Ahimsa

Ahimsa, The Principle of nonviolence toward all living things.
It is gentleness and noninjury, whether physical, mental or emotional.
 Ahimsa goes much deeper to prohibit the subtle abuse and the simple hurt.
 Even one's thoughts are to follow the principle of ahimsa.

 Now to translate this into my first Ahimsa yoga class. It is a vigorous Saturday morning class, 35 miles from "home" in Northern Ontario. I have absolutely no idea what to expect but I like the thought of 'vigorous'.
Every class is different and this morning we are using the wall for deep cleansing.
 Hip stretches. As we lay on the floor, legs up on the wall, one slides down, crosses over the other, a contortion of bends in the other leg and the class erupts into moans and groans. "Groans"? In yoga? It is the last thing I expected  and come to think of it, I hope that what I am about to say does not create suffering in my wake or 'himsa' but  honnestly, I think it sounds more like the labor and delivery ward.... and to be truthful? Obnoxious. Oops! Thoughts out loud with mouth shut and hips that feel super glued.

 Well, I was taught to breathe through the pain wherever it is, to observe it and my reactions to it which apparently says a lot about how I handle painful/stressful situations in life. Today I am taking it a little easier on my hips than most of the class from the sounds of it anyway.We continue with stretches in the lower body which are so intense by the end of the class I am seriously considering joining in with the gutteral group. When did  I stop taking repsonsibility for the maintenance of this body? Is neglect considered 'himsa'? Or are thoughts about it, guilt, creating the suffering and getting carried away in the mind

 'himsa'. Violence to this moment, this presence, life flowing through us.

 What energies do we hold onto that cause us to tighten up, grip on, become non flexible to the point that we lose the hip hip hooray of life? I cant name specifically what those are for me other than my  judgmental thoughts right now but I can feel the difference. Taking a moment to lie in quiet repose with the rest of the class,breathing a sigh of relief, our teacher speaks of breath, which is the one thing we all have in common. We breathe. Breathing is kind. Our thoughts maybe not always but it's good to notice.

 Non-violence is not a moral code. It is the only practical way to live! Because violence is a double-edged sword. Only a person who is a deeply violent person towards himself can treat another with violence. After all, you can throw out only whatever you are filled with! The mind is not intelligent enough to create violence externally while remaining untouched internally. If we can be a little gentler on ourselves, less judgmental, more forgiving of our own flaws, we will spontaneously do the same with others. Live and let live - because only if we learn to let live can we live at all.