The Yamas & NiYamas
Details
🔴 Please RSVP Early if You Plan to Attend
Attendance is intentionally limited to support depth, mutuality, and meaningful discussion.
🕯️ The Yamas Group — Relational Capacities, Mindfulness, & The Architecture of Awareness
📅 Biweekly Discussion Group
The Yamas are often introduced as ethical principles within the Eight Limbs of Yoga — but in lived experience, they may function more profoundly as developmental capacities of awareness, relationship, regulation, and consciousness itself.
In this group, we explore the Yamas through an integrative lens that braids together:
🫂 The Framework of Relational Capacities
🧠 Mindfulness and interoceptive awareness skill-building
🔬 Contemporary cognitive science and neuroscience
🌱 Attachment and developmental psychology
🕉️ Contemplative traditions and nondual inquiry
✨ The lived dynamics of connection, suffering, identity, and self-awareness
Our central interest is not merely philosophical understanding.
It is the cultivation of increasingly sophisticated forms of awareness.
Together we will explore how human beings can gradually develop the ability to:
• Observe the contents of the mind rather than unconsciously identify with them
• Understand the functional nature of thoughts, emotions, impulses, and defenses
• Increase emotional discernment and interoceptive sensitivity
• Improve reflection, reciprocity, repair, and mutuality in relationships
• Recognize patterns of counterproductive overthinking and Default Mode Network dominance
• Develop regulatory space before reaction
• Expand the “Inquiry Gap” — the capacity to sense before prematurely naming or defending
• Deepen conscious awareness of the relational field between self and other
• Explore the relationship between identity, attachment, awareness, and suffering
This is not approached dogmatically or mystically.
Rather, we approach these possibilities through grounded discussion, mindfulness skill-building, reflection, lived experience, relational inquiry, and practical exploration.
This is not therapy.
It is not performance spirituality.
And it is not about becoming “perfect.”
🌱 It is about becoming more conscious.
More reflective.
More relationally capable.
And perhaps, over time, a little less divided within ourselves.
📖 We are interested less in “covering material” and more in creating the conditions for genuine insight, mutual reflection, and developmental growth.
Occasional reflective exercises, contemplative practices, poetry, and guest perspectives may also be woven into the gatherings.
🔴 Please RSVP if you intend to attend so we can maintain an appropriate group size and create the best possible environment for reflection and dialogue.
Warmly,
Cassi & Scott & Cristina
