Ahimsa

---

What Does Ahimsa Actually Look Like in daily practice?

In yoga philosophy, the Yamas are five principles that explore how we relate to the world around us.

They are often described as ethical guidelines, but I prefer to think of them as invitations to look a little more honestly at the way we move through life.

The five Yamas are:

Ahimsa — non-violence

Satya — truthfulness

Asteya — non-stealing

Brahmacharya — wise use of energy

Aparigraha — non-grasping or letting go

They aren't really rules to follow perfectly. They're things to notice.

And the real practice of yoga philosophy is what happens when you take these ideas off the mat and into your actual life.

Let's start with Ahimsa.

Ahimsa is usually translated as non-violence or non-harming.

At first glance, it sounds quite straightforward: don't hurt people. Be kind. Do no harm.

But the more I sit with it, the more I think about how often we practise violence towards ourselves without even recognising it.

The way we speak to ourselves.

The way we push through exhaustion because we think we should be doing more.

The way we stay somewhere that doesn't feel right because leaving might disappoint someone.

The way we ignore our bodies, override our intuition, say yes when we mean no, or make ourselves smaller so that someone else can remain comfortable.

We can be incredibly compassionate towards other people while being relentlessly hard on ourselves.

But Ahimsa isn't passive.

Practising non-violence doesn't mean avoiding conflict or being agreeable at all costs. Sometimes Ahimsa asks us to speak up when something is wrong. To protect someone who doesn't have the power to speak for themselves. To draw a boundary. To say no. To leave a situation that is harmful.

It isn't simply about being nice.

Sometimes Ahimsa looks like resting.

Sometimes it looks like saying no.

Sometimes it means leaving.

Sometimes the most non-violent thing you can do is stop forcing yourself to remain in a life that no longer feels like yours.

And I don't think Ahimsa asks us to make ourselves smaller, quieter or easier for other people.

There is a difference between kindness and self-abandonment.

There is a difference between compassion and constantly overriding your own needs.

For me, Ahimsa has become less about being endlessly soft and more about becoming honest.

Honest about what is hurting myself and others.

Honest about my consumption.

Honest about thoughts.

Honest about my truth.

Perhaps Ahimsa invites us to become a little more courageous about what we protect, a little more conscious about what we put into the world, and a little gentler with the person we have to live with for our entire lives:

ourselves.