Ahimsa - Nonviolence

The first yama we are going to look into is ahimsa, or nonviolence.  At first glance, most people (myself included) think, "Great! I haven't punched anyone in years!"  While it is terrific that you aren't going around abusing people, let's look at this from a different standpoint.  When was the last time you pushed yourself so hard in a workout that you strained a muscle?  How often do you look at yourself in the mirror and criticize the reflection looking back at you?  How many times have you placed unrealistic restrictions on yourself (no more chocolate....EVER!)?  And how many times did those restrictions backfire (entire plate of brownies anyone?)?  The point is nonviolence doesn't only apply to the people around you, harming yourself is just as bad if not worse.

My challenge for you today - listen to your body and respect what it's telling you. Tired? Take a 5 minute break from work and stretch!  You'll know what you need to do to take some of your self-inflicted pressure off, so go for it!

Remember, the yamas exist to shape your actions, speech, and thoughts. In my opinion, actions and speech are easy to control, it's thoughts that take a lot of time and patience to adjust.  Be patient with yourself!  It will come.

I'd love to hear feedback!  Let me know if you try any of the challenges throughout the next couple weeks and how they work out for you!