Ahimsa: Practicing Kindness & Non-Violence

I am officially on my way to becoming a Certified Yoga Teacher!  This has been a long time coming to add to my healing bag of tricks. Already being a massage therapist & nutrition counselor, teaching yoga seems to fit in oh so nicely to help and heal others.

One of our (many) first assignments in teacher training was to define ahimsa and show how we use it in our daily lives and in our yoga practice.  As I was writing about this, I thought is was a great topic to discuss here with you.  Since I have spoken about the practice of mindfulness, ahimsa most certainly falls under a mindfulness practice, being mindful of your actions and thoughts and how they affect you and those around you. 

A perfect example of someone who lived their life though the practice of ahimsa was 

Mahatma Gandhi.

Ahimsa
(a - him - sa)

Meaning to do no harm or the avoidance of violence.
The practice of kindness and non-violence towards all living beings.

From a very young age my goal was always to do no harm in all aspects of life.  I was one of those kids who got upset at the ones who kicked the ant hills down, worried that the ants worked so hard for the other kids to just destroy all their efforts.  My love for animals and nature certainly helped fuel this desire to instill kindness and love in all that I do.  As an adult I continue to love our earth and all living things on her as much as possible.  

“In Gandhi’s thought, ahimsa precludes not only the act of inflicting a physical injury, but also mental states like evil thoughts and hatred, unkind behavior such as harsh words, dishonesty and lying, all of which he saw as manifestations of violence incompatible with ahimsa.”

Many daily acts are a practice of ahimsa, from caring for your children, animals and gardens, to smiling at a rude stranger instead of getting bothered by their behavior, to carefully saving spiders from the indoors and placing them back in nature.  In a way, if you have love for our planet and all earth friendly things, that can be considered to be full of ahimsa.  Striving to be non-violent towards our mother earth in all that we do.

In yoga one would hope to only find compassion and kindness towards your fellow yogis in class. But sometimes on the inside even a yogi can let their emotions and judgment get the better of them.  Even if one of your fellow yogis arrives late, or one has ‘too much stuff’ by their yoga mat, or someone that stays in child’s pose for half of the class.  Instead of possibly getting annoyed at the seemingly ‘taboo’ yogi behavior, sending them love, compassion and a smile that radiates from your heart is the right choice.

If this is something you find you need to work on yourself, practicing this same kindness towards others off the yoga mat, with family, friends, strangers and all living creatures is the path for you.  Physically the asanas (postures or poses) that open the heart (backbends) would be appropriate to focus on, or incorporate with this practice of ahimsa.

Another way to practice ahimsa through yoga, is to dedicate your practice to someone who you don’t necessarily see eye to eye with. Sending them kindness and love as we open our hearts through the  asanas (poses).  In our daily lives we can choose a path practicing ahimsa through our interactions with all living beings.  If someone steals your parking spot, be kind to them still, if you encounter a mother with a screaming child in the store, without getting irritated send love to them both, strive to speak to others in a kind and honest way in all situations in life.

Seems simple and straight forward right?  Instilling this practice in your daily life can be challenging if we are not feeling well, or just got some bad news, or when it comes to someone who we don't get along with.  But, the more we practice the easier it will get.  Identifying where you need the most practice will help you on your path.  Many sages say that the best place to start is within your family & immediate community.   Many will agree, this can be the most difficult place to really work on this practice of non-harming thoughts and actions.  But in the end, even if it is tough, practicing ahimsa with those closest to us will only help those relationships to be better and more fulfilling.

Where are you going to begin your practice of ahimsa?  What do you find most challenging?  

What do you find most gratifying?  How can you do even better?

These are questions to ask yourself, and check in every once and a while with, just to see how you are doing with this practice. 

With love, gratitude and compassion in my heart.

Namaste

Help me go to the Wanderlust Festival!!

Among the Trees

If you have not heard of these great events, I highly recommend you look into them.

The Wanderlust Festival 

is a festival filled with yoga, music & mindfulness.

This Spring I am undertaking my first (of many) Yoga Teacher Training. 

To celebrate the completion of my first training, my dream is to head up to Vermont for the

Wanderlust Festival.

Lucky me, right now they are having a contest on their FaceBook page to win tickets to this fantastic event!

  

I need YOUR HELP to win!

All you have to do is head over to the Wanderlust Festival FaceBook Page, 

and click "like" on my photo

(it is the same photo featured in this post)

THANK YOU for your "Likes"

and as always, thanks for stopping by the blog!

Hydration, Digestion & Water Quality: The Vital Truth

The unfortunate truth is most people just don't drink enough water.  We sometimes forget that our bodies are about 70% water, and our vital organs need water & oxygen to survive and thrive.

It is especially important for people with digestive disorders to be sure that they are getting an adequate amount of water per day.

When I speak to most people about their water intake one of the first responses I get is, "Does coffee count as water?"

The answer is a resounding NO.

Drinks like coffee and alcohol actually dehydrate you, so if you are only drinking coffee throughout your day, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.

