Ahimsa - non-violence

(part III, Winter 2000)

B.K.S. Iyengar, age 81, is considered the world's foremost authority on yoga. He's written in depth about the physical postures, the breath, the philosophy, the art, and the science of yoga. He has brought light to the most difficult of questions: What is the meaning of life? How do we live it in harmony? How can we best help others? It comes as a surprise sometimes, but it begins with us. In yoga we start with our bodies, the outermost sheath of our being. Working to create health, strength and clarity, we penetrate from there and go deeper, using yoga like a mirror to see ourselves. Catching even the briefest glimpse of our soul, we realize as Iyengar says, "in each of us burns the same universal spirit ... In the beating of our pulse and rhythm of our respiration the yogi recognizes the flow of the seasons and the throbbing of universal life." The awareness of our interconnectedness grows. As a result, non-violence, the base tenet of yoga, becomes a life-long quest.

B.K.S. Iyengar says "take action no matter how small." Whether it's to get on our yoga mat to practice, or the aspiration to do what we can to make the world a better place. Pema Chodron, a Tibetan Buddhist nun says the same thing: "If each of us is thinking bigger, is dedicating our lives in any small or large way to opening our hearts and minds to ourselves and other people ... if we can use the remainder of this brief precious lifetime to grow in flexibility, sense of humor, and kindness to self and others, then it makes a big difference."

These lessons are the grace that yoga gives me on a daily basis. It's a life long quest that we'll never be able to get just right. The path is the goal since being on this path gives a sense of well-being, of peace.

Before yoga, my source of spirituality was the beauty of Colorado. The Columbine, the state flower, is one Colorado symbol which has taken on another symbolic meaning, the trauma of a gun massacre. I'll continue to urge gun control in every forum I can find. It's one small but essential step towards peace in this very violent culture. I just named my business and chose another Colorado symbol, the Blue Spruce. It's an evergreen, remaining relatively constant throughout the seasons. Its color is a unique combination of blue, silver, and green. My home is surrounded by them. To me, they are beauty, grace, strength, peace, much of what yoga means to me.

Thank you to Guruji, B.K.S. Iyengar, for giving a practical means to finding peace in this lifetime, and to my other Iyengar teachers who sustain and inspire me. Thank you to Rob Hundley and the Lakewood United Church of Christ for providing me a home to teach in. Thank you to Momi Nikas who does this brochure and Brent Johnson for the flyers and website. Thanks to Stacy and Jenny for assisting me and all of you for your support. Thanks to my family for living with me. Blessings to all of us this New Year.

Namasté

Ahimsa, part I