Hard Days Call for Something Different

Last night I experienced a mild anxiety episode ... nothing like what I experienced regularly in 2020-2022 ... those were really hard ... yet I realize my body still has a tenuous balance to it ... that I'm constantly exploring how to stabilize for longer periods of time.

So, ironically, I walked into my yoga course at PSU with the perfect scenario to introduce the idea of AHIMSA or non-harming.

😊

Ahimsa is often translated as nonviolence or non-harming. If you're in the medical field, you recog ize the Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm.

Another way to view non-harming is in the proactive sense as "unconditional positive regard" -- a phrase introduced to me by Sandra Anderson at Himalayan Institute teacher training.

So maybe as we explore ahimsa in our own lives, the question becomes:

How can I practice "unconditional positive regard" for MYSELF ... in order that I may also do the same for others?

Life is hard for so many of us. We've ALL experienced hardship, either through unforeseen circumstances .... or through choices we've made. Today is a hard day for me, for example.

According to Yoga philosophy, I have choices.

I could take that hardship and choose to suffer in it ... and bring others down with me ...

I could be nasty to myself, berate myself, tell myself I "should" be able to deal with x, y, z ... which often results in me projecting -- "THEY should be able to get themselves together, too."

OR

I could consider AHIMSA -- unconditional positive regard -- for myself and my situation.

I could think, Hey, I didn't sleep well, it's been a stressful few weeks & maybe it's built up. My students may benefit from me being honest about that, & role modeling how to adjust yoga practices to practice ahimsa.

This is not relinquishing responsibility ... rather, AHIMSA is taking responsibility for our responses. To respond with compassion & understanding & mercy toward ourselves & our situation -- so that over time we might more clearly see a pathway forward. To respond to others in a more compassionate way as well ... because in the end, they have hard days, hard weeks, hard lives, just like we do.

Ahimsa is a most-rebellious and proactive practice. It's easy to judge, it's easy to criticize, it's easy to dismiss (at least that's my experience 😉).

It's much more challenging to resist these urges and look for ways we can reduce our harmful thoughts, speech and actions ... toward ourselves and toward others.

(note: ahimsa also takes into account times when we need to personally defend ourselves or loved ones from physical or mental harm. We must defend ourselves in these situations, and yet the ahimsa mindset remains to do the least harm possible in order to secure our safety.)

If you decide to take in the practice of AHIMSA, unconditional positive regard, know hat in our world today you will be going against the grain. It will be hard, even feel impossible at times. And yet,

Know that there are more and more humans practicing ahimsa -- whether they name it the same or not -- in every sector of society, religion and even politics. It may be an underground movement, you may feel alone at times, and yet know the tide toward ahimsa is rising ... often through so many tears ... so that even in the hard days, you can rest assured others are holding you afloat on those days when you cannot yourself.

Be part of the rebellion, Friends. May you experience unconditional positive regard for yourself today.

Oh and practice some yoga 🤗.