Going deeper within isn’t just about our body awareness. It takes into account our thoughts, words and actions. In this four part series, we will dig deeper into Ahimsa. We will learn about our thoughts, words and actions and how they affect our life.
I frequently come back to Ahimsa in my life. Mainly because it is such an easy place for me to lose track of what I’m doing. I sometimes wonder if media is the reason this happens or if it is just our culture in the 20th century.
In this first part, let’s dig into what Ahimsa is and how we can start to become more aware of Ahimsa in our lives.
Ahimsa is the first element of the 5 Yamas in the 8 Limbed path of yoga that is further discussed in a yoga philosophy book call the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The word Ahimsa is derived from the Sanskrit root himsa that means to injure or harm. Ahimsa is just the opposite of that. It is the practice of non-violence. In the more traditional definition it is not inflicting harm to ourselves or others by thought, word or deed.
This means we should be kind to ourselves in our thoughts, the words we mentally tell ourselves and in by taking care of ourselves. This is also true in our interactions with otters. What we think, say or do to others should be non-harmful.
If you are anything like me, each time I come back to the Ahimsa’s definition, it brings a resounding Yeeks! Did I really mentally think that about that person in front of me at the grocery store? Did I really just tell myself that? I can’t believe I just did that and now it is going to affect so and so. I could go on and on but, I think you get the point. My mind instantly wonders back over the last couple of days or week and I’m reminded of where I’ve slipped.
The good news is Ahimsa comes easier with staying aware of what is going on within our minds, the words we use and the things we do on a daily basis. What greatly helps is being aware of what we are doing, listening to our mind and taking note when something doesn’t align with Ahimsa. One of the things I’ve done to help improve my awareness is to set reminders on my phone to go off Mid-morning, early afternoon and evening. During these notifications, I take a quick mental check and see if there is anything that has happened that is not in line with Ahimsa. After doing this for a few days you will get to a place where the reminders are not necessary. You will know right as you are doing/saying something that you are off track or right afterward.
When you find yourself doing something that doesn’t align with Ahimsa, take those little steps to get back in line. Maybe it is apologizing to someone you have hurt with words/actions or saying something more positive to yourself. By doing this you are starting to affect how you react and will start to change those ingrained patterns we all have. One of the key steps here is doing all this without harming ourself in the process. I purposely chose some hard words above when I gave examples to get a point across but, behind every thought, word or action, we should aim at being kind and doing so without judgement on ourselves or others.
In part 2 we will be digging deeper into thoughts. What our thoughts tell us, how our thoughts affect our lives and how we can improve our thoughts/self-talk.
Until next time, let’s all become more aware of our thoughts, words and deeds.