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1st Limb of Yoga – Yamas (Interpersonal Ethics) #5: Aparigraha (Non-Attachment)
The first 2 of the 8 Limbs of Yoga are the Yamas and Niyamas. There are 5 Yamas and 5 Niyamas, and we will take a full day on our Daily Yogi journey to focus on practicing each of the five.
Many of the translations from Sanskrit to English for the Yamas (YAH-muhs), or Interpersonal Ethics, are things you should NOT do. I consider many of the Yamas to be different embodiments of The Golden Rule – “do unto others as you would want done to you.” Of course we aim to not do the negative thing, but on the flip side we also should try to embody the positive opposite. Let’s take a closer look at the last of five Yamas – Aparigraha.
All about Aparigraha (Non-Attachment)
Aparigraha (ah-PA-ree-GRA-ha) is “non-grasping on all sides” in a direct translation from Sanskrit. However, it is frequently translated as non-attachment or non-possessiveness.
Aparigraha is “non-grasping on all sides” in a direct translation from Sanskrit. However, it is frequently translated as non-attachment or non-possessiveness. Aparigraha is about both not attaching ourselves to a particular outcome, and also gratitude and enjoying the present moment. Generally, if we are focused on the next thing in the future, we often miss out on what is right in front of us. This does not mean we should not put forth our best efforts or pursue things that make us happy, but the key is to focus on the present and actually experience and appreciate each moment.
Aparigraha is usually translated as non-attachment. Non-attachment is one of the more difficult practices of the 5 Yamas, and usually means taking action without holding yourself to a particular outcome, or ‘letting go’ with others and enjoying their true self in your life without trying to assert your will on them.
The positive opposite of non-attachment is gratitude. I like a more active gratitude practice of writing a Top 5 list for what you are most thankful for today. I also enjoy practicing mindfulness to enjoy the moment and snap myself out of holding attachment to a particular outcome.
Most importantly, I find gratitude to be an instant hack to snap myself out of a negative mindset in any difficult situation – note this is a personal tool, and should not be used on others seeking support.
How to practice Aparigraha (Non-Attachment)
How to practice Aparigraha (Non-Attachment)
- Write a gratitude list
Be grateful for the big and small things in your life. I like making a quick Top 5 list for the day! You may be grateful for physical things like your health or your long hair or your home or your beautiful garden. Perhaps you are most grateful for your family or friends or pets. You may be proud of something you accomplished or positive personal traits like humor or loyalty. Or, maybe you are grateful for past learning experiences or positive changes you see in yourself or the world. Moreover, these are tough times.. if you are proud for getting out of bed or taking a shower, or putting on pants for your zoom meeting, then celebrate small victories!
This practice is about finding the joy and blessings in the moment. Therefore, focus your attention to positivity and abundance already in your life, rather than putting off your happiness for something in the future. - Practice mindfulness
Focus on the present moment, and savor your experience with all five of your senses. One of the easiest ways for me to release attachment to a situation is to practice gratitude and mindfulness, and enjoy the opportunity to grow and the beauty around me.
- Practice active non-attachment
Take action without holding yourself to a particular outcome.
Asana Practices
Here are some Asanas (poses) and Asana series I feel embody the spirit of Aparigraha! Click the images to learn to how perform the pose or more about the Asana style!
Please note this section is currently under construction – please check back soon for more!
Meditation Practices
Here are some of my favorite meditations I feel embody the spirit of Aparigraha!
Morning Gratitude Guided Meditation
Guided Meditation on Non-Attachment.
Please note this section is currently under construction – please check back soon for more!
Aparigraha Quotes
To those grounded in Aparigraha (non-attachment) the meaning of life is revealed. – Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 
Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it. – Khahlil Gibran 
If you want to call attention to your good deed then it isn’t a good deed, it’s a self-serving one. Why? Not only have you patted yourself on the back but you’re fishing for others to do the same. – Donna Lynn Hope 
The less attached you are the more peaceful you are. – Anonymous 
Gratitude turns what we have into enough. – Aesop 
Detachment is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you. – Ali ibn Abi Talib 
Overcoming attachment does not mean becoming cold and indifferent. On the contrary, it means learning to have relaxed control over our mind through understanding the real causes of happiness and fulfillment, and this enables us to enjoy life more and suffer less. – Kathleen McDonald 
What we have to learn, in both meditation and in life, is to be free of attachment to the good experiences, and free of aversion to the negative ones. – Sogyal Rinpoche 
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. – Cynthia Ozick 
The more attached we are to a vision of the future, the less present we are to what is actually trying to emerge here and now. – Peter Merry 
Attachment comes from a perception of lack – all comes from fear. – Yvette Soler 
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault 
Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want. – Jim Rohn 
Being attached is what prevents us from seeing, it is what clouds this miraculous awareness. – Geoffrey Shugen Arnold 
Let go and be free. – Tony Robbins 
Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth. – Tom Barrett 
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. – Epictetus 
Attachment is the state of ignorance or forgetfulness, and thus clinging to a memory of enjoyment. – Goswami Kriyananda 
Be aware of the ephemeral nature of material things. Lose your attachment to them. – Shui-ch’ing Tzu 
Gratitude turns negative energy into positive energy. There is no situation or circumstance so small or large that it is not susceptible to gratitude’s power. – Melody Beattie 
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Oprah Winfrey 
Stand in the reverent attitude to the whole universe, and then will come perfect non-attachment. – Swami Vivekananda 
To Karma (action) alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction. – The Bhagavad Gita 
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. – Tecumseh 
Non-attachment is not the elimination of desire. It is the spaciousness to allow any quality of mind, any thought or feeling, to arise without closing around it, without eliminating the pure witness of being. It is an active receptivity to life. – Stephen Levine 
Nonresistance, nonjudgement, and nonattachment are the three aspects of true freedom and enlightened living. – Eckhart Tolle 
Reflect upon your present blessings— of which every man has many— not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. – Charles Dickens
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