wise way of living. Owning things or accumulating knowledge or a set of ideas adds nothing to a life authentically lived. This essential yama teaches us how to practice the tricky art of letting go at just the right time.
If you want to add more Aparigraha to your yoga practice and life, please contact us.
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