Thursday, September 3, 2009

Ahimsa - non-violence

As I go through a 200-hour yoga teacher certification training, I've been thinking a lot about the yogic principle of AHIMSA, or non-violence (also non-harming), and how it relates to counseling. Of course, the literal translation of this is to not kill, or harm others. But truly practicing ahimsa has many more meanings. It means not stooping to the level of someone else who harms you, even in a small way (for example, not tailgating the car that just cut you off). That doesn't mean being passive or wimpy, but knowing which battles are worth fighting, and which are likely to make you agitated, anxious, and aggravated with yourself later ("why did I feel the need to do ____?"). Ahimsa also means being non-violent with yourself, not beating yourself up about everything little thing. The yogis talk about "making space" for all of life's ups and downs. So, for example, instead of constantly berating yourself for having gained a few pounds and for not working out, what would it feel like instead to say to yourself, "Okay, I'm not so thrilled with these extra pounds, but I'm happy with who I am anyway. Wherever I'm at is okay, and when I'm ready, I'll start exercising." How much better would we feel about ourselves, our relationships, and the world in general if we all practiced a little more ahimsa?

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