According to Fontaine, yoga is all about personal development through means of psychological and physical practices (242). Apart from the physicality of yoga, it also involves a way for an individual to have the following: "right living (abstinence and personal discipline), right care of the body (body control), and enhancement of vital energy (breath control)" (Fontaine 2015). This aspect of yoga is imperative and it is one that many Westerners overlook - the original use was for self-realization through a journey. There are eight limbs of yoga, the three limbs that I will be discussing are as follows: abstinences (yamas), detachment (pratyahara), and pure consciousness (samadhi).
Abstinences consist of five elements: “nonviolence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), chastity or nonlust (brahmacharya), and non greed (aparigraha)” (Fontaine 243). These discuss what not to do in one’s life. Therefore, one should be nonviolent, both in their actions and thoughts. I believe that this is a very important abstinence because …show more content…
Although Fontaine states that only highly trained or diligent yogis have achieved this state of mind, I think its important that we all practice this type of consciousness because simply attempting this limb could highly benefit those of us who have minds that are ‘always going,’ for lack of better words. Personally, I sometimes have trouble falling asleep because my mind is racing, sometimes about nothing! This is definitely something that everyone can benefit from, but especially people in the health care industry, such as RNs. It isn’t hard for a patient or a patient’s case to stay with you, long after you’re home or doing something completely unrelated. It’s unavoidable. Therefore, something like pure consciousness, even if its nothing close to what diligent yogis can achieve, can greatly benefit us as healthcare
Abstinences consist of five elements: “nonviolence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), chastity or nonlust (brahmacharya), and non greed (aparigraha)” (Fontaine 243). These discuss what not to do in one’s life. Therefore, one should be nonviolent, both in their actions and thoughts. I believe that this is a very important abstinence because …show more content…
Although Fontaine states that only highly trained or diligent yogis have achieved this state of mind, I think its important that we all practice this type of consciousness because simply attempting this limb could highly benefit those of us who have minds that are ‘always going,’ for lack of better words. Personally, I sometimes have trouble falling asleep because my mind is racing, sometimes about nothing! This is definitely something that everyone can benefit from, but especially people in the health care industry, such as RNs. It isn’t hard for a patient or a patient’s case to stay with you, long after you’re home or doing something completely unrelated. It’s unavoidable. Therefore, something like pure consciousness, even if its nothing close to what diligent yogis can achieve, can greatly benefit us as healthcare