Aparigraha: The Art Of Non Attachment

Yoga proved its effectiveness eons ago. Yoga trails back to the time our mythological stories were in action. Aparigraha is one of the different types of ancient yoga practice. It’s really important for us to understand the true meaning of aparigraha.

Aparigraha is in fact the most significant yet ignored form of yoga practice. The other forms are given a lot more importance and aparigraha is left unpracticed. Perhaps, aparigraha is one of the most difficult forms of yoga.

There are five limbs of yoga and aparigraha is one of them:

1. Ahimsa: non-violence
2. Staya: honestly, truthfulness
3. Asteya: no stealing
4. Brahmacharya: Celibacy
5. Aparigraha: detachment from people, objects and things

In this blog, we will be discussing the last limb of yoga, aparigraha.

What Is The Meaning Of Aparigraha?

Aparigraha is an age-old yoga practice that teaches you to detach yourself from all things that you live with, be it people, objects or things, you learn the art of Non Attachment.  Aparigraha is considered one of the most difficult to achieve.

Let’s understand the meaning of aparigraha by breaking it down:

• ‘A’ basically means none, non, negative, without
• ‘Pari” means all, everything, full capacity
• ‘Graha’ means to seek something

The combination of these three words brings us to the meaning of aparigraha. According to the different meanings of the different worlds used to create aparigraha, it means ‘not to seek everything’.

Once you stop seeking things you will stop getting attached to them and non-attachment leads to aparigraha.

What Is Aparigraha?

Now that you know the meaning of the working aparigraha, let’s understand the meaning of this ancient yoga practice. Aparigraha basically involves techniques that help you detach from worldly pleasures.

Aparigraha is a practice that helps us understand the meaning of contentment and how we should learn to be satisfied in what we have. It functions on the belief that we do not take anything to our grave so why carry them along us through our journey of life.

Once you start practicing aparigraha you’re taught to detach yourself from all the people around you, all the materialistic things that you own and all the other things that attract you. You need to have only one focus, to lead a happy and purposeful life.

There are two aspects of Aprigraha, Yamas and Niyamas. Let’s quickly have a look at them…

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What Are Yamas And Niyamas In Aparigraha?

Yamas and Niyamas are the two fundamental aspects of yoga as well as aparigraha. These are the two practices that you must add in your everyday life. Let’s understand the meaning of these two concepts…

Yamas – Yamas are the things that you are supposed to avoid while you practice yoga.

Niyamas – Niyamas are the things you are supposed to do while you practice yoga.

So, in aparigraha your Yamas will be all the people, things and objects that you have to avoid and Niyamas will be, being satisfied with what you have and practice aparigraha duality so that you can lead a happy, healthy and purposeful life.

In fact Yamas and Niyamas form the fundamental bases of yoga as a whole. While practicing any kind of yoga, yamas and niyamas act as guiding principles so that you are on the right path. Niyamas are almost like a constructive tool that trains your mind to be free of all worldly things.

Here’s a list of niyamas that everyone must follow:

1. Self-purification: keep your mind, body, and soul clean and pure.
2. Santosh: the art of being content with whatever you have.
3. Mediation: a practice to keep your mind and body calm
4. Self-discipline
5. Surrender to your inner self and the almighty

Here’s a list of Yamas that you should avoid:

1. Violence
2. Stealing
3. Telling a lie
4. Seeking more than you require
5. Conjugal union

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Benefits Of Practicing Aparigraha

There are several benefits of practicing yoga, Aparigraha has some added benefits because it frees you from all the worldly pleasures and materialistic bonds. Aparigraha teaches you to focus only on leading a fulfilling, content, purposeful, happy and healthy life.

Here’s a list of all the benefits that aparigraha has to offer:

1. You become more knowledgeable and knowledge makes you more empowered.
2. You learn to be more reliant on yours;f rather than depending on others which makes you self-reliant
3. You become more confident about your abilities
4. You start to enjoy the life you are living because you stop seeking things you do not possess.
5. The worry of the assumed possibilities of the future are reduced
6. Aparigraha help you learn to be in the present and not worry about the past or future
7. You learn to stop giving the key to your happiness to others
8. You enjoy positive changes in life and learn to embrace that
9. Aparigraha gives you the strength to love, love unconditionally.

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Endnote

That’s all about the ancient Yoga practice of non-attachment. Aparigraha is one way you can lead a happy and healthy life because it pulls you away from the pit of expectation and materialistic desires.

I hope you found this blog interesting. Do give Aparigraha Yoga Practice a try if you really want to understand the true meaning of aparigraha and enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.