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I heard about this word ahimsa in my class this week, but I'm not really sure about how to include it into my lifestyle. Does this mean that if someone hurts you, say they hit you, that you don't hit back? But what if you let them get away with it and then they go off and do it again, but maybe to someone else this time? Is it not my responsibility to make sure that they don't do this again? Sorry if this is a bit off the subject of yoga, but it has made me think, and if it's supposed to translate (from yoga to out of the yoga school) then this has to make sense in the real world too.

Hello sticky1,

Ahimsa is non harming. To apply it on the mat would be don't do anything that would cause pain, being gentle and kind to yourself.
I have to ask.... are you usually in a hostile environment that someone would want to hit you? or hit others? If thats the case try to remove yourself from that environment.
Practicing ahimsa off the mat would be being kind to others, even words that we speak can be harmful to ourselves and others. Again, yoga is about awareness, so just thinking about what we say or do is practicing ahimsa. and then notice how often you may tell yourself negative things............Good Luck!

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DaceYoga

Ahimsa literally translated is non violence (himsa is violence) or as Dace says 'non harming'. An easier way to explain it might be to think about it as not hurting anyone (with your thoughts or physically) if it happens without your knowledge then that is a different thing, that's not your responsibility.

You can only take responsibility for yourself so if someone hits you, using your example, then you don't hit them back, but you do defend yourself - your personal safety comes first at all times.

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Be the change you want to see in the world

In Patanjai's Yoga Sutras 'ahimsa' is one of the 5 yamas (codes of conduct that yogi's follow). It is the first of the 8 limbs of yoga which for me means that it's the sort of thing we need to make sure that we adhere to as a priority!

Interestingly some devotees take ahminsa to every aspect of their lives, even down to being a vegetarian (so they don't harm animals), not buying leather that sort of thing.

I think of it as being kind to one another, it's as easy and simple as that!

We had a mouse that used to live in our kitchen we could hear it running around but we never saw it. Rather than put down poison we decided to try and catch the mouse and let it go into the garden. Well it was hilarious, one night we were sitting having dinner and heard the russel behind the bookcase. We moved it back and there was a small little black mouse .

It ran quickly behind the fridge so we put books each side of the fridge in a line which lead out to the back door. Well we moved the fridge and sure enough the little thing ran along the line of books and out the back door. Success! We felt pretty good about that I can tell you.

Now is that ahimsa in action or what!

Great story, what about stepping on ants? Or cockroaches, surely you can't mean that you can't kill those? Sydney is FULL of them and frankly it's a happy day when one less is running around my kitchen

Don’t tread on an ant, he’s done nothing to you. There might come a day when he’s treading on you. Don’t tread on an ant, you’ll end up black and blue. You cut off his head, legs come looking for you.

depending on where you live (and the ferociousness of the flora and fauna ) I'd say 'catch and let go' is the way to go. Roaches in Sydney, hummmm that's a whole nother story...

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Be the change you want to see in the world

you've got to be kidding, if I see a roach, forget ahimsa or whatever it's called, it's a gonner .

Hi Dace, no nothing like that I was thinking about it like 'an eye for an eye' or whatever the expression is. Basically giving as good as you're getting...that sort of thing.