INTENTION: I consciously practice loving and kindness to all beings daily.
Today’s intention introduces you to the practice of Ahimsa. Ahimsa (non-violence) is the first and foremost of the five yamas (restraints) and is the first "limb" of Patanjali's eightfold path (ashtanga) as described in the Yoga Sutra. Ahimsa charges us to live in such a way that we cause no harm in thought, speech, or action to any living being. Ahimsa can help you transform negative energy and cultivate a deep, abiding sense of peace.
Some yogis interpret non-harming as a behavior performed, such as living a vegan lifestyle or volunteering in their community. Although these are wonderful outward expressions of ahimsa, the practice starts as an inner state of being. Are you kind and compassionate in your thoughts, words, and actions? Or, do you say mean and untrue or unkind things about friends, family, and those whom you see as rivals? Are you brutal to yourself – critical, loathing, self-blaming, etc.?
To understand how non-harming can manifest in your life, you must first learn how subtle daily actions and responses contain elements of harm. When thoughts contain negative responses like disappointment, resentment, or guilt, when you feel shame, or if you can't forgive someone for something they've done, or if you can't forgive yourself for something you've done, you are pushing love away.
A gifted teacher of ours from the Himalayan Institute describes ahimsa as "conscious loving." Another great sage, Sivananda, said, “Ahimsa is not mere negative non-injury. It is positive, cosmic love. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced by love. Ahimsa is true sacrifice. Ahimsa is forgiveness. Ahimsa is Sakti (power). Ahimsa is true strength.”
Ahimsa, in its purest form, is the spontaneous expression of the highest form of love—an unconditional positive regard for everyone and everything. This is impossible to do if you choose to ignore or escape from certain traits held within you.
Yoga is a great way to observe ahimsa in our daily interactions. When you practice yoga, you are invited to observe your thoughts, words, and actions impartially and with compassion. Through this awareness, yoga alchemizes negative emotions and tendencies and over time prevents you from acting on these feelings. Yoga provides space for accepting yourself with an open heart, letting go of reacting in a negative way and replacing those actions/reactions with kindness, acceptance, and growth.
Observe what happens when your temper flares or upset appears. The first harm is usually to yourself. Notice how everything— body, breath, thoughts, words—becomes tight and jagged. Observe a sense of imbalance or feeling off-kilter. The sages say that to create a peaceful, harmonious environment at home, at work, or in our community, you must first find peace within yourself. This is a process and includes awareness, observation, and witness consciousness. By observing your habitual reactions and their consequences, you become consciously aware of these habits and behaviors. Then you can learn to stop, take a deep breath, and readjust. As you become the observer of yourself, you can choose to respond in new, more loving, and accepting ways.
Ahimsa is the key to maintaining both a tranquil inner life and harmonious relationships in the world. At a deeper level, ahimsa is less a conscious process than a natural consequence of yoga practice. As our journey unfolds, it leads to awareness of the peaceful and enduring core that is our true nature; the desire to prevent harm is a spontaneous expression of that awareness. We begin to realize that the inner self in others is identical to our own inner self, and we wish no harm to come to any being.
Love & light,
Jeanne & John Adams