The Meaning of Ahimsa in Yoga and How to Practise It Daily

Hey everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed this week’s classes! 🤍

This week’s class theme: Ahimsa (non-violence)

Ahimsa is the first principle of yoga for a reason. It is the first of the five yamas (external restraints). We live in a world full of chaos, and ahimsa reminds us to do our best to be kind and compassionate within it.

We can practise ahimsa in three different ways:

Towards ourselves 🧘

How we look after our bodies, the food we eat, and the words we say to ourselves. I know I’ve said things to myself that I wouldn’t dream of saying to another person - so why do we treat ourselves differently?

Towards others 🤍

Growing up, my parents always taught me the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. This can be difficult at times - perhaps someone isn’t being kind to you, or you’ve had a long day at work and are unintentionally short with a family member. This is a reminder that words carry weight, and to try to speak with compassion.

Towards the world around us 🌍

Leaving the world a better place for having us in it. This could be recycling, choosing to walk instead of driving, or being mindful of material overconsumption.

By no means is it easy to be 100% compassionate all the time, especially towards ourselves, but for me, ahimsa is about being guided by this intention and doing my best - knowing that this can look different from day to day because we’re human.

Even quietly repeating the word ahimsa in challenging moments helps me pause and reconnect with what truly matters ✨

Intention: May our thoughts and actions be rooted in kindness and love.

The quote I read at the end of class: “The Self is the same in all beings; to harm another is to harm yourself. To love another is to love yourself.” - Upanishads

Things that have brought me joy this week

🤍 Being fully booked for my new Monday midday class starting on Monday, 26th January - message me if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

🤍 Teaching my first Wednesday class in the new hall 🎉 This was such an exciting moment for me. The last time I was in that space was celebrating my 11th birthday - how times have changed! Thank you all for being so understanding about the hall change. I can’t wait to continue teaching in that space.

🤍 Teaching my lovely friend Jo from Massage & Me a private lesson. She always brings such beautiful energy, and we always have so much fun together.

🤍 Prioritising my own yoga practice outside of class and lesson planning. This has been such a joy. As you all know by now, I love yoga, and the reason I started teaching was that it helps me manage my anxiety and fibromyalgia. Filling up my own cup again has made me excited about teaching and finding new sequences to incorporate into class.

🤍 Having my sister back from her travels ✈️and joining classes. After one class last week, she gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was of how far I’ve come, especially while she’s been away.

Jasmine was there on day one of this business venture, when it was just her and a few others attending class, so it’s incredibly special to show her the community that has grown since then. I’m so proud of her for following her dream of travelling and for all the job interviews she’s currently doing.

Next week’s class theme: Satya (truthfulness)

The second yama is all about being honest with yourself and others. Satya goes hand in hand with ahimsa, making it a beautiful way to continue building your yoga knowledge.

I also have something very exciting to share soon - I can’t wait to tell you all! 💫

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

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See you on the mat next week,

Eloise x

What part of your practice brings you the most joy? Share in the comments below!