5 ways to deepen your Yoga practice with Ahimsa

अहिंसा - AHIMSA - Non Harming/Non Violence in thoughts, words, or deeds. Compassion for all living beings.

While the popularity of yoga is growing worldwide, many people are discovering that yoga is more than just a physical exercise.  It truly is a path to spiritual liberation.  Let's remember that the meaning of "spirit" is to breathe life into, we are all made from spirit (breath: life force energy/prana), and yoga is a practice that teaches us to unite with our breath.  This liberation begins with understanding the 8 Limbs of yoga.

Many yogis take their practice to the next level with the study and embodiment of the 8 Limbs of yoga.  The first two limbs being Yamas and Niyamas comprise the ethical rules for the yoga aspirant.  The Yamas and Niyamas are the foundation of our yoga practice, the path to liberation.

The first Yama is Ahimsa, which means non violence/non harming to all living beings in thoughts, words, or actions.  This yama asks the yoga aspirant to take responsibility for their actions, choices, thoughts and be guided by compassion.  Here are 5 ways to implement ahimsa into your life

1) Plant based diet - While this respects the life of the animal it also is a choice of compassion to our own body as it is better for digestion and cell rejuvenation to consume plant based diets. It is also better for the environment due to excessive waste from factory farms, and it releases the chance to consume any karmic residue from the animal.  There are delicious smoothie, juice, and raw food or warm food vegetarian/vegan recipes available.  For people in North America, local farm foods or organic produce is always a good option, familiarize yourself with the "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen".  For those omnivores out there this point is to encourage you to add more fruits and veggies into your diet, your body will thank you. 

2) Love Thyself - This itself can be a huge topic to discuss about self love.  Surround yourself with people, habits, literature, experiences that elevate your soul and bring joy to your life.  Be good to your body in yoga class with breath initiated movement, and child pose if necessary.  Let go of the toxic habits and relationships that infringe on your mental and physical health.  Take some time to celebrate your victories rather than rant about being a victim, celebrate your beauty rather than focus on media influenced flaws, celebrate your blessings at every moment and more will pour into your life.  This is not to diminish any trauma that you may have gone through, rather to empower yourself to never be defined by a traumatic experience.  Yoga teachers who have found this love always shine with more compassion on others.  Yoga students who found this love tend to see all things with a loving, understanding and compassionate heart.

3) Words - Speak Lovingly always to yourself and others.  Our self dialogue is so powerful, therefore take some time to make affirmations beginning with "I AM" and be mindful of what we say afterwords.  Refrain from gossip, and even release the habit to speak in a way that would harm another persons reputation or feelings, even if it is true.  A true yogi knows the power of silence, a person with inner peace knows the power of loving words, and compassion.  We may not always get along, we may have disagreements, it is the path of the yogi to walk away, send loving thoughts, walk the loving path, and always choose forgiveness.

4) Oneness - While many would claim the word as tolerance, I feel oneness better describes the choice to look compassionately on things that challenge us.  Perhaps a situation is disappointing, take time to understand the disappointing emotional reaction is bringing up unresolved emotions that are like rippling waves in our life, leading us to the current tidal wave moments. It is easy to blame and point fingers, the yogi always aims to understand, which means understand what makes us react with passionate disturbance, our inner peace is ours and when we truly have oneness, we always shine like stars in the night sky.  

 "Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind.  I tell you, in fact, others seem to be bothering you, but it is not others, it is your own mind." Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

5) Gratitude - Cultivate an attitude of gratitude and say thank you in every breath, your life is guaranteed to reflect many more things to be grateful for.  Perhaps you had your hopes set on achieving something or success in something, rather than put all your energy on the loss, be thankful for the experience and trust there is better for you.  Where your energy goes, energy flows both on and off your yoga mat.  Take time to be grateful for everything, family, friends, life, home, food, the list of things we can be grateful for, is usually greater than we tend to realize.  Perhaps your yoga practice is not where you would like it to be, you may have had a set back physically, relax, breathe, and be grateful for where it is, challenge yourself to quiet the inner dialogue of expectations, judgements, and just enjoy being in the moment and dance with your breath.

Those who study the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in depth, take workshops or yoga teacher training may have the chance to learn more about the yoga sutras.  For those of you intimidated to take a yoga class, lose that fear and take a class, and see if you can add anything from this list into your daily routine.  For those of you who are yoga students already (including teachers) see if you can revisit something on this list for your own life.  Enjoy every moment and shine your love in every breath. ~ Namaste

Day 23 - Meditation on Compassion

Today's meditation tip is on compassion.  If you are familiar with the inspirational Yoga Teacher Sri Dharma Mittra you will have heard him emphasize the importance of living life embracing the
"Ethical Rules" as mapped out in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas, primarily "Ahimsa". Sri Dharma Mittra teaches students to cultivate compassion to all living beings as written in the first Yama, "Ahimsa". 

Ahimsa अहिंसा is non harming or non violence in action, words, thoughts.  

While there is a debate in the yoga community whether it is important to be a vegetarian or not, and it brings people to this precept of Ahimsa, challenge yourself to take a day where you eat a plant based diet (if you are not vegetarian/vegan already).  Experience how it feels for yourself.  The reality is, we should be compassionate to all living beings, and a very empowering way to look at it is that compassion is to realize it begins with yourself.  With all the knowledge of food additives, chemicals, treatment of animals, hormones etc., it would only benefit our digestion and overall health to eat a diet rich in plant based foods.  If the concept of being compassionate to yourself is not enough to embrace a compassionate "plant based diet", then recognize the yogic understanding of being compassionate to the living creatures.  Embracing Ahimsa with our diet, only gives us a healthy digestive system, healthy glowing skin, longevity, energy and a long list of health benefits, which therefore supports a yoga practice and meditation practice. 

