Recently, I attended a talk given by a nationally known social justice activist. He talked much about being inspired by the life of people like Dorothy Day, Jesus of Nazareth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi. The activist was passionate about his belief that we all need to cultivate non-violence in every aspect of our lives. As the talk neared its end, he made a proposal. People use the word “peace” so loosely today that, he said, politicians use it even when talking about war strategy. He believed that we needed a different word to stress our intention to live non-violent lives. The word he suggested? Ahimsa, the Sanskrit word meaning “non-violence.”
Ahimsa is, in fact, one of the principles of Yoga. In the Yamas, or principles regarding our relationships with others and our surroundings, ahimsa is listed first. Well-known Indian yoga teacher T.K.V. Desikachar explains that ahimsa is more than simply a lack of violence. It means “kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things”; Desikachar believes that ahimsa calls the yogi to have “consideration for living things, especially those who are innocent, in difficulty, or worse off than we are.”
As a yogi, I was excited to hear the social justice activist encourage ahimsa. I knew that I had to work on it myself, and his reminder was just what I needed to hear. So, drawing on my yoga practice, I’ve been setting an intention to have a non-violent mind. I have a four-mile walk, round trip, to work, and during that time I’ve been repeating the mantra, “May I have a non-violent mind.” You know what I noticed the first day I practiced this way? My perpetually furrowed brow relaxed a bit.
The next time you see me in class or walking down the street, ask me how my ahimsa is going. I need all the reminders I can get!
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