Where's your head at? How about your heart?
As we move into February we seem to routinely think about love. Although this holiday may not be pleasant for some and may be a reminder for that promised "date night" for others, it also can be seen another way - through the lens of yoga.
Yoga is all about love. Specifically I find that one aspect of yoga - ahimsa - is the ultimate act of love for other living beings. Ahimsa is the Sanskrit word for non-violence or non-harming.
"The practice of ahimsa involves being respectful, patient, and forgiving - nonviolent. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that a yogi sees the Divine in the heart of all beings and therefore wishes all beings well. We advance in yoga to the degree that we consider the suffering of others as our own suffering and the happiness of others as our own happiness. In this spirit, companion is the basis of ahimsa."
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The Journey Within
, Radanath Swami
So this month, let's focus on compassion. How can you find more heart-led softness in your relationships with family members, friends, strangers, animals, etc? Where can you add some compassion into your life for yourself?
In yoga class we talk about the idea of proprioception - where you are physically in space and your awareness of that location. While in Warrior 2 we can notice if our back facing arm is too high or low and adjust as needed with attention and practice. Let's turn that inward and find out where we are in our thoughts and become aware of that location so we can adjust it toward a compassionate heart.
With practice, we can find ahimsa.
See you on the mat,
Andrea
Andrea D. Kirkham, ERYT500, AHE, YACEP
Owner/Director of Training
