YOGA MAT
Ahimsa is the first of the five yamas, or restraints, that make up the universal moral code of yoga. These are the standards of conduct that apply to everyone at all times.
Ahimsa means not injuring, with words, thoughts or actions, any being, including yourself. Stated in a positive way, it’s the practice of intelligent love.
This week, every time you come to your mat, see yourself through the eyes of a loving mother, watching her child at play.
When you meet a familiar restriction, a tight shoulder or short hamstrings, stop, breathe, and turn off the nagging voices and self-criticism. Hold your body and yourself in loving awareness.
Benefits: If we brought ahimsa into our asana practice, yoga injuries would plummet, but that would be the least of it. True ahimsa is not just the end to treating the body roughly. It's also the end of viewing ourselves from the perspective of a harsh and overbearing critic.
Sequence: All the time.
Ouch: If you are used to being hard on yourself, practicing with ahimsa can, in the beginning, release a tangle of feelings, including sorrow. If you find yourself being flooded with difficult emotions, stay with your breath, and notice that emotions, like waves, have their peaks and troughs. Try doing child’s pose over a bolster to comfort and calm yourself.
Sanskrit Corner: Say Ah-HIM-sa. “A” means without, “himsa” is harm, or violence.
