Ahimsa on and off the mat by Renee Downing, E-RYT 500
The 8 limbs of yoga, or Ashtanga, is a very well-known part of yoga philosophy according to Patanjali. It is essentially an 8-fold path leading to liberation. The first of the 8 limbs is the Yamas, a set of 5 restraints that, when practiced, help lead to a life of less suffering and better harmony with yourself, others and the universe.
Ahimsa is the of the 5 Yamas. It is often translated to mean non-harming, or non-violence and can be applied to all aspects of life. Ahimsa can be summed up quite well with the phrase “Do no harm but take no s%*t.” These are some of the many ways to practice Ahimsa on, and some may say more importantly, off the mat.
1. Avoid pushing yourself when the push is driven by ego and quit ignoring pain.
It may not feel like it at the moment, but it is a good thing that our nervous systems are designed to make us feel pain. Pain is a warning sign that you need to pay attention to what is going on. It is not pain’s purpose to force us to endure, or “suck it up.” When you find yourself pushing through pain in your asana practice, ask yourself why. What is driving you to continue hurting yourself instead of backing off ever so slightly from the depth of the pose you are in? Spending the time to reflect will often shine a light on the amount of control your ego has over not only your asana practice, but every other aspect of your life. Practice recognizing the subtle moments when your inner truth tells you something isn’t right. Meditation is a great tool for this.
2. Push yourself to work a little harder when you start neglecting your health.
There is a big, yet often misunderstood, difference between pain and discomfort. Pain is a warning not to be ignored; discomfort can be a tool to gain both physical and emotional strength. There is no way to completely avoid discomfort in one’s lifetime. Running from discomfort robs us of the opportunity for growth. Physical exercise is not meant to be easy. The body needs to be challenged in order to stay healthy and strong. Rest is important but sloth will lead to even more discomfort than the simple act of intentional movement. Make an effort to move your body daily and challenge yourself.
3. Quit comparing yourself to others
This applies to not only when you are in a group asana class, but also when you are getting groceries, picking your kids up from school, exposing skin at the beach, working on a project, public speaking, teaching yoga, accepting an award, not winning an award, etc. You are on your own journey and so is the person you are comparing yourself with. Only you know what you are going through in your own life and only the person you are comparing yourself with knows the struggles he or she is going through in theirs. That person in class who can do all the “crazy” asanas? He or she has probably been working very hard on their asana practice for many years and started once just like everyone. Viewing yourself as less than is a great way to act out of, and reinforce, your own insecurity, and insecure people are often so engulfed in those insecurities that they make everyone around them uncomfortable.
4. Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations
Think about it for a moment. How often do you tell yourself things like “I suck for not being able to do the pose as good as Suzy over there,” or “I could never be as smart as Bob the genius.” Or “Dammit why can’t I stop eating ice cream every night before bed?” This type of negative self-talk kills self-esteem. Instead, try replacing negative with positive. If that suggestion makes you roll your eyes, you’re not alone. Negative self-talk is a tough habit to break, especially if you have been conditioned to do it for a long time. But this way of thinking serves no one, especially yourself. It is a quick trip to a downward spiral of depression and self- hatred – the opposite of Ahimsa. Instead of, “I suck for not being able to do that pose,” think, “Holy crap! Look how far I’ve come in MY OWN practice!” Instead of “I could never be as smart as Bob the genius,” perhaps you can think to yourself, “Damn, look how bad ass I am at (insert skill here).” Instead of, “Dammit, why can’t I stop stuffing my face,” think, “I am privileged enough to be able to stuff my face, and I have the freedom to stop.”
5. Pause when agitated
Stop and think about what effect your behavior and actions will have on others. It’s easy to react. It takes skill to pause and think before responding to situations. Perhaps you have already experienced those moments when your immediate reaction to a stressful or disturbing situation has hurt others, and by then it is too late. The damage is done. Apologies are warranted, but you can not take back the hurt you caused for the person you lashed out on. Then, if you have even a smidge of compassion and empathy, you are also left in an undesirable state of mind; you feel guilty, sad, angry with yourself, etc. All of this could have been avoided by pausing to think before reacting.