As you are sitting in your meditation observe your thoughts, recognize that you are not your thoughts.  Then see how much of your thoughts are from a compassionate heart.  As Sri Dharma Says "Cultivate Compassion, and the rest will come".  It is normal to have thoughts arise in your meditation, but after you complete your meditation challenge yourself to embrace all aspects of Ahimsa throughout your day in your thoughts, words, and actions to yourself and all living beings.

A Birthday Wish for Love

Happy Birthday to ME and all other Aquarians born on January 26th. Happy Indian Republic Day too! While I am grateful for the outpouring of love from all my family, friends and students....I enjoy to joke that the entire nation of India likes to Celebrate my birthday as well....even though India is celebrating it's Republic Day...In my heart, I can believe that the glorious parades, dances, and fireworks are for my birthday right! (Just a joke). The republic day of India celebrates the power of love. This day when India became a sovereign nation, celebrates the dream, and amazing triumph of love and peace from the example of Gandhi, who lead the nation to freedom and liberation with non-violence.

So while everyone makes a wish on their birthday.....I too make a wish. A wish for love. May this new chapter in my life bring me and everyone I come across incredible experiences of love and kindness. In my life, I have found that when I fill my heart with love, when I give love in my thoughts, words, and actions, love is returned to me in so many ways. This love is something I am grateful to have learned from the amazing example of my beloved parents. I wish that myself and everyone who is my friend, my student, and my family is inspired to always act, speak, live, and think with love.

This wonderful practice of Yoga is more than just a physical exercise, and as teachers and students, it is important for us to go deeper into the practice. Yoga is, and always will be mind-body-spirit. At least abiding by the first Principal of Ahimsa (non harming to all living things) people will experience the power and depth of this practice. This act of non-harming is not just being a vegetarian, it is found by abstaining from gossip, boasting, grudges, and negative thoughts towards others. Forgiveness and learning from sorrows creates triumph and love in this Universe, while dwelling on the pains of the ego, only breeds further negative energy, that will karmically transpire in all areas of our life. Thus, love is my wish! My wish for this new year of life, is a wish for love, for myself and everyone! While you may believe that your grudge is valid, while you may have been a victim, challenge yourself to find freedom from this negative energy, to lose your ego, to detach, to forgive, to learn and grow, to overcome with love and find peace, and then and only then, life will bring you love and peace in return. After all, yoga is supposed to make us flexible, not just in our bodies, but in our hearts and minds as well. Our life is a reflection of our thoughts and our heart. If you mind and heart is filled with love, you will receive love in return, and it will reflect in your relationships as well as your yoga practice, however, if your mind and heart is filled with negative thoughts, your life, your relationships and your yoga practice will be a reflection of this energy. A heart is like a lovely tree, when nurtured with love, it grows and bears wonderful fruit. Choose love.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Photo: Ambria in Tree pose taken by David Blottner

Stop Bullying - Ahimsa

Ask yourself, have you every been the victim of bullying? Have you ever been a bully? Sadly, many people would say yes to one or both, and if you didn't, you lie about other things too! Bully's are people who do repeated acts over time in order to enforce power on the other person. Is this power or cowardly? Bullying consists of three basic forms: emotional, verbal, and physical done to create coercion or manipulation. Sadly, it is found in families, schools, workplaces, churches, neighborhoods, cyber bullying, military, college hazing, social groups and social classes. From a historical perspective, nations have bullied other nations for power. Most bullies are aggressive, narcissistic, and driven by envy, resentment, insecurity, and a serious inferiority complex. Bullies satisfy their need for significance at the expense of the feelings and lives of others, and this has to STOP!

The recent trend of teen suicide in the gay community is so sad. Is this the world we live in? Can we learn from history? The amount of Russians, Jews, and various other Europeans that were murdered due to bullying in the Holocaust! The amount of Indians that were murdered when the British invaded India. The amount of African Americans that were bullied during the slave trade. The amount of women that were bullied during the women's liberation movement. When does it end people? The sad part is, bullies come in on their target, and instill limiting beliefs in that person or group, all for power. We win when we stop believing in these limiting beliefs that other bullies attempt to impose, but it is not always easy. The Yogic principal of Ahimsa is Non Harming to all living things, to do no harm in actions, words, deeds and thoughts. If only we could all live by this standard. Many celebrities have come forward to support the stop bullying campaign.

Ahimsa - Non Violence

Ahimsa (अहिंसा) Which is considered to be one the main Yogic Yamas and translates as Nonviolence. This Yama includes refraining from inflicting/causing injury, harm, or pain to any living creature in thought, word, or action at any time. This is such a beautiful principal to approach life and all living creatures with. This Yogic Path/Yama is also an inspiration for many who choose the vegetarian lifestyle. It is also related to many Yogis love and affinity to animals. I know I love animals too much and abstain from eating meat due to that love.

Today, while taking a walk I was approached by some young gentlemen carrying a litter of six adorable, blue eyed, 6 week old, pit bull puppies for sale. These puppies were too cute. I personally never really wanted a pit bull for a pet, but wow these little munchkins looked so huggable! While Pit bulls are usually associated with viciousness, I asked the guys if it is true. They said that it depends on how you raise them. Much like the famous Martin Luther King Jr quote "Violence begets violence", I was reminded of the Yogic Path/Principal of Ahimsa, as I stood there petting the little munchkins while going goo goo gaa gaa over there adorableness. If every person made an effort to adapt this principal of Ahimsa, what a wonderful, peaceful world this would be.