Patanjali's limbs of Yoga: Yamas
Photo by Marc Perri.
Over the next few weeks in class we are exploring Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga in a little more detail.
This week we looked at the Yama: Ahimsa. Ahimsa is often translated as non-violence or non- harming. I think it can also be viewed as loving kindness (metta) and compassion towards ourselves and others. This plays out on our yoga mat in the way that we behave towards ourselves: not pushing too hard, not over-tensing or over-stretching but working in a comfortable place for our body moment to moment. Comparing ourselves to others, the teacher or pictures in books and magazines is not a healthy approach as each of us has our own unique alignment for a pose. The question to ask maybe: Can I stay here in this pose for the next ten minutes? and if not what adjustments could I make to do this? How can I honour my body, mind and spirit in this pose?
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