Walking the 8-Limbed Path, Nonviolently by Bill Wofford
Don’t get me wrong- I love asana, the practice of moving into and out of postures. Sometimes flowing with a semblance of grace (or not), at other times really leaning into a long, slow, deep stretch. Either way, cultivating flexibility and strength in my muscles and joints, building endurance in my core and finding balance and focus (and then losing them, and - on a good day–finding them again). Sometimes focusing on movement that just feels good and at other times really relishing the uncomfortable edge. And always (ok, almost always) remembering to breathe. I feel incredibly lucky to spend some time almost every day appreciating, testing and refining my body with these practices.
But these physical practices, often referred to as “yoga” in the West, are only a small part of the story and science of yoga. Asana practice is just one of the eight “limbs” of yoga, according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Of equal importance are seven other branches that I’d like to explore with you now and in future writings in this space.
The very first limb Patanjali discusses is the “yamas”, a set of five principles for life and how to live it. The first of these is ahimsa, a Sanskrit term generally translated as “nonviolence.” My first reaction was that this one sounds easy. I’m not out to hurt anybody. What’s the next one? Well, not so fast. Violence is not simply the infliction of physical harm on another being, which, by the way, is sometimes necessary, right and just. So ahimsa is not the same thing as pacifism. Perhaps it's better to think of it as a way of being where we act from love, rather than from fear. Tall order, I know.
In discussing ahimsa, Anand Mehrotra of Sattva Yoga Academy offers this: “Ego is always in a state of violence. Why? Because ego fundamentally exists in a state of fear, it is always trying to control, and it is constantly concerned about me, me, me, in a reductionist, isolated manner. It is judging and critiquing the whole world to find a certain level of validation for its isolation.” Ego is shaped by life experiences and by the meaning we ascribe to these experiences. And this meaning-making and storytelling takes on a life of its own, so we can end up trapped by a belief in stories repeated consciously or unconsciously so many times that they take on the character of received wisdom, irrefutable and unchangeable truths.
“Don’t blame me, I was born this way… I grew up in New York, so I can’t help but be an aggressive driver… I’m a Taurus, so of course I’m stubborn... I’m the oldest/middle/youngest/only child and therefore I am w/x/y/z… I’ve experienced a lot of A, and therefore I always do Q.” Whatever the story, it can justify thinking, being, speaking and acting in a particular, often habituated, and all too often unhealthy way. So what can I do to escape the trap of old stories? How might I loosen ego’s grip, leaving me free to live and act from a place of love?
Like so much that matters, progressing in the direction of ahimsa starts with awareness. Awareness of the stories I tell myself about myself and others; awareness of how these stories fuel judgement and feelings of insecurity, resentment, guilt and the rest; and awareness that these stories, beliefs and feelings do not define me and that I have the capacity to outgrow them, to shed them like a snake sheds its old skin.
Want to explore more of the 8 limbs? Keep reading this newsletter. Or better yet, let’s meet at the studio for a chat over tea. Or if you really wanna dive deep, join Meadow and Lexie for yoga teacher training starting in September.
