Ancient yama. Modern-day sandals.

I have a pair of gold sandals. Comfortable from the moment I tried them on. I'd say they were in my closet, but, usually, I slip them off just inside the laundry room door, and, there they sit: ready for tomorrow.

About a month ago, I noticed the straps around my ankles had finally stretched too far. Loose on my feet. The metallic has sloughed and peeled in spots, leaving gaps of white. Yellow. Unpretty.

I wore them again anyway. Days and days of stooping mid-walk to reposition the straps so the sandals would stay on my feet. Make it another wear. Another week.

It's time to say goodbye to them, I know. Me, who is no pack rat, cannot seem to toss them in the trash or find a way to re-purpose. Somehow, I look at them and see lunch with an old friend, our last island trip, shoes I can walk a mile in with no blisters.

A bit silly, yes? 

Staring at me in the face is our second-to-last yama, or code of living. Aparigraha. Non-grasping. Non-hoarding. Non-attachment to material possessions.

Modern interpretation of the yama aparigraha does not mean a spare and minimalistic material life. As always with yoga, mindfulness and awareness are in play. Do I need this? Will this serve a purpose? How much is enough? 

But along with not acquiring for acquisition's sake, aparigraha is the separation between our things and who we are. This yama says not to tie our self worth to what we have (or who we know or love). It does not stuff a void or sorrow with materialism. And it does not, in any way, encourage us to form attachments to our possessions. 

Like little gold sandals. Gold sandals I'm tossing away today.... Or maybe tomorrow.