The Yamas are universal moral principles, and the first limb of yoga’s eight step path towards self-realisation. They can be found in Patanjali’s sutras, most probably written between 500 and 200BC, when Patanjali is thought to have lived. Patanjali is often considered to be the founding father of yoga.
Ahimsa, the foundation of the five Yamas
Ahimsa, which translates as non-violence, is the foundation of these five principles in yoga, the Yamas, which form the ethical bedrock for a well-lived life. For me, Ahimsa is kindness and consideration for all beings: to tread lightly in this world, causing minimal harm and cultivating compassion & love for all life:
‘Unity is the reality. Separateness the illusion. The nearer we come to reality, the nearer we come to unity of heart. Sympathy, compassion, kindness are modes of this unity of heart, whereby we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.’
~The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, cited in Soul to Soul, p. 31
I started appreciating this concept of unity, our inter-connectedness, whilst undertaking research into post-traumatic stress disorder with survivors of child abuse and WWII prisoners of war for my PhD thesis (University of Bath, 2008). Whilst some prisoners’ accounts were indeed harrowing, what surprised and heartened me the most was how stories of random acts of kindness, sometimes from the enemy, endured in veterans’ narratives some 60 years on from the end of World War II.
As a result of the research, I resolved to incorporate more random acts of kindness into my daily life in relation to all living beings. A huge wave of support from people that I met along the way, the natural world and yoga served to hold me emotionally during the research for which I remain profoundly grateful.
Be gentle
I learnt during my long career in child protection, that you can never judge the effects of abuse of any one individual. An act of abuse might appear minimal at the physical level, but the emotional scars all-too-often run deep, may last a lifetime and spill over into the generations that follow.
When you meet someone for the first time, you simply don’t know what they might have experienced during their life, but everyone has a story a tell. So let’s all tread gently and carefully with each other:
‘Feelings are everywhere. Be gentle.’
~ J. Masai, p.50, Soul to Soul).
Leave 'heartprints'
We readily refer to leaving fingerprints on windows or footprints in the sand or . . . pawprints on the just cleaned kitchen floor! However, when we start to appreciate our essential unity as reality, our separateness from all living beings becomes an illusion. This demands a gentler, heart-centred, compassionate way-of-being and acting. In this regard, I am particularly inspired by this poem about leaving ‘heartprints of compassion’ when we go about our daily lives:
‘ Wherever I go today
Help me leave heartprints
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern . . . ’
~ Author unknown, Soul to Soul, p.47.
But we’re only human, aren’t we with good days and not so good days? When we feel out of balance, rushed, powerless, afraid or are being harsh with ourselves, we may act selfishly, unwittingly say unkind things or even explode in anger. At that point, the last thing we may have the will or capacity for is to ‘leave heartprints of compassion’ for the Other.
As our mind-body connection develops through yoga’s holistic healing pathway, we learn to be non-violent within ourselves: to take better care of and love ourselves. The capacity to be non-violent towards others, to leave ‘heartprints of kindness and genuine concern’ is inextricably bound up with our ability to nurture and love ourselves. This is key to being gentle with other people; being there for them, listening and saying & doing the right thing.
“I am here for you”
Thich Nhat Nanh is his book 'The Art of Communicating' outlines six mantras for ‘loving speech’. His first mantra is,
“I am here for you.”
Loving another means being there for her/him; to be there for the Other is both an art and a practice.
Love involves both being there for the other; and acting to support them in ways you can manage, and they would like to receive. Incrementally building trust is also a key component here.
However before you can truly be there for another, you need to come home to your own body and mind. Practising yoga strengthens your relationship with yourself; you will be able to be there for them as well as for yourself. You will be able to reach out and say & do the right thing.
All too often I hear people talking negatively about or to themselves, sometimes this even sounds like an angry parent scolding their child. Where did that come from, I wonder? Being at the receiving end of this kind of fearful, shame or guilt-ridden self-talk is self-violating and potentially damaging to health & well-being. Ripples of violence, from whatever quarters, penetrate deep into body & mind. How then can we start to heal body & mind and be truly present in our relationship with self, to practice Ahimsa in relation to ourselves?
Kapota Mudra for cultivating non-violence towards self and others
I’ve kept this practice simple because that’s the best way to start anything! Mudras, hand gestures in yoga, are thought to link directly to the way subtle energy moves within our bodies. Holding the hands and fingers in different ways can alter where and how the breath flows within us; direct energy to specific areas within the body e.g. organs and glands; and change emotional states so we become more energised or calmer.
Kapota means “dove”, which is often considered to be a symbol of peace. Kapota Mudra helps cultivate non-violence or compassion towards yourself and others; it is the go-to Mudra for opening us to our true selves, our essential unity and cultivating Ahimsa.
Kapota Mudra draws breath and awareness into the heart centre. Gently lift your shoulders and relax them back and down on a few gentle out breaths. Hold your hands in front, palms together in ‘prayer’ but slightly away from the heart centre. Now form a diamond shape with your hands, fingertips and heels of the hands touching, thumbs & thumb joints side-by-side, also touching; and an angle at the knuckles on each hand creating a diamond-like space between your palms, resembling a dove’s chest (see photo).
However you’re sitting, whether cross-legged on a mat or in a chair, make sure you feel comfortable. The spine is aligned yet relaxed: chin parallel to the earth, tongue resting lightly behind your bottom teeth, relaxed throat, jaw & shoulders and the imaginary thread from the crown of your head tugging you up gently to the sky above.
Try holding Kapota Mudra for around five minutes to start with, embracing any feelings that arise with compassion rather than judgement. Over time, you will notice a shift in how you see yourself in relation to others: being gentle, leaving ‘heartprints’ and being there for yourself and others will become your default way of being in this newfound unity.
Namaste!
Jocelyn x