Do No Harm

Several years ago, I attended a week-long workshop taught by my yoga teacher. I was really enjoying the whole experience, learning more about the proper alignment of poses, anatomical relationship between body and poses, and so on. I sat in the front during lectures so I could focus and hear clearly what the teacher was saying, as my teacher spoke excellent English with just enough of an Indian accent to throw me off at times. During one of the sessions, he directed a question at me to explain what is the meaning of ahimsa. I said, “It means do not harm.” He agreed and said that it also meant do-not-kill.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra listed eight limbs of the yoga path, or Eightfold path. The first limb is called “yama” or rein and restraint. Self-restraint can be applied to our daily lives in many ways to develop into the necessary self discipline we need. There are five yamas, and the first one is Ahimsa, do not harm or kill.
Unfortunately for me, during the workshop I was well versed in explaining ahimsa, but forgot to practice it. In my enthusiasm, I must have overdone one of the more challenging twists. Several days later, my lower back felt the pain on the right side, an obvious injury of the sacroiliac joint. For the next three years the injury caused me many sleepless nights, uncomfortable sitting at length, even difficulty to bend down to put on pants. I cursed myself for being careless and for forgetting to be mindful. I am almost fully recovered, but the experience taught me a valuable lesson.
When we step on the yoga mat, we need to set aside our tendency to compete and to push our body beyond its capability. Each time we practice, we have to be mindful of the state we are in at that moment. We must not do violence to our body. Our body readily rebels when abused. Listen and be aware of our body and how it feels at all times.