Ahimsa: Contacting Compassion.

Non-Violence/Non-Harming

The first of the five yama’s is Ahimsa, translated as non-violence, or non-harming. 

To practice ahimsa, we are called to cease all activity which may be causing harm to ourselves or another.

Aside from the obvious "don't be physically violent", there are many more subtle ways of causing harm to another and to yourself which may fall under the radar.

To fully embody this first yama requires us to look deeply into each thought and action we go through & how it may be affecting us & those around us.

I would suggest starting with the most obvious & then expanding into the more subtle/hidden areas. We might start by looking into how we approach our own body & mind - do we constantly criticise ourselves or do we speak to ourselves with the energy of love & nurturance? How do we take care of ourselves through physical or mental injury? Do we continue on through the pain, quickly move on or do we give ourselves the space to truly start the healing process? Do we project these patterns outside of ourselves into the way we view & treat others too?

Do our daily habits harm our bodies? Does the media we consume harm our minds?

Expanding outwards, we may look into how our daily habits & patterns project outside of ourselves, into the subtle ways we may be harming others. We may look into our wardrobes & ask, what kind of brands are we supporting, do they pay their workers fairly, provide safe working conditions & use materials that do not harm the environment? Looking to our plates we may question, if any of the foods required harm in their making?

We must keep in mind that our money is a vote, each time you purchase a product or service you are voting to keep in the system that provided you with this.

Last month I wrote a piece on anti-racism work (if you haven't read that piece, you can check it out here), engaging in this kind of work, of looking at our own biases & privileges in an effort to create a more equal society could surely be seen as an aspect of practicing ahimsa.

Through consistent practice of this first yama, we start to be able to tap into our interconnectedness with all living beings & soon discover an enduring sense of love & peace right at the core of our being.