6. Forgive yourself.
Make a mistake, own up to it, apologize if necessary, and then move on. Do your best to make it right, avoid following an apology with a justification, and make an effort to never let it happen again. And then remind yourself that you are human and therefore fallible. No human will go through life without making mistakes. Some of those mistakes might be horrendous, but most of them can be recovered from if we let ourselves.
7. Stop apologizing for merely existing.
I am constantly witnessing people, women especially, apologizing when there is no reason for it. The dictionary defines the word apologize as “to express regret for something that one has done wrong.” Standing next to someone and reaching for your jacket is not something to regret. Maneuvering your shopping cart around someone who is blocking the entire aisle with their own is not wrong. You have just as much of a right to exist as the person whose cart is blocking the aisle.
8. Be kind to all sentient creatures.
This means different things to different people. For some, it means living a vegan lifestyle, so no animals are harmed for their sake. For others, it means buying meat and dairy from local farmers and other individuals who treat their animals better than some before slaughtering them. Several thousands of years ago, the yogic diet was primarily vegetarian. Practitioners consumed dairy products but the animals they received the milk from were taken well care of and shown respect. Meat was rarely consumed, and mainly for medical reasons such as extreme anemia.
Maybe instead of shooting animals on your property that you consider to be a nuisance, you invest in a trap that allows you to relocate the animal, unharmed, somewhere far from home. If you really want to show the animal respect, you can make sure that if it has any babies, they go with it. Do you really need to kill that spider who is just trying to survive like us? Do you really need to argue your opinion with someone who disagrees, or can you do everyone a favor and let it go? Do you really need to raise your voice and frighten your dog to discipline him or her or can you spend a little time educating yourself on the kinder, more encouraging way?
9. Stop pushing your ideals and morals onto others and stop thinking you are better than those whose ideals and morals differ from your own.
Enough said.
10. Schedule down time
We live in a world where success tends to be measured by busting our asses to make a bunch of money. If you are fortunate enough to have already accepted that the true measure of success can, and should, mean so much more than that, consider yourself lucky. If you are still driven by that antiquated notion and are not yet willing to think differently, at least make sure you are giving yourself enough breaks so that when the inevitable burnout comes, your time spent in the hospital recovering from a heart attack or nervous breakdown can be as minimal as possible.
11. Eat healthy, fresh, nutritious, organic food
Our liver filters out a ridiculous amount of toxins on a daily basis. When the liver is overloaded with work, our bodies do not function at their best. Toxins accumulate and disorder occurs. Processed foods contain chemicals and other toxic ingredients that tax the liver. Alcohol taxes the liver. Prescription drugs tax the liver, and although many prescriptions are avoidable for many people, a huge population of first world countries with easy access to prescription medications are taking more than they need. Eating fresh, organic fruits and veggies assist the liver in filtering out toxins. Fresh, healthy food allows the body, including the brain, where natural chemicals alter our moods, to function optimally.
12. Do whatever you can to leave the planet better off than before you took up residency on it.
The list of ways to take better care of the planet are endless. Use less. Buy less. Waste less. Recycle everything that can possibly be recycled. Wash dishes instead of throwing away paper plates. Drive your car less and walk or bike more. Quit smoking stinky, cancer causing cigarettes. Don’t use pesticides. Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and even grains if possible. Buy/use less plastic. Avoid products that use excessive amounts of packaging. Support businesses that make products made from recycled items or that can be recycled. Hold doors open for strangers. Smile at strangers, or at least make eye contact once in a while. Throw trash in a trash can, not out your car window (duh). Boycott aerosol products. Turn off lights when you’re not using them. Tell the people you love that you love them, and do it often.