Ahimsa

The Indian sage Patanjali outlined eight aspects, or "limbs", of spiritual yogic practice in his renowned Yoga Sutras. The first of these eight limbs of yoga is yama, or moral codes. The first of the five aspects of yama is ahimsa, or nonviolence.

The practice of non-violence/non-harm extends not only to all living creatures of this earth. It applies, first and foremost, to ourselves.

As a dedicated new student of ashtanga yoga, which incorporates the eight limbs of yoga into every aspect of its regular practice, I find the concept of ahimsa to be particular inspiring. Tracy, my ashtanga yoga teacher, whose compliments on my progress at the end of class this week have given me a major confidence boost, has aroused my awareness of ahimsa since I started taking her new class in the beginning of this month. "Be kind to yourself", she would say, "be nice to your body during your practice. Understand its limitations. Allow it time and space to grow and improve."

Remembering my old days of ballet, when I would practically beat my body parts into submission and force them into the seemingly impossible positions by whatever measures necessary, yoga is just about the polar opposite.

It's one of the many reasons why I love yoga so much.

When I get onto my mat, I remind myself of ahimsa. Peace, love, kindness, gentleness, non-violence. I will tell myself, at each practice, that if I can't manage a certain pose, it is ok. I will do my best, and I will stop when I need to. I will listen to what my body tells me, and I will be mindful of its messages. I will respect my body for what it can do, and forgive it for what it cannot yet do. I will give myself, my being, the time it needs to develop, strengthen, and be better. 

Ahimsa embodies all facets of life. While practicing ahimsa toward the other living beings around us, we must not, at any time, forget our own selves.

Taking my fall from horseback yesterday into consideration, I must remember to not only give my body the time to recover and heal, but also give my mind the ease of knowing that it meant nothing more than an accident. It does not mean that I'm a bad rider. It does not mean that I'm incompetent on horseback because I fell off, again. It simply means that I had an accident, no more and no less. Riders who are 20 plus years into their careers still fall, and riders who are much older with much more time in the saddle than I do have their fair shares of falling stories to tell, from bad to worse.

Ahimsa. It is for all of us; our lives, our bodies, our minds. Kind to others, kind to ourselves, always, in every way. Peace in oneself, peace in the world.

“Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, and therefore, to be practiced by everybody in all affairs of life. If it cannot be practiced in all departments, it has no practical value.” - Mahatma Gandhi