39-40 Practicing Ahimsa on the mat

What does it mean to practice ahimsa (non-violence) on our yoga mats?

For many of us, it means backing off and learning to let the competitive ego go. Have we learned not to compare ourselves to others? A good yoga instructor will always encourage you to listen to your own body, work at your own pace, modify as you need, and keep your judging eyes off your neighbor, who very well might, as they say, be a contortionist.


Learning not to compete with ourselves is a more nuanced and difficult skill. This means not comparing today's practice and experience to yesterday's, not having expectations that we will always be able to match, if not beat, our previous performance. The beauty of yoga and what connects it so closely to the art of meditation is that it allows us to be present with ourselves in each moment. Allowing us to not bring in our memory of yesterday or expectations for tomorrow. This is why it's called a practice.

Namaste