SDEpisode30 - Intro to The Yama & Niyamas: Ahimsa (Non-Violence)

The Yamas & Niyamas: Ahimsa - The Practice of Non-Harming 

In this episode of the Soul Deep Yoga & Healing Podcast, we’re diving into the first of the Yamas: Ahimsa, or non-harming.

Ahimsa is so much more than simply “being nice.” It’s about becoming aware of the ways we may create harm not only toward others, but toward ourselves. The words we speak, the thoughts we carry, the boundaries we ignore, and the way we treat our own bodies and hearts all matter.

We’re exploring what Ahimsa looks like in real life, from practicing self-compassion and choosing our words with intention to setting healthy boundaries and learning when walking away can actually be an act of love.

Because sometimes the person we need to practice the most kindness toward…is ourselves. 

 In this episode, we’ll talk about:
• What Ahimsa really means
• How non-harming applies to our thoughts, words, actions, and relationships
• The difference between kindness and self-abandonment
• How boundaries can be an expression of Ahimsa
• Simple ways to bring Ahimsa into your everyday life
• Learning to replace self-criticism with compassion

Come sit with us, go a little deeper, and explore what it means to live from a place of “do no harm” - including to yourself.  Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is simply stop being at war with ourselves.

Where spirituality gets real, yoga gets weird, and we go deep. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome back, fellow yogists, to our podcast, Soul Deep Yoga and Healing. I'm your host, Brittany, and next to me I have my co-host, Kimmy. Thanks for listening, you guys. Yeah, that was a great chime. You probably noticed that we're using a chime set this time.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

We're trying some new things. So if you guys ever ever have any recommendations, just let us know. We'd love to include it. We're learning on this podcast for sure. So if you guys have any tips and tricks, please share.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Yep. How was your week, Kimmy Harker? My week's been awesome.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

It's been a great week for you. It has. So it was my birthday on Tuesday. And um, it's actually one of my loves, but my best friend Kat came up on Tuesday. I took the day off of my regular job, and she came up and we got to go paddleboarding, and she packed us a lunch. She's so cute.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

She was in the lunch I got a lunch.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

She made PBJ's. We had we had carrots and French onion dip. Uh, she brought apples, she brought string cheeses. What else did she? I know I'm missing a couple. Oh, she brought like some gushers, she brought a candy salad that she made. Oh my gosh, just all the things. Candy salad. She absolutely she's so great. And um, she also for my birthday, she got me a uh golfing outfit, which I got to use yesterday because I went golfing, and it was so cute. So yeah, great. My week's been it's been really fun. What did you do this week?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Um, well, you well, we added a new class to our Tuesday schedule. So now on Tuesdays, we have three classes.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

So at 8:15, we have our yoga instructor who teaches what's our Tuesday class? Power yoga. Power yoga. Then at 6 p.m., this is the new class. We're teaching of Maple Grove.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Yes, and even if you've never heard of Maple Grove, um, they're kind of local.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

They're like a retreat in the healing, relaxing center.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Yeah, so they have hot springs. Um, and so Britney's been going up there and is teaching a yoga class out on the lawn. Um, and our students get a discount code. It's normally like 18 or 20 bucks to go soak up there.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

But this code drops it down to 10 bucks.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

And you get the yoga and access to the hot pools. It's also right next to the river. It's so beautiful up there. You don't have service, it's just it's so zen. It's so relaxing. It's so zen up there. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Last week when I went up there, when we did the yoga, and I got into the hot pools and I got out and I was like, oh my gosh, I think I needed that. I think I needed this on the class schedule. Yeah, it felt good. And then we have your 7 p.m. hot yoga class. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

So Tuesdays are busy at the studio these days. Oh, and I also have to shout out, it was so cute. This is one of my magic moments. Um, Tuesday was my birthday, and so I went to go teach. And um, at the end of class, the yoga students sang me happy birthday, and I was like, Oh, you guys know. It was just so cute. I loved it, so that was really nice. We got some good students, we have great students.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Shout out to our students. I mean, we've done this in the past, but who cares?

