At the core of Ahimsa | Azure Ananda

At The Core of Ahimsa:
How To Incorporate Kindness Into Your Day-to-Day Life

By Hanne

Ahimsa (do no harm) is found in the ethical guidelines of Yoga Philosophy, and it gives us guidance in our lives. The core of Ahimsa is simple: Be kind to yourself and others in everything you say, do, think, eat, buy, receive, etc. Jon Kabat Zinn sums up Ahimsa like this: Why not try to live to cause as little damage and suffering as possible? We are at the core of Ahimsa in this blog post and learn to incorporate kindness into our daily lives.

At the core of Ahimsa:
How to incorporate kindness into your day-to-day life

Carl Jung has said:
“Your vision will become clear only
when you can look into your own heart.
Who looks outside, Dreams;
who looks inside, awakens. “

The meaning of the word Ahimsa (non-violence) can be peeled into pieces as follows:
A: against or not
Himsa: harm, injustice, or cruelty
Ahimsa: Do no harm

Before the Practice

Before practicing Ahimsa, we have often already found our way to a yoga mat to asana practice. The reasons behind this may be pain or tension in our physical body that we want to alleviate. Maybe you have been recommended yoga for some emotional challenge that you need to heal.

Our bodies and the intelligence hidden in them react lovingly to the consideration they receive along with the physical practice, and things in our lives begin to open up, clarify and eventually resolve. As we diligently return to our mat, sooner or later, more questions start to raise within us. And when we begin to enter into a personal relationship with ourselves and start to peek beyond physicality, diving deeper into the world of yoga in its philosophical sense as well.

This road can be very bumpy and full of twists and turns. Opening one door into facing our inner self makes us ponder more deeply about the direction of our lives and the different directions, leading us to uncertainty about which way to go. It often brings negative, fearful feelings to the surface. However, underlying these fears is a thirst for greater self-awareness. And that is a reason to return to the yoga mat again and again.

Yoga Sutra

The concept of Ahimsa is found in an ancient philosophy known as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. And it’s a great way to start the self-examination. Yoga Sutra comprises ten principles that we should include in the practice. These principles can be seen as a map to navigate the world. It helps our studies, but ultimately it also challenges us and our lifestyles.

That challenge of thinking about our lifestyle more profoundly through Yoga Sutra makes us mirror the teachings back into our lives, guiding us to continue looking at our ethics and values. The courage to step forward and challenge the prevailing life situation leads to the change at that moment when we cease to be placeholders in our own lives.

We can go through our lives without questions or explore how teachings relate to our lives and learn that happiness, answers, love, and contentment do not come from outside. Yoga Sutra guides a less stressful and more meaningful life and connects you to something meaningful. Something that you didn’t even know existed before.

The Most Important Choice In Life

The Yoga Sutra explains what happens inside you, in your mind, and your body physically during yoga practice. That allows us to alleviate the feelings of suffering in our lives.

The first step is to adopt practices that allow your actions and words to be positive in your human relationships and relationships with other living beings and your environment.

Einstein has said that one of the most important choices we have to make is to decide whether we believe the world is a friendly place or not. If we think it is a positive and friendly place, we will see more love around us, forgive, be kind, and support others. If we believe the world is unkind, we use our energy will be put out to build walls and creating separation to protect ourselves from being hurt or harmed.

Kindness has many layers. You serve and help others, comfort, listen, and, where possible, support someone in their loneliness. Sooner or later, something else bubbles on the surface, and you begin to apply the teachings of Ahimsa to your thoughts and words.

Ahimsa's Basic Idea

Ahimsa’s basic idea is that our words and thoughts would be kind-hearted whether we direct them at other people or ourselves.

“The outer critic reflects the inner criticism.
The outer judge reflects inner judgments.
What you say about others says a lot about yourself.”

Everything you do, say and think, causes a reaction both outside and inside you. With this in mind, the concept of kindness is straightforward. You can mirror it through the following questions.

Ask yourself: how does this thought, word, or deed feel? Think in your mind of those you love and ask yourself: what is the kindest deed, word, or thought I could give that person right now? Knowledge of these answers will lead you to a higher and more profound level.

As the importance of Ahimsa deepens in your life, you may begin to consider (or feel a desire, to start with) what you are buying, thinking, and doing daily. It can be to support small farmers and businesses, and gratitude for the people you are dealing with and their efforts to serve you (e.g., in its simplicity, dealing with the cashier at a shop) and vice versa.

Three Gates

Sufism tells us that written, spoken, or inner words must pass through three gates if we want to be liberated from fear, our judging, and harsh inner voice. These three gates are:
Is it true? Is it friendly? Is it necessary?

When you have an internal dialogue, you should ask: is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? Does this inner speech liberate you, take you forward in your spiritual path, or does it prevent you from living a compassionate, gentle, and loving life with yourself?

You cannot stop your thoughts; they are the product of your brain and are meant to protect you and help you avoid pain. What you can do is weigh and question their validity, be careful in the moments you feel you enter a dangerous area, learn humility as you stumble upon the words of your inner conversation, and remember, always, always to be kind.

Kindness

How can we be kind to someone who mistreats us and is mean to us? What should we do if someone insults us with words? We can let the words pass through us and understand that the person who offends us is unhappy in their lives and directs their frustration at us. Reacting negatively only adds the same harmful energy around us, allowing our egos not to identify with the interpretation of harsh words.

It is essential and can even be the starting point for practicing Ahimsa that we start to practice it toward ourselves. Only by being kind to yourself can you be kind to others. If you do something wrong, don’t blame yourself for it or regret it indefinitely. Be compassionate and kind to yourself and learn from your experience. Always remember that how you treat yourself affects how you treat others.

With Ahimsa, the door opens for you to inner and outer happiness and harmony. By Yin Yoga practice below, you will be able to practice Ahimsa on your yoga mat. Namaste <3

May this practice remind you the world is indeed a friendly, kind, and supportive place.

Gabrielle Harris: The Inspired Yoga teacher
Nicolai Bachman: The Path of the Yoga Sutras Unlocking the Secrets of Patanjali’s Yoga

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Hi, I'm Hanne

I am a yoga instructor and personal trainer dedicated to holistic wellbeing and natural living. On my blog, I share insights and practical tips to help you find balance and harmony in your life.