All About Yoga 4 Teens > Helpful Life Principles

HELPFUL LIFE PRINCIPLES

Compassion for self and others (Ahimsa)

• Be kind.
• Treat all living beings as you want to be treated.
• Approach yourself and others with a spirit of nonjudgment
  and nonviolence.
• Seek to understand others, rather than judge them.
• Treat yourself like you are your best friend.
• Don't gossip. It's hurtful.

Truth (Satya)

• Live honestly.
• Be a person of your word.
• Have courage and conviction to live your truth.
• Be truthful. In the long run, it's easier to tell the truth.

Not Stealing (Asteya)

• Do not steal anything.
• Be conscious of using only what you need
  (electricity, paper, gas, etc.).
• Do not take advantage of people’s generosity.
• Credit others when representing their ideas.
• Practice generosity. Practice giving; be aware of taking.
• Consider the phrase: “what goes around, comes around.”

Self Restraint (Brahmacharya)

• Be sexually responsible; treat yourself and others with
  genuine respect.
• Think before you act. Consider and talk about all the choices available.
• Practice self-control and limit self-indulgences.
• Cultivate the ability to walk away or say no, especially when you don't have total trust that things are safe.

Not Grasping (Aparigraha)

• Be aware of and temper your human tendency to be
  attached to material things.
• Be mindful of how much you really need.
• Approach change with curiosity and possibility rather
  than attachment and loss.
• Explore the impulse for receiving immediate gratification.

Purity (Saucha)

• Your body is a temple; treat it that way (smoking, drinking,
  food, movies, web sites).
• Examine the effects of your inputs such as magazines, videos, chat groups, food. How do they make you feel? Make intelligent choices.

Acceptance (Santosha)

• Accept yourself in the present and approach the future
  with optimism. Find contentment.
• Cultivate gratitude for what you have.
• Rather than feeling sorry for yourself, affect change where
  you can and let go of the rest.
• Be aware of your own competitiveness. When appropriate, stop, so as to prevent harm.
• Realize you can't change other people.
• Accept successes, forgive failures.

Ambition and Zeal (Tapas)

• Do your best.
• Harness your energy to follow good habits.
• Set goals.
• Simply get started. It's half the battle.

Self Awareness (Svadhyaya)

• Seek to see yourself with clarity.
• Be reflective and learn from your mistakes.
• Be aware of your breath.
• Watch your reaction to things. Learn about yourself by what bothers you.
• Write down your strengths and weaknesses. Ask others to verify.

Devotion to Greater Power (Ishvara Pranidhana)

• Believe that there is meaning to the world.
• Develop trust in your intuition.
• Find what is sacred for you.
• Know your values. Know what you value most.