SPEAKER_01 3:16

We do it for you guys. We love and appreciate you.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

We love those little things that you guys do for us too. Like one of our yoga students brought infused lavender honey for our tea.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Yes, yeah, it's a thoughtful thing. It's like, oh, you guys think of us. I love it because we think about them. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

And if you're curious as to what Maple Grove looks like, we've got a video, oh goodness, a video uh up on our um TikTok and our Instagram page, so you can take a look see there.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

It is a little smoky in the video, but we've we've been battling some wildfires around here lately.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Yes, it's been awfully hazy this week for sure. All the smoke coming in.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

It's so really bad for all the the fires happening. Well, Utah's in a severe drought. Yeah. And so everything's super dry. And we're just like right on the border, but we haven't we haven't gone into anything yet. But I know everybody in the town is kind of worried that we might go into a drought, but we'll see. We'll see. Um okay, I have a magic moment.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

What's your magic moment?

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Um do you remember that comment Junior made about how he thinks it's so cool to have a mom? Like you. That like, yep, like me. Um, no, Junior made a comment a few weeks ago and I just had thought of it that um he thought it was so cool that like he was like, Mom, you just like work at the yoga studio and you work cleaning, and like he just like recognized my hustle. He recognized your hard work, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he shouted it out, and he was like, I just think it's so cool that you like two businesses.

SPEAKER_01 5:01

And you're like, Thanks, dude. Yeah, thanks for appreciating that because I work hard for it.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

The yoga studio is an easy one, it's the cleaning that takes it out of me. Yeah, yeah. But it's hard on your body, it is so. Um, I'm glad I've got Junior as a son. He's aware, he sees, he's a little spongy.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

He's a good boy, he's just a little gentleman. We were talking about him the other day with some yoga students. We're just like, you're just you're raising a just a nice little man, dude. Like he's so respectful and kind and thoughtful. He texted me, happy birthday. There's he's 12 years old. Like, he's just he's so cute.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

I absolutely love him. Well, we got stopped in the grocery store yesterday, actually, for checkout. And I had both boys with me, and Oliver loves grocery shopping, he loves picking out his banana bundles and he loves picking out a treat. And I guess Junior was tending him, and one of the cashiers just came up and was like, That's a really good big brother. Thank you. He is a good big brother. Um okay, do you have like a yoga love or a yoga hate today?

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Um, I don't have a love. Oh, I mean, I have so much love. I mean, like, shout out cat, shout out golfing. Um, all the things that I got to do this week was really fun. Um, I do have a hate though. I mean, this is kind of a love and hate. So love, I started our YouTube channel, so you guys can officially go on there, and we only have one video so far, but we'll be uploading more. Um, but my hate goes in along with this because I had to show Britney this morning the point in the video, but um, we obviously like we're we're in a sh like a block, so we have neighbors on either side of us of businesses, and as I was recording, I'm like I'm in my cradle, the baby pose. And as I'm like releasing my leg, the neighbor next door like scooted their chair, but like so loudly it was like a screech, screech, and it was just like in the video. But it was so funny though. What do you do? You know, it sounded like I was farting, which is why I hated it. I was like, oh my gosh, but whatever, just kept going with it. You know, we can't we can't help the noises that are around. I hope we get comments. Is that a fart? Is that a fart? Did you just fart? I'll just say it was because I don't care, but yeah, that's funny. That's that's my only hate we do, you know. Being on Main Street, we have loud trucks that drive by and romp, and that is always annoying. And then just sometimes hearing the neighbors is but it's fine, you know, it's okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Because for the most part, our neighbors are pretty quiet, but mainly no, our neighbors are actually really great.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

It was just like a really inconvenient time for them to make some noise, pull their chair right away from her desk.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Pretty funny though. So funny. Um, I have two loves. Okay. My first love is um, I love seeing, I love driving around town and seeing pedestrians walking, like just walking to the bank or just walking with their kids, and I just love seeing pedestrians walking around town.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Yeah, I love this is great. Like it's healthy for you, it's healthy for the environment, and yeah, if I lived in town, you bet I would be walking all over the place. Sadly, I live outside of town, so that would be hard for me.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

But um, and my other love is I love when people take a class, especially a Sunday one, and they leave, and every single student says, that was a really good class. Or can I get a reference on the book that you're reading out of? Or can you send me that meditation?

