What Does Ahimsa Really Imply?
There is a lot of confusion in the Yoga world about the first Yama - Ahimsa, which means non-harming.
I was blessed to have Allison Eaton, my 200 hour yoga teacher at Yandara bring to light the confusion I was feeling in this first Yama.
You see, many Yogi's mistake this Yama as meaning we must abstain from consuming animal protein.
She explained that not everyone can sustain a vegan or vegetarian diet and not listening to your body's needs, causing your body harm, is in fact going against this Yama.
Allison shared that eating animal protein did not make us any less of a yogi or any less of a person. That we were in fact living by the first Yama, Ahimsa, because we were respecting our own bodies needs. How can one live their purpose if their body and mind is not of good health?
When we were both faced with the idea that we had to reintroduce animal protein back into our diet, it was very hard to accept. In fact, we resisted for some time before we got ourselves to the point (our health issues could no longer be ignored) where we could accept that it was the right thing to do for our health.
When we learned that non-harming needs to be applied to ourselves first, we truly empower ourselves at the highest level. It is from this place of self- love that we can thrive on all levels.
As coaches, we are always telling our clients that they need to put themselves first. You know, the whole plane going down, oxygen mask scenario? We finally accepted that we needed to apply what we believed and taught to our own lives.
We sourced out local farmers who use ethical and sustainable farming practices that line up with our values. We bless our food and give thanks for the sacrifices that are made so that we can get the nourishment our body needs to thrive and live our full life potential. And we only eat what our body requires.
Besides non-harming, Ahimsa is also conscious consideration and love for one's self and others.
It's taken us a long time to accept that we were not able to sustain a vegetarian diet, but now that we have a greater understanding of the human body and bio-individuality, we realize that there is no one diet that is right for everyone. We are all unique bio-individuals and our bodies are constantly changing, as are our needs.
Just like we all have unique finger prints, our digestive systems are unique as well. What works for one, might not work for the next. One person’s fuel, is another person’s poison.
Figuring out what the right diet is for you is a key to having optimal health.
When we consume a diet that is not right for us, our bodies become inflamed. We gain weight, have achy painful joints, lack energy, get headaches, feel bloated, have skin troubles, plus a whole boat load of other symptoms can show up.
When we consume foods that our bodies can easily accept and digest, we maintain a healthy balanced weight, we have energy, we don’t need medications, we don’t have pain, we can think clearly, we sleep well, we don't need stimulants to make it through the day, and the list goes on….
Let all practice Ahimsa and accept one and other for the beautiful unique soul beings that we all are. Practicing non-harming towards yourself and towards others.
If we can accept people for who they are, perhaps they can begin to accept themselves for who they are.
Please share if you know someone who could benefit from this post.