The next question is most often, 

"How much water per day is enough?"

There is a simple formula that will work for anyone.

Divide your body weight in 1/2, and that is the number of ounces of water you should try to drink a day.  But, that is not to say you should ever force yourself to drink water if it does not make you feel good.

It is amazing what drinking a simple glass of pure water can do for you.  

If you are not getting enough water throughout your day it can potentially cause...

• fatigue 
• headaches
• irritability
• constipation 
• you can also misinterpret your brain's signal for thirst as hunger (so next time you think you need that extra snack, have a big glass of water instead)

Now you may think all water is created equal, but that could not be more wrong.

These days our water is polluted with factory runoff, prescription drugs of all kinds, high levels of chlorine, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

When it comes to bottled water, don't be so fast to put your trust in them.  There have been companies that have been caught filling their bottles with tap water and selling it as natural spring water.  Another reason bottled water is not the safest, is the way they are packaged, stored and shipped. 

The plastics they use can leach harmful chemicals directly into the water, and when stored in warehouses or trucks when exposed to heat the chemical leaching process is exponentially faster.

Over the years I have tried many types of home water filters, including the most popular ones. 

These days there are only 2 types of water that I can confidently recommend as the safest and most pure forms of water.

1. Find a natural spring by you!  

You'd be surprised how close a spring might be to your front door.

The kicker, its FREE!  Yes, I said free.  

Just find your local spring at

Find a Spring

and be sure to bring plenty of glass water jugs or mason jars with you!

2. Water filtration system by Dr. Mercola 

(read his article or watch is video for great information on water)

He has a very affordable under or over the counter unit, but also has a whole house filter to be sure all of the water in your home is safe & clean.

I hope this helped to shed a bit of light on how important such a simple thing like water is. 

Try to keep a bottle of water with you at all times to help remind you to keep up your intake.  And be sure to invest in a high quality stainless steel or glass bottle to be sure you are keeping your clean water as pure as possible!

Happy hydration to you all!

Mindful Living

Mindful Living, is a pretty close friend to Barefoot Living. They both say it right there in the name, living with mindful intentions, for ourselves and our planet. The Dali Lama often speaks about mindfulness and an open heart. And how one can not heal or grow without these things.

As we take our steps through life, how can we be sure to live our lives with an open heart and open mind? So many wonderful ways! In our everyday lives how often to we rush around, not really paying attention to our actions, just going through the motions? I see this oh so often, and also can get caught up in it myself. Now of course we can achieve a great deal of mindfulness with daily meditation, but it is just as important to be mindful when doing everyday things like eating, driving, cooking, shopping, and walking.

Making everyday chores and activities a mindful meditation is a wonderful way to learn & grow. You will be surprised how much more you get out of doing the dishes, walking, or eating a sandwich. The easiest way to implement mindful living is to simply take a nice deep breath before any activity, and focus yourself on that task, and only that task, and put all other things aside in your mind. This practice can be tough for some at first, but just like most things in life, they key is practice, and you will be living mindfully in no time!

Food is a great way to begin your mindful practice. Try to eat 1 meal a day in silence, this can be done anywhere, with anyone, or alone. Turn off your cell phone, tv, computer, any electronic device that you might have near during meal time. If you are cooking yourself, your practice can start when you take out your ingredients. Take a nice deep breath and begin by giving thanks. Thanks to the farmer (or yourself if you are a backyard gardener like me) for your fresh produce, thanks to the earth for providing the magic for the bounty of foods she provides, thanks to yourself for taking the time to prepare a tasty, healthful meal for your body and soul, and any other direction of thanks that feels right for you. As you move on to cutting, chopping, sauteing, or baking, keep that gratefulness with you, in your mind and heart...and continue to hold onto that as you prepare your meal. Your mind and hearts are powerful tools, and with them you add the unseen ingredients into your food while you cook. And if it is a meal you have not had the joy of preparing yourself, you can still inject love into the dish, with a nice deep breath and your open mind & heart of good intentions.

After you have filled your meal with love and good intentions, its onto filling your body with its nutritious bounty. With all things, focus yourself with a good deep breath from the diaphragm, and set your intentions. When I begin this practice, more often than not it sounds like a gratitude prayer. I sit with my dish and ask that my body assimilates all of the nutrients that are provided on my plate, give thanks again that I am able to sit and eat this delicious meal, and begin the sensory experience that is eating. Paying close attention to all of your senses will help you stay in the moment with your food, and if you feel your mind wandering off, bring it back with your senses. How does the food feel in your mouth? Is is soft, crunchy? Is it sweet, sour or salty? How does it make you feel? Does it bring up any emotions? Sensations? Close your eyes if it is difficult for you to focus on only the food. After implementing this practice in your daily life, you will find it easier to be in the moment when you are doing all sorts of different things. It is amazing what we can learn about ourselves, our environment, and others around us, simply by opening up and living with mindfulness.

Happy cooking, eating & mindful living to you all!