SPEAKER_01 8:40

I have someone I want to share it with. Yeah. Yeah, I love I love feedback like that. That's me too. That is a good love.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

But I don't have any hates. That's a good week, then yeah. Um, oh, I do have a would you rather? Okay, what's your would you rather? Okay. Would you rather have a yoga teacher constantly adjust you or constantly tell you to relax your shoulders?

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Adjust. Adjust me all the time. I love adjustments. I'd be like, yeah, tell me what's wrong.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

I'll have to say the same thing because honestly, I'd probably get annoyed with a teacher if she repetitively told me to relax my shoulders. Yeah. I would honestly probably get up and walk out. Like you said it way too many times, lady. Uh-huh. Say it three times, and I got it, okay?

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

Alright, guess that smell. Alright, guess the smell. Do you want me to go first or you? Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah, close your eyes. Okay. Eyes are closed. Alright, so Brittany, you have single blends. So no blends, really, just single oils. Single oils, I should say. Single oil smells. Alright. What is that? I feel like this one should be easy, but maybe not. That's cinnamon. Yes, ma'am. Bing bing bing. Correct. Good job. Okay, I have one more for you. We need like coffee to sound between. I know. Alright, what's that one?

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Oh, that's intranella.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Yes. We also have to shout out Kat because when Kat was up here, she picked our oils for us to guess. So shout out Kat. Thanks for being a part and for picking out the oils. Alright. Guys, I suck at this game.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

We've got the blends. I know. Alright, okay, let's go and see. Oh, you might be able to get this one. Okay, smell.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Is that on guard? Yes! Yes! My first one got one. Freaking finally! Finally, man. Well, I use that one all the time. I should absolutely know what that one smells like.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

This one? I don't know. It's a 50-50 chance. Is it Aroma Touch? Shut the front door. Ding ding ding. Yes!

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Oh my god, we both got it right. Finger snaps. Finger snaps. This was a good week for us, dude. Yay! Thanks, Kat. Kat, you nailed it! You both got it right. Finally. That's funny.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Um, so we have the poll of the day. Should we go through that? Yeah, absolutely. Um, Kimi pulled the cinnamon card, which is so funny because I just guessed it. I just smelt it. Um, cinnamon. Your words with cinnamon are warmth and protection. I am surrounded by warmth and a shield of divine protection. The message, the cinnamon card offers a cocoon of warmth, enveloping you in a sense of safety and protection from negativity. It fortifies your soul and spirit, providing a comforting shield against harm, and asks you to contemplate the warmth and protection you've been providing for these around for those around you. This is a time where you are seeking comfort in another or another is seeking comfort in you. Be open to either. Reach out for help if you need it, and be open to being the shoulder to cry on for someone else. Stir cinnamon into your morning coffee, sprinkle it on your doorstep at each new moon, and use it in any workings where you'd like to invite warmth and protection. The prompt is Is there someone who needs my comfort right now? How can I offer warmth and protection to those closest to me? That's a good card. Also, it's a really good card. And why does this resonate with our Dharma talk today? Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Also, I was gonna say it talks about stirring coffee or cinnamon into your coffee. Have you ever tried that before? So I've never like just stirred it straight into my coffee, but sometimes I'll put it in with my coffee grounds before I brew. It's like a chai coffee. Like it's like it's like Christmas in your mouth type thing. Um, so highly recommend doing that. It's really yummy. Also, for all the matcha drinkers out there, I always mix cinnamon in with my matcha too, and it's really yum.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

