Back to Yoga - Week 1 - Yamas - Ahimsa

 

 



In my yoga classes I try to incorporate a little bit of yoga history, a reading, a sutra, etc. - something to reflect upon. 

I also like to leave students with the idea, the feeling and knowing that yoga is more than just the poses we do on the mat, but that it is a way of life.

This fall as some of us are maybe coming back to the mat, or a more regular practice after the summer break, I thought I would add a weekly blog - Back to Yoga.  Intended to give something to reflect on throughout the week.  You may just read and reflect upon the blog at the moment, or you might want to get a nice journal and take time throughout your day and week to write your thoughts.

Feel free to send me a note on how you are doing. 

Om Shanti,
Pam

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

To start, the first posts will be on the Yamas and Niyamas.  There are many great books and information out there but I will be using Deborah Adele's book - The Yama and Niyamas, Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice.

Yama and Niyama are the first two limbs in Patanjali's eight-limbed system of yoga.
The are the universal and individual codes of conduct.

Deborah writes of the Yamas and Niyamas as jewels, rare gems of wisdom that give direction to a well lived and joyful life.

This week we will focus more on the Yamas and in particular the first Yama. Yama means restraints.

They are:
Ahimsa: non-violence in speech actions and thoughts
Satya - truthfulness
Asteya - non-stealing
Brahmacharya - non-excess
Aparigraha - non possessiveness

Deborah writes that Ahisma is the 1st jewel and the foundation for the other yamas.
The practice of non-violence creates a right relationship with others.  She writes how in Eastern thought the practice of non-violence is so valued that it stands at the very core and foundation of all yoga philosophy and practice. That if we don't ground our lives and actions in non-violence, everything else we attempt will be precarious.

On a big scale most of us would consider ourselves non-violent as we are not killing or violently hurting others, but consider this concept on a subtle level.  Deborah writes being hurried, afraid, feeling powerless, feeling out of balance, being harsh with ourselves, speaking words of unkindness and possibly exploding in violent verbal outbursts are all forms of violence.

Remember Ahimsa is non-violence in speech, actions and thoughts.

Yoga helps us to become more aware, and with more awareness we learn that, "our ability to be non-violent with others is directly related to our ability to be non-violent with ourselves."

"Our capacity to be non-violent depends on our proactive practice of courage, balance, love of self and compassion for others."

"Our inability to love and accept all the pieces of ourselves creates ripples - tiny acts of violence - that have a huge and lasting impact on others."

This week take time to sit and bring awareness to the breath. Relax the body, breath and mind.
(If you like contact me and I can email you a breath awareness audio)

The following suggestions can be done over the duration of the week.

Courage:
Reflect/ write your idea of what courage means to you.  Reflect on the connection between violence and fear; non-violence and courage. 
Can you find one thing that you wouldn't normally do? 

Balance:
Deborah writes that courage demands our best self and that is a self in balance.
Reflect/write areas you feel you may be out of balance.  Can you do one or two things this week that might help you feel more in balance with your body, breath and mind?
Simple examples might be going to bed a bit earlier, not having a late afternoon coffee or thinking about things that trigger emotions before you talk to someone so you can think of non-harming responses.

Powerlessness:
Reflect/ write your thoughts on what emotions arise when you feel powerless in a situation.

In Deborah's book she has some suggestions that might help with overcoming powerlessness:
- practice gratitude
- trust in the moment
- think about others

Self-Love:
Deborah writes that our ability to stay balanced and courageous has much to do with how we feel about ourselves and that how we treat ourselves is in truth how we treat those around us.

Spend a day (or more) treating yourself as you would someone else.  With kindness, patience and compassion. Reflect/ write how this makes you feel.


There is so much more to the practice of Ahimsa, each one could be a weekly practice really,  but I hope this beginning reflection brings more awareness to you and in that awareness more balance, joy and compassion for yourself and those around you.

"When we are in balance we automatically live in non-violence." - Deborah Adele


Kind regards,
Pam Nelson