non-violence to self.
I am currently reading The Yamas and the Niyamas by Deborah Adele, who is coming to Dayton for a weekend workshop to talk about things beyond your physical yoga practice. Her line in the first section Ahimsa (non-harming or non-violence) hit me today: “It is anti-cultural to claim any space that is simply space […]” Shit. This is what I don’t know how to do. So beyond the obvious interpretations of non-violence to others, how about non-violence to self? How about courage to create balance, how about unconditional self-love, how about allowing space for something?
What does it take to simply claim space? To simply be, to not rush, to trust, to just sit with silence? To be ok with who I am, to love myself as is? These are so foreign to my understanding of what will make me successful: the passion, the drive, the no sleep—yet I crave the pause and I want the balance. I’m hurting myself and those around me but not taking the time for myself, not resting, not loving. So as this month wraps up… I’m going to sit with this yama for a few days. I’m going to allow space, I’m going to love myself, so I can love others.