Lessons of Ahimsa

We have recently paid a visit to Sheshadri after a fabulous lunch  at Sandhya's house just a few streets down from the shala.  Andy being the man of plenty questions, asked Sheshadri if yoga was similar to martial arts. "Oh no, big difference.  Yoga is ahimsa ", he said smiling.

In sanscrit ahimsa means non-violence.  It is one of the Yamas (moral codes) of the Ashtanga Yoga system.  Ahimsa is a term that stands for non-harmful actions, words or thoughts towards all living beings.

To be a yogi does not simply mean mastering asanas or pranayama techniques, it means living yoga - cultivating a compassionate attitude towards others.  Ahimsa is also the reason behind many yoga practitioners choosing vegetarian/vegan diets.

In Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, the importance of practising ahimsa towards ourselves is quite obvious, as too often the overachieving ahstangis will allow their egos to push them beyond their body limits.

I'm guilty of it. On numerous occasions.

Since I have started practicing in India, I have been too careless and ego-ridden believing that in just a few weeks I can fix the problem areas that I have struggled with for years.  The good thing is that your body will tell you when you go too far, as did mine.  For the last week I have had to work around a sensitive right knee, caused by "overindulgence" in hip opening postures. 

Lesson learned: Every set back in your practise is a chance for growth, as it will teach you not only the importance of ahimsa, but also the ways of working around your problem areas.  I mean,  lesson areas. 

Letting go of ego, which pushes us to compete with ourselves is an important aspect of yoga.  Listening to your body, respecting the boundaries, and enjoying exactly where you are now is as vital for a yogi as practising non-harmful actions towards others.  Every morning as I am practising modified version of Marichyasana B and Marichyasana D on the left side, I enjoy the tremendous potential for growth, breathing into my "lesson areas", feeling the ego chip away one layer at a time.

In the quiet surrender to my body, I feel it open, release, heal.  

An inner smile lights up my face - I´m starting to get it. 

    Marichyasana B, performed by BKS Iyengar