If you’ve ever practiced Yoga you will surely already know about the Yamas which are the ethical, moral and societal guidelines for yogis. Following the Yamas is one of the first steps in the yoga path and you should start practicing them even before practicing the Asanas which are the actual Yoga poses.
In today’s post I wanted to talk about the first of the precepts of Yama which is Ahimsa that is non-violence. Even if it seems a banal rule of civil life, behind this indication there is much more: it’s a lifestyle based on love and compassion both towards others and towards oneself to be applied to every aspect of life.
There are many ways of practicing Ahimsa in daily life. Here are the 5 most common ways to do it:
1. Eat a plant-based diet
One of the easiest ways to practice non-violence is by stopping to eat meat. As you may already know, the meat industry is the main cause of global warming as well as causing death and suffering to sentient animals that feel pain. Therefore, by feeding on animals we also practice violence to ourselves, to people and to our planet as well as to animals.
2. Let go all judgement for yourself and others
Start noticing all those occasions when you judge someone else or even yourself. Often they are thoughts that we do automatically, but thoughts have vibrations that manifest themselves in real life especially if done repeatedly. Get into the habit of having only thoughts of love or empathy towards yourself and others.
3. Meditate
Practicing meditation is a great way to become calmer. Thanks to meditation we learn to be silent and not to judge the thoughts that inevitably could come. Over time we become more and more aware of our thoughts and emotions even before they manifest themselves in a violent and sudden way, and we will become more centred and less prone to anger.
4. Do small acts of kindness
Doing small acts of kindness is a great way to practice unconditional love. You can start with any person in your life: your colleagues, your friends, your family or even strangers. Examples include: paying for someone’s lunch, volunteering for a day, offering to help a neighbor, calling your friend to ask how they are doing. These little actions infuse positive energies of love into yourself and others so why not make them a habit?
5. Be the change you want to see in the world
This is a decision we should make every day. We should start practice activism for the causes that are most important to us, and make the decision to leave our planet Earth better than how we found it. Never more than now, the world needs people who are aware and willing to change things for a better world.
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