Last night, in my vinyasa practice, the instructor spoke about "ahimsa", and getting us to think about a better way to be and approach life and living. Yes, there is home work when one is trying to have a serious yoga practice. :-) Compare to this, the asanas are relatively easy.
"Ahimsa literally means 'nonhurting or nonviolence.' One normally thinks of violence only in terms of the physical, and most people in civilized societies refrain from gross acts of physical violence. Ahimsa, however, refers to nonviolence in thought and word as well as in deed. Violence in speech or in action is almost always preceded by violent thoughts, and violent thoughts have serious repercussions on the mind and on the body--they should be avoided, if only for this reason. On the positive side, careful cultivation of ahimsa leads to a spontaneous, all-encompassing love. One begins to see the unity in all creation and thus progresses toward the goal of self-realization." Swami Rama, The Royal Path: Practical Lesson on Yoga (Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Institute, 1979, 1997).
"The mind and body interact to a greater extent than is normally imagined. . . . If the mind is subject to unsettling emotions, the resulting bodily disturbances cannot be combated by any of the known asanas. The value of asana and pranayama is therefore limited unless they are taught in conjunction with the yama and niyamas, the moral code, or ten commitments , raja yoga." Id. at 17. "The yama are the five restraints that regulate one's relationship with other beings. They are: ahimsa, nonviolence, satya, truthfulness; asteya, nonstealing; brahmacharya, abstinence from sensual indulgence; aparigraha, nonpossiveness." Id, at 17-18. "The niyama are the observances one should follow. They are five in number: shaucha, purity; santosha, contentment; tapas, practices that lead to perfection of body, mind and senses; svadhyaya, study that leads to knowledge of the Self; and Ishvara-pranidhana, surrender to the ultimate reality." Id. at 20.
"The main teaching of yoga is that man's innermost nature is divine but that he is unaware of this and mistakes himself for his body and intellect--both of which exist within the realm of matter and therefore are subject to decay and death. All man's misery is a consequence of this false identification. Yoga leads one to the direct experience of his inner Self, his true identity. With such realization comes liberation from all human imperfections." Id. at vii. "No truly intelligent person could possibly be satisfied with modern education. It is superficial and one-sided and involves repetitious parroting; it does not help one to know, develop, and control one's internal state. Meditation alone can help one to do this." Id. at 14.
"Raja yoga is . . . a systematic and scientific discipline that leads one to ultimate truth. Most religions teach a person what to do; raja yoga teaches one how to be. Unlike religion, it does not impose unquestioning faith by encourages helathy discrimination, It leads finally to liberation." Id. at ix.
