14/09/2025
Ahimsa or the absence of harm is the FIRST code of conduct in the Yamas, which is the FIRST limb of the eight limbs that make up Ashtanga yoga. The intention of non-harm is the most basic building block of yoga practice, it is a code of conduct that allows connection, yoga, to happen.
Does it mean that harm will never happen if you practice yoga? Unfortunately, no. Injuries will still happen simply by the fact that we are practicing something that pushes us physically BUT we must do our best to not be injurious (as practitioners AND as teachers) to others as well as ourselves.
Harmfulness can happen in so many ways. As a teacher, I have a responsibility to be safe for my students. I need to be aware that I can harm someone physically, emotionally, I can harm with my speech and my actions, with my judgements and with my inactions. The practice of ahimsa is an every minute of everyday practice. It is a practice that I will fail at occasionally because I am human, and mistakes can and will happen. But those moments are important teachable moments for me, these are the moments where I can barrel on ego-shields up and learn nothing. The challenge is to listen, to listen really hard and really consciously with a humble and open heart.
We are, as a global Ashtanga community, at a crossroads with ahimsa, how it is defined and honored and how its opposite is addressed. Let’s show up for those who have been harmed in good ways. Let’s listen and learn and co-create an environment in which we can feel safe, where there are proper checks and balances to protect us all and to remind us of the importance of the ethical codes in which our practice is based.
