THE YAMAS & NIYAMAS SERIES - APARIGRAHA

Sara West
Mar 28
2 min read

Aparigraha: The Grace of Letting Go

In a world that often tells us to hold on tighter—to our belongings, our titles, our identities, our plans—yoga offers something radical: Aparigraha, the practice of letting go.

This fifth yama in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga teaches us that peace doesn’t come from more. It comes from space.

What Is Aparigraha?

In Yoga Sutra 2.39, Patanjali writes:“Aparigrahasthairye janma kathanta sambodhah” When non-possessiveness is established, knowledge of the purpose of life becomes clear.

It’s a beautiful and layered teaching. Aparigraha literally means non-grasping, non-hoarding, or non-attachment. But it’s not just about minimalism or giving things away. It’s about loosening the grip—physically, emotionally, mentally—on anything we’re clinging to out of fear, scarcity, or control.

It’s about creating room to receive.

As Ram Dass once said:

“The art of letting go is simply remembering that who you really are doesn’t need to hold on to anything.”

What Are You Holding?

We all hold on.We hold on to people, even when the relationship has changed.We hold on to routines, even when they no longer serve us. We hold on to old stories about who we are—stories we’ve outgrown.

Aparigraha doesn’t ask us to throw everything away. It just invites us to ask: Is this still serving me? Or am I clinging because I’m afraid to let go?

Aparigraha in Daily Life

Letting go is rarely easy. It takes trust. Especially for those of us who’ve lived through loss, trauma, or instability, the instinct to cling can feel protective. And that’s okay. At Wild Soul Studio, we believe in letting go gently—when you’re ready, and not a moment before.

Here are some simple ways to explore aparigraha in your day-to-day:

Let go of perfection. Show up as you are, not as who you think you “should” be.
Declutter with mindfulness. Release what no longer feels like a fit—clothes, objects, commitments. Make space for what’s aligned with who you are now.
Practice open hands. Notice where you're gripping in your body—in fists, jaw, shoulders. Soften. Breathe. Let it go.
Notice attachment to outcomes. Are you over-controlling? Obsessing over a result? See if you can loosen your grip and trust the unfolding of life in perfect & divine timing.
Release old identities. You don’t have to be who you once were. You’re allowed to grow, shift, and change.

Aparigraha in the Studio

Whether you’re in yoga class, on the massage table, or lying in savasana, you might find moments of aparigraha arise. The moment you stop pushing. The moment you release the breath you didn’t realise you were holding. The moment you let go of “doing it right” and just be.

Aparigraha is in the exhale. It’s in the pause.It’s in the deep trust that you don’t need to carry everything.

Letting go isn’t giving up.It’s making space. And in that space, something beautiful can grow.

With warmth,

Sara 🙏