Yoga Philosophy – Guidelines for Life

Ahimsa

At the park the other day with my son, I noticed that a group of kids had
formed around a patch of astroturf, with my son in the middle–arms spread
out as wide as two year old arms can reach, feet stubbornly planted.  He
was doing his best to defend a spider that the other kids were trying to
squash.  I laughed at his resolute “No !”, proudly recalling the numerous
times I have explained to him that we practice non-harming and that all
living creatures have a right to exist, just as we do.  Unfortunately, the
other mother at the park subscribed to a more common theory–spiders are
creepy, can bite and if spotted should have a terminal encounter with the
sole of a shoe.  When I protested, she told me there was only one option-
we had to kill it.  As a College English Instructor, I recognized that
this error in logic fell under a category called a “False Dilemma”– when
the author presents an either/or situation (in this case, life or death)
without consideration for alternatives.  So, I provided one–I found a
fast food napkin on the ground, scooped up the spider and moved him to the
grass.  The kids returned to playing and the other mother made sure to
keep her distance from the “crazy, spider loving hippie”.

The practice of Ahimsa, or non-harming, can be confusing at times.  We
live in a dynamic world, where not every decision is a simple as yes/no,
right/wrong.  As explained in the article Yoga Philosophy – Guidelines for
Life,  “The word ahimsa literally means not to injure or show cruelty to
any creature or any person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more
than just lack of violence.  It means kindness, friendliness, and
thoughtful consideration of other people and things.”  At times, there are
as many considerations for “non-harming” as there are verbal cues for
Downward Facing Dog.  However, with both, we must decide which are the
most appropriate for our individual bodies and lives.  It’s our quiet,
reflective time on our yoga mats, or in meditation, that help us to filter
through the thoughts clouding our minds so that we can see and understand
all angles of the situation, and possibly more creative alternatives.
Importantly, the practice of Ahimsa inspires us to respond to situations,
instead of quickly react. In this way, we avoid clinging to those habitual
“False Dilemmas” and instead act with intentional kindness for every
creature we meet along this journey.

Megan Merchant, RYT 200, M.F.A.