The Essence of Yoga

Yoga ethics begin with two things: Yamas and Niyamas. Yamas are guidelines for how we interact with the outer world. Niyamas are how we interact with ourselves, our internal world. Recently when reading through the Yamas and Niyamas at a teacher training I was asked to pick which Yama or Niyama resonates the most with me. After a lot of thought and consideration and listening to my heart I chose Ahimsa (Ah-him-saw). Ahimsa is the sanskrit term meaning to do no harm. It is believed that ahimsa is closely tied with the belief that any violence will bring negative karmic consequences.

Non-harming can mean many different things. The basic guidelines that we were given described Ahimsa as "awareness and gentleness in action, thought and speech." Through Ahimsa we are guided to practice compassion, love, understanding, patience, self-love, and worthiness. We should begin to practice this throughout our lives as much as we can.

The easiest first step toward Ahimsa is to begin a non-harming relationship with ourselves. Beginning to speak nicely to ourselves will be a drastic change for many people. It is like the saying "you are your own worst enemy." Begin by working towards a healthy relationship with yourself, because if you do not know how to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated, how will someone else ever know how to treat you.

Another large part of Ahimsa is not harming all living beings, which for many yogi's is why they choose to not eat any animal. This may be a drastic step for some, but when you begin to live the life of a yogi, and you begin to incorporate the Yamas and Niyamas into your life, you begin to see the connection between all beings, and the importance of not harming any living creature.

Ahimsa is very important, as are the other Yamas and Niyamas which I would like to work into my blog over time. Being aware of every action that you choose is one of the most important things that the Yamas and Niyamas can teach you. Today, and every day, become aware of the ways that you are harming yourself, others, and the environment. Start right now, and start using ahimsa as a guide so that you are encompassing all living beings and treating them, and yourself, with the respect, love, and compassion everyone and everything deserves.

"Our task must be to free ourselves... widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." -- Albert Einstein