Ashimsa: An Ancient Vow for Healing and Peace

By Kino MacGregor • November 25th, 2010 • 5398 Views

The yoga path shows us how to charge neutral when we feel disagreements with our fellow human beings. The greatest yoga teachers know that we will not always get along, so they teach us that we do not need to make war based on our divergent points of view. We will not always feel joyful or loving, but we do not need to take out our unhappiness on others. We will not always be able to live totally without fear, but we do not need to let desperation for control determine our actions. This is the essence of ahimsa, non-violence, in action. One of the most basic commitments on the spiritual path is ahimsa, the resolution not to do harm to other beings. Ahimsa is a noble proclamation that aims to align our actions with our intentions to be a force of healing in the world. However, a heartfelt commitment to refrain from harming others does not mean that we will never feel a negative thought again. Nor does it truthfully mean that we will never perpetrate another violent act. Instead the vow of non-violence undertaken by spiritual seekers throughout all time stems from a basic recognition that we have a choice in how we live our lives. While I practice yoga almost every day and live a spiritual life to the best of my ability, I am not always a peaceful person. Sometimes my past ways of waging small interpersonal wars tie me into a sticky knot of anger, fear, sadness and resentment. When I find myself in that hot, uncomfortable space I often feel trapped with no way out. Sometimes I am present enough to remember my desire to live in alignment with ahimsa, and sometimes not. In moments when anger is too large, practiced and habituated the commitment not to do harm can feel like another burden to bear instead of the release it actually is. Anger breeds illogical states of mind and the nervous system needs time to cool down before any positive action can take place. We will never solve something in the midst of an angry wrath that we cannot solve when we are even tempered and clam. In fact sometimes the mere presence...

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Location:  Miami, US

Kino MacGregor is one of only 14 people in the United States to receive Certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga from its founder, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. The youngest woman to hold this title,...