Ahimsa During Your Yoga Practice

Welcome, yogis!

Today we’re going to be talking about Ahimsa.

We could talk about Ahimsa forever because it’s such a beautiful topic. It’s the first Yama and the first point we see in the 8 Limbs of Yoga. It’s the foundation for living a yogi lifestyle!

Ahimsa

noun

Non-harming, non-violence, without injury

Non-harming can be applied to so many different areas of our lives, but we’re going to tune into one simple way we can start using this Yama in our day-to-day routines.

Applying Ahimsa on our yoga mats!

If you’ve ever gone to an in-person yoga class (ah, the days before corona…), you may have felt intimidated by the other individuals who could touch their toes and place their legs behind their head. You might have even pushed your body further into a pose that it was definitely not ready for. That’s not Ahimsa, people!

You don’t need to do a handstand, fold completely forward, or even be flexible to get the benefits of yoga. The fact that you’re showing up on the mat to take care of your mind and body is enough.

There’s no competition in yoga. It’s great that your yoga buddy can effortlessly bend into King Pigeon, but you don’t have to.

Honor your body where it is today.

Even if you’ve been practicing yoga for years and can fold and twist into all sorts of shapes, there may be days where even a gentle butterfly pose feels uncomfortable. That’s okay.

Listen to your body! You may love power yoga, but if your muscles are begging you to stop, find your way to a Child’s Pose or choose to do a restorative practice instead. You may be working on hip flexibility, but if frog pose makes you feel like your legs are about to fall off, don’t do it!

You should never feel strain or pain on the mat, regardless of what your ego tells you.

Treat your body with love and compassion. Flow into poses that make you feel your best. Allow yourself to go through each movement with Ahimsa.

Namaste,

Camryn