“Make a habit of two things: to help, or at least to do no harm.” – Hippocrates
Weekly Focus: Ahimsa (non-harming)
Last week’s focus of Daya, is a building block towards Ahimsa. Ahimsa is one of the yamas and translates as non-harming. This is the practice of considering the negative potential of not only our actions but our thoughts, words, and intentions, so that we may reduce consequential harm.
Cultivating ahimsa is achieved through the cultivation of intentional thought, word and deed. For every action there is a reaction, or a consequence, whether positive or negative. Yoga teaches helpful tools of pause, reflect, and analyze before jumping into action, assumption or conclusion. It is this intentionality that can help us work towards a life of ahimsa in practice.
Sometimes we don’t always consider the harmful impact that our words and actions may have on others. When we pause, we allow ourselves to consider these consequences, cultivating a more thoughtful approach to life, and hopefully less harmful outcomes. If we think there is potential for our words and actions to create harm to another, we can choose to refrain.
Is there anywhere in life that you may be unintentionally causing harm, whether directly or indirectly? Get deep with this question. How can you apply this practice of ahimsa in your everyday life?
Here is a simple practice in considering ahimsa:
- Find pause — when you find yourself reacting to a situation, a discussion or an event, pause before you do anything. Give yourself a moment.
- Take a breath — breathing gives us a moment to focus and to release any initial energy that may have come on suddenly. This release can provide more clarity to the situation.
- Consider and reflect — how were you prepared to react? What will the reaction likely be? Is that a reaction worth your energy? Will it ultimately make you feel better or feel worse?
- Respond with intention — only respond in a way that feels thoughtful and considered. Make sure that your response will not cause you excess grief later down the road, upon further reflection.
Passive Pose of the Week: Neck Stretches
Non-harming action begins with our own person. Sometimes a simple stretch is all we need to extend a bit of extra care and non-harming action towards ourself. There is nothing to achieve with a simple stretch, except that which feels comfortable.
- Sit in any comfortable position, on the floor or in a chair.
- Drop your right ear towards your right shoulder. Lift and lower the chin a few times until you find a comfortable space.
- Take 2 – 3 full breaths here, perhaps placing your right hand on the head as a gentle weight.
- Roll your chin to your chest. Pause here for 2 – 3 more breaths. Imagine breathing into the back of your neck.
- Now drop your left ear to your left shoulder, and repeat on this side.
- Lift your head back to center and listen. Take any other movement that might feel good, some gentle head rolls or shoulder rolls could be a nice option.
Calming and centering, neck stretches can be a great way to help us enter a practice or to transition between spaces on our mat, such as active and passive spaces. It can also be a wonderful way to pause in the middle of your workday, offering a space to simply breathe and be.
Active Pose of the Week: Tripod Headstand
Tripod headstand is a moderate approach to taking a full headstand – and it’s not for everyone! Taking time to thoughtfully consider if you need to take this posture, is one way to practice ahimsa towards yourself.
- Begin on all fours, in tabletop pose.
- Place your hands on the ground in front of you, about shoulder-width distance apart.
- Lean forward and reach the crown of your head to the floor, in front of your hands. The crown of your head is the flat spot on the top of your head. You should be able to see your fingertips, make a triangle with your head and hands.
- Tuck your toes and straighten your legs, lifting the hips up.
- If you feel comfortable bend your knees and rest them on your elbows. Squeeze your feet towards your seat.
- Actively push into the floor with your hands and draw your elbows in.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and slowly come down as you are ready.
If you haven’t practiced a headstand or tripod headstand prep before, we recommend practicing near to a wall. This will provide a sense of support mentally, and possibly physically. When setting up at the wall, don’t get too close! Be sure to keep about 7 – 10 inches between your head and the wall, so that you have space to lift up. Once your feet are propped on the elbows, remember to actively push into the floor. If you feel a lot of weight in your head, engage more through the shoulders, and feel your spine lengthen up towards the ceiling. This engagement will help reduce any excessive weight bearing in the head and neck so you can be more comfortable in your headstands!
Join us in class this week to practice your self-reflection and acknowledgment of the Kleshas. See the full schedule HERE.
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