Part 1: Ahimsa
Ahimsa or non-violence
Join me as I embark on 40 weeks of trying to live the yamas and niyamas off the mat. 4 weeks for each of the 10 ethical principles.
First up is Ahimsa, or non-harm / non-violence. I thought this one would be easy - I'm generally a calm and even tempered person, with not a violent bone in my body. Or so I thought. Turns out in yoga, ahimsa is heavily focused on your interaction with yourself, and acting with courage rather than violence....
Mmmmmh looks like I have quite a bit of work to do!
But first, what are the yamas? Also known as ethical "restraints", there are 5 in total, and form the first of the 8 limbs of yoga. Yes, there is much more to yoga than just the physical poses!
Here's what I discovered (& I encourage you to do some of your own self-exploration):
• ahimsa demands courage: courage to be my best self. Even when its scary, or uncomfortabe.
• ahimsa needs balance: disease is often a sign of inward violence that is expressed outwards. Does this partly explain my neurodermatitis flareups?
• ahimsa requires space to reflect: there is no way you can figure out that you are potentially harming yourself without some kind of reflection, closure, listening to the guidance and wisdom of the Inner Voice. Balance is key - nothing new there!
• Dealing with powerlessness often leads to outward aggression...or in my case...frustration! A good good good reminder is that we have the choice to have a choice.
• Non-violence is intertwined with love. Love and courage are deeply connected. So to have the courage to be my best self, I need to have deep self-love.
• You must feel safe with yourself for others to feel safe with you.
What I will do more of: practice gratitude, trust in the moment, think of others and show kindness.
General takeaway: Step lightly...do no harm to the earth, others, or yourself.
My takeaway: My particular form of violence is frustration, and self-love is a great way to counter this.
You can practice ahimsa with me on the mat in a free Youtube class, during which I share with you journal prompts and ways that you can practice this yogic restraint of non-harm in your own daily life.
I am SO excited to share with you this 10 part series where we explore the yamas and niyamas in more detail during restorative, yin style classes. See you over in class on Youtube (@Tati von Yoga).
P.S. Here are some suggested prompts from Deborah Adele's book The Yamas and Niyamas:
*Guard your balance. Listen to the messages in your body and let yourself be guided by them. Do you need more sleep, healthy food, exercise, affection, down time? Listen to these signals and invite balance and non-harm into your life.
*Pretend that you are complete. Even if just for a few minutes, but ideally at least a day. Set no expectations of yourself, no criticism or judgement, no wanting to change anything about yourself. Practice pretending that you are complete just as you are...without wanting to be any more or less than you already are. This one can be tricky, that's why the practice is in pretending! Act with non-harm towards yourself.
*Watch were you are running interference on others' lives...are you a worrier or a fixer? Be aware of the difference between helping and supporting. Even a good intention of wanting to fix someone else's problems may in fact end up having the opposite effect and harming them. Act with non-harm towards others.
*Practice courage. Identify and do one thing that you wouldn't normally do, but that could bring benefit to your life, that of the planet or others. Have the courage to do it! Invite more non-harm into your life, that of others, and the wider world.
Lots of love & kindness,
Tati
xx
