Aparigraha teaches us to let go of attachment and greed.

The word ‘graha’ means to take, to seize, or to grab, ‘pari’ means ‘on all sides’, and the prefix ‘a’ negates the word itself  – basically, it means ‘non’.

This important yama teaches us to take only what we need, keep only what serves us in the moment, and to let go when the time is right.

It's about understanding the impermanence of material possessions and finding richness in experiences and relationships rather than in things.

Aparigraha is actually one of the central teachings in the Yogic text the Bhagavad Gita, in which Krishna shares one of the teachings that could perhaps be the most important lesson of all to learn: ‘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’. What Krishna is essentially saying here, is that we should never concern ourselves with the outcome of a situation, we should only concern ourselves with what we’re actually doing right now as we work towards that outcome.

You can practise aparigraha on your may but remembering that your yoga practice is about connecting to yourself and bring present. Letting go the comparison to what the person next to you might be doing, or trying to create the “perfect” pose. There perfect yoga pose is the one that YOU are doing with YOUR body. By turning the awareness inwards, you will prevent yourself from injury, from feelings of “not being enough”. When you detach from the outcome of a pose, when you feel the pose and work at your capacity, only then will you be able to honour all of the Yamas simultaneously.