Vet Judy

This week is for the practice of Ahisma. The essence of Ahisma is non-judgement and non-harming. Today I considered the practice of Ahisma as it pertains to your yoga study itself.

If you practice yoga, maybe you have noticed that not only are you struggling with some postures but you also struggle with the judgement you have about your ability to achieve the postures.

Yoga means “becoming one”. As long as you stand in judgement of your ability to achieve a posture or a practice within yoga, you will miss the experience of the integration that is yoga. We all have to experience boredom, discomfort, irritation, impatience, hesitation, and even distraction during the postures at some time. In a culture that promotes “full speed ahead, excellence at all costs, no pain no gain” we shall find it hard to just be observant of these feelings. We have not learned to watch them come and watch them go. Rather we sit in judgement, get discouraged and sometimes even quit.

In the western culture, the predominant focus is on the Asanas (postures) and  this makes us susceptable to the ego’s process of continuous judgement. It makes us susceptable to quitting the practice due to the feeling listed above. We cannot sustain ourselves through the judgements of ourselves, our teacher, someone elses behavior in the class, the time of day and just about anything to keep us from the true learning in yoga: which is allow and let go.

We can learn that the development of some of the other aspects of yoga such as brahmacarya (meditation), santosa (contentment), and svadhyaya (self study) can make the practice more enjoyable. We can then take rest while in an active posture instead of reaching total exhaustion by fighting ourselves.

If you practice Ahisma: non judgment in yoga practice itself I and sure you will find the whole process a lot more enjoyable.