Ahimsa for Yourself

One of the Yamas of Yoga is Ahimsa which is the practice of nonviolence, non-harming, and to cause no injury. I’m sure we’ve recognized this as physical actions, but have we thought about our own words?

But what about off the mat? How do you practice ahimsa in every day interactions for yourself? I always laugh when I see this phrase "if speaking kindly to plants helps them grow, imagine what speaking kindly to humans can do"... But it's true and many times the person we're most unkind to is ourselves. When was the last time you told yourself “Ahhh that was dumb!”, “Well that was stupid of me", "I'm always messing up", "Oh that wasn’t good enough”, “I did that part right but this part failed", or “I’m not thin enough” Basically anything that goes…. I’m (INSERT PEJORATIVE HERE)! The things we say in our head and outloud to those we trust matter. Those thoughts and actions continue as patterns. We may continue to mindlessly go through our day and not recognize them. But imagine if we started to take stock. Stock of the thoughts that add a little extra muck to our day. There's a multitude of labels we put on ourselves, some motivational, some detrimental to our health and well-being. What's most important to remember is those labels CHANGE. They can change minute to minute, hour by hour, or over weeks, months, and years. These momentary labels are not who you are.

Imagine there is a rock next to a lake throughout the year. How does the rock change throughout the seasons? Some months it may be green and mossy, other months cold and covered in ice. Whatever attaches to the rock is extra but the rock itself still holds it's fundamental qualities of being a rock. In a sense the rock "observes" these changes without changing itself. So where are you like the rock? What can you observe yourself doing, saying, and thinking without judgement? What parts of you are always the same regardless of those labels that come and go? Can you find a lessened attachment to these labels? So if all the labels were removed you'd still feel whole? Imagine how you might feel differently. Imagine how you might engage differently with your surroundings. Could you add a little more joy to your life? Could you reframe the negative thoughts and labels you put on yourself to positive ones?

Special thanks to @emiliebersphotofor creating these photos with me!! 💛💛✨

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