How to Practice Ahimsa - Yoga

Looking beyond the physical aspect of yoga gives you a glimpse into the rich and incredibly vast world of yoga philosophy. The philosophical aspect of this centuries-old practice had a profound impact on me when I began studying yoga, with stories of gods and goddesses, symbolism of life and death, battlefields in the mind, and explorations of the meaning of consciousness. While for some the yoga philosophy module for a teacher training course is the one they may exit (I know many teachers have recently told me that they would like to review their philosophy on the weekend as their understanding of yoga has evolved over the years) for others this is the tipping point where yoga becomes so much more than just a series of postures.

One of the areas of yoga philosophy that you are most likely to come across when researching or taking a training course is the concept ofAhimsa.The word itself means “non-harmful” or “non-violent” in thoughts, words and actions. Gandhi was known for his devotion toahimsa,and much of the Hindu and yogic tradition is built on the foundations of non-injury.Ahimsais the first of the “yamas” or “moral observances” within the eight limbs of yoga – a series of almost instructive steps that can help a yoga practitionerSamadhior “bliss.” While everyone knows very well about the words, translations and meanings of the philosophical tenants, the real difference comes when we start putting these practices into action. The Yoga Sutras say soAhimsashould form the foundation on which all other philosophical practices (such as “truthfulness,” “non-stealing,” “proper energy consumption,” and “non-greed”) are built. To put it to the test, let's see what happens when we take our yoga off the mat and start practicing it into everyday lifeAhimsa.Try the following five tips and see what a difference it makes to your week!

Ahimsa in your yoga practice:

Many of us were there; We approach a challenging yoga pose that's about an inch lower or higher than we ever imagined, and then*Ouch*.An Achilles tendon, a rotator cuff, a wrist or your lower back and a sense of how stupid we might have been for pushing our body into a place it wasn't ready. Practicing “non-harmful” in your yoga practice is one of the most striking ways to change your relationship with your body and with yoga itself. When we practice physical asana from a place of “non-violence,” our practice is far wiser and more sustainable. Before you move on your mat, take a moment to tune in and listen to what your body needs that day. Do you typically opt for a strong Ashtanga sequence, but feel like your joints would benefit from a recovery session today? Do you feel sluggish and heavy and intuitively know that your body is craving dynamic, circulation-stimulating movement? If you are invited to choose the more physically advanced option in class, note whether this choice is truly right for you or whether your ego is simply pushing you to do so.

Ahimsa in your relationships:

Being stuck in a lockdown situation for months in the UK can make things at home feel a bit intense at times. If you and your partner were together aCrowdMore than usual over the past year, notice whether you've started snapping at each other or taking each other for granted. At this point we needSpace,So make sure you get enough. If you both work from home, spend some time in separate rooms and consider whether you want to go for a daily walk together or alone. On the other end of the spectrum, it's important to create a specific time to live together that still feels special. Can you cook a meal together? Favorite movie to watch? Or just sit and chat with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon without any distractions?

Ahimsa at work:

Working from home means the boundaries between whatWorkandLeisure timeLooks like it can get too blurry. If you notice that you've been checking and responding to your email at times you never dreamed of a few months ago, this is a good time to reconsider and re-evaluate where your work/home boundaries need to be set. While we all need to support each other now (which may indeed require a little overtime or multiple Zoom conferences per day), it is more important than ever to recognize when our sacred personal time is being taken over. Try to stick to work hours, turn off your email and phone notifications when you're not working, and take a breath before answering that email in an annoyed tone you might regret!

Ahimsa in your diet:

One of the most controversial topics that often comes up in yoga teacher training is the concept of “nonviolence” in nutrition and whether every yogi should be vegan. While many Indian diets are vegetarian, fish is also consumed heavily in parts of southern India, and the importance of ghee and dairy products throughout India, as well as the yogic tradition, are heavily emphasized. The most important thing when practicingAhimsaIn accordance with your diet, you eat what your body personally needs and enjoys, while also paying attention to where your food comes from and what treatment animal products may have received. What one person's body benefits from is completely different than another person's. So not only can we listen to what we really need, but we can also eat as seasonally and locally as possible, but we can also practiceAhimsain nutrition, by not judging other people's choices.

Ahimsa in your mind:

Would you talk to your best friend the way you talk to yourself? If the answer is“of course not!”Then your next step on the yogic path is to start practicingAhimsawith the words you speak to yourself. Our minds can easily be our best friends or our worst enemies at times, and all of this can have a strong impact on our emotions and mental health. Just practice observing your thoughts without getting caught up in them at all. Watch them like clouds passing by and consider whether you want to keep these thoughts in your mind, whether you would say these words to someone else and how much harm they could do to you. You deserve to hear honest words and words that align with your true self. So when you start berating yourself negatively, physically stop and tell yourself"Enough",This can effectively break the pattern of harmful self-talk.