Ahimsa.......a practice to keep coming back to.

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

This week in class we are considering Ahimsa.......a practice to keep coming back to. 

All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.

-Leo Tolstoy

There is nothing easy about learning to love. The real romantic must be very practical: it takes a lot of hard, unromantic work to sustain any human relationship. Naturally there are going to be differences between you and your partner. Identical twins have differences of opinion, so why should two people from, say, New York City and Paris, Texas, expect life together to be smooth sailing?

Even on the honeymoon there may be difficulties. You open Pandora's box expecting a lot of doves and out come a couple of bats instead. You have to be ready to say, "The doves are there; they're simply lying low. Why don't we get to work and shoo away these bats?" Rather than dwelling on the negative, try to respect the potential in the other person and help him or her to realize that potential through your support. If you want a relationship to get deeper and deeper with the passage of time, you will go on strengthening it all your life.

Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran

The homework is to check in with your commitment to Ahimsa - non-harming or Love.  Consider it using the principle of ahimsa in your relationships.  B.K.S. Iyengar writes that "the yogini, grounded in the practice of ahimsa, acts from a place of love and respect for all beings, including herself. This begins a new cycle of love and respect instead of harm and pain."

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003