Ahimsa - Non Violence

Ahimsa, which is the first Yama relates to non-violence or non-injury. On the surface, this seems quite simple. Don’t hurt or injure anyone. In reality, this Yama has a much deeper meaning. 

Ahimsa can be understood as doing no harm. This means no harm to anything. Not ourselves, others, animals, or nature. This is where this Yama becomes a much bigger practice, and it takes time. 

Ahimsa should be a consideration in our daily lives, every day we must consider how we may be doing harm. This could be through negative thinking, inconsiderate actions that come from genuine blindspots in our understanding, the products that we consume and how we purchase them. All of these things could be doing harm. 

Sounds overwhelming, right? How on earth can we live without causing any harm? The truth is that it is very difficult. This is why I suggest that the practice of ahimsa should be a daily one. With each action that we take, could we be exercising Ahimsa? 

It’s a practice of stopping and considering what we do, why we do it and the effects that our actions have. As I write this, I am considering whether my explanation is in the spirit of Ahimsa.

The fact is, we are going to get it wrong. At times, we may do things out of necessity, we may have blind spots that need work. If every day, we are working to live in the best way that we can, with consideration for the effects of our actions, we are well on our way to practising Ahimsa. Accepting that we have room to learn and do better is a huge part of practising Ahimsa.