This is the Most Important Thing about Yoga

Yoga is more than poses because it's a way of life rooted in non-violence towards oneself, others, and nature.

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Most people think yoga is practising the poses (asanas) and often get intimidated when they see people contorting their bodies in challenging and impressive shapes. This can put people off practising yoga in the first place. Some people also think they are “good” at yoga when they can do handstands or become very flexible. These are all great achievements, but that is not necessarily the main purpose of yoga.

According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, yoga is a way of life and a multifaceted practice with eight limbs. Asanas are just one limb, or part, of yoga. It is said that the purpose of practising asanas is to stay still for a longer period of time during meditation to reach samadhi (enlightenment), the eighth limb.

The first limb is “yamas,” which are ethical codes for living. The first yama is “ahimsa,” which means non-violence. Many sages believe that without ahimsa, there is no yoga, so it is the most important thing about yoga. You can be excellent at asanas, but if you aren’t practising ahimsa, you are missing the root of yoga.

Ahimsa is living a life of non-violence, and most people will think of violence towards others when they first hear the term, and that is part of it. Any form of physical violence towards others, directly or indirectly, is not yoga.

Ahimsa extends beyond actions and also includes words. Speaking unkind and harsh words about other people to them or behind their backs all falls under this yama. It also includes thoughts. When we think ill of others and do not wish well for them, we are practising himsa (violence).

Living with Compassion Beyond the Mat.

Ahimsa is a practice that we should also practise towards ourselves. We may not notice, but every choice we make hurts or heals us. When we knowingly do things like eat unhealthy foods or sit around without allowing our bodies to move, we are practising ahimsa towards ourselves.

It is in how we speak to ourselves. Many people are not kind to themselves while they are kind to others. Speaking to oneself how one speaks to someone we love is an important act we must practise. If you have ever spoken harsh words to yourself, you are not practising yoga.

The hardest part is always our thoughts about ourselves. We may perform the right acts and speak softly to ourselves, but if our thoughts about ourselves aren’t kind, we are still practising ahimsa toward ourselves. We tend to forget, but we are our harshest critics and forget that our minds and bodies need to be treated with love.

This practice of ahimsa extends beyond humans – it also includes how we treat, speak, and think about other animals, nature, and the world we live in.

Practising asanas is a wonderful habit, but if we truly want to do yoga, we have to practise ahimsa toward ourselves and everything surrounding us. Yoga is not an exercise; it is a way of living your life.

Yoga is respecting everyone, not just those who are older, richer, or more powerful than you. Yoga is living a life knowing that you have a sense of responsibility towards the world.