Intro to the Yamas

I’m taking Janet Stone’s “Living the 8 Limbs of Yoga” course and we are currently focusing on the Yamas or observances. When I was first introduced to them it seemed like far away concepts and didn’t resonate with me as a way of guiding my everyday interactions with the world. The Sanskrit names felt hard to remember since the concepts hadn’t sunk in and I remember seeing the same sense of disinterest with a friend who was studying for her teacher training final exam. It has taken me some time to rotate back to them, however, I now feel a renewed sense of openness and desire.

Ahimsa

The first Yama is Ahimsa or nonviolence. It appears to be a bit a dramatic at first since most of us don’t think of ourselves being truly violent on an everyday basis. Most of us do not go around causing physical harm to others or go off on strangers. Yet, I think we can all recognize the subtle ways we inflict pain which can often be the most detrimental to our health and lives. The times when we are too busy so we ignore a friend, family or partner. The traffic that tests all of our patience until we finally burst when someone cuts us off and we fully react in our enclosed containers. Or the habitual self-talk in our minds where we question our abilities, integrity or looks.

Beginner yoga students can utilize Ahimsa in their practice by realizing that they are just starting out and they are exactly where they need to be. You may be inflexible, weak, headstrong, critical and believe that you are not meant to practice yoga or get down on yourself when you do not meet your own expectations. Allow yourself to observe and notice the habitual thoughts or actions that arise. From this awareness, we can begin to change the storyline and practice Ahimsa.

Inspiration: “ Start where you are. This is very important. Mediation practice is not about later, when you get it all together and you’re this person you really respect. You may be the the most violent person in the world- that’s a fine place to start- juicy, smelly. You might be the most depressed person, most addicted person, the most jealous person. You might think that there are no others on the planet who hate themselves as much as you do.Just where you are- that’s the place to start”. - Pema Chodron, excerpt from Start Where You Are