So tell everybody your coffee order.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

20 ounce frozen blended green tea matcha with cinnamon every every day. Not every day, but every Sunday for sure. Every Sunday. So good, love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Well, I'm excited about today in our podcast. Um, we've been trying to figure out like what we should do next and if we should do another series because we just did our chakra stuff, and um, we're actually going to be starting the yamas and the niyamas. Um, and so throughout this like Dharma talk, we're gonna be referring to um this book that we have. Kimmy, if you'll share the title.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Yeah, so it's the Yamas and Niyamas by Deborah Adele. Um, highly, highly recommend this book. This is a book that like would ideally probably take you about a year or 10 months to fit properly. If you did it properly. So at the end of each chapter, um, it has like prompts for you to do. So it'll be like week one, do this, week two, do this, week three, and week four. Um, so we highly recommend if you guys want to follow along. This is the best book I've ever read. Um, it is like a kind of like a self-help book, but um, she just has a really unique perspective on on the things that we're gonna be talking about, like today's nonviolence, and she brings in some different perspectives. I'm actually gonna read from this book at at some point today.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Um which you should because that this book is huge for the it's where most of our information comes from.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Yeah, and um, I also I feel like I've I mean I've reread it probably six or seven times at this point, but every time I read it, it's something different pops out at me to where like, ah, I didn't think about that before. Or yeah, it's just it's just really good. So highly recommend that.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Okay, so the yamas and niyamas are the first two limbs of the eight limbs of yoga described in the yoga sutras of Pana Nanjali. And you'll have to excuse my Sanskrit, still a work in progress. Kimmy helps me all the time. I get pop quizzes.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

You're doing great. Yeah, some pop quizzes for it. It's been really fun lately, actually. That's just how I like to learn. I'm like, okay, well, ask me a question, and then it just makes me learn master two.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Um, we're gonna think of them as a guide of how we move through our life. The yamas are often described as restraints or ethical principles. They help us become more conscious of how our thoughts, words, and actions affect ourselves and others. The first one of the yamas is ahimsa, nonviolence or compassion. The second one is satya, which is truthfulness. The third is asteya, that's non-stealing. Number four is brahmacharya. Brahmacharya, real brahmacharya, wise use of energy, and a paragraha, that's non-attachment. The five niyamas is how we relate to ourselves, it's the personal observance observances. They turn the work inward and help us cultivate a hill a healthier relationship with ourselves. The first one from the Niyamas is Satcha, which is purity and cleanliness, Santosha is contentment, tapas, discipline and commitment, spadhyaya, self-study, and ishvara pranidhana. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Ishvara Pradhana, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Surrender to something greater. The Yamas and Ni Yamas give us something incredibly valuable, and that's awareness. Yoga isn't just about becoming more flexible in our bodies, it's also about becoming more conscious in our lives as well. So the yamas and niyamas internally ask us how are we showing up, how we're treating ourselves, how we're treating others, what are we holding on to, and are we allowing control or peace into our lives? Ahimsa is the first yama and the foundation for all the others. The Sanskrit word ahimsa comes from a meaning not or without, and uh means harm or violence. It's all broken down. Um, ahimsa means choosing not to cause harm. Choosing nonviolence goes beyond the physical harm. It is also our words, actions, thoughts, judgments, relationships, and the way we speak to ourselves. So take a moment and think about the way we sometimes talk to ourselves. You probably say things like, I'm stupid, I should be further along, my body looks terrible, I can't do anything right, everyone else has their life together except me. Which are all pretty valid because it's easy to go down that rabbit hole, especially when things are not going well. Yes. Um, now would we speak to someone we love that way? Oh, we're probably not doing that. I know I don't talk to Kimmy the way I talk to myself sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Oh yeah, I'm way kinder to other people than I am to myself, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

And it's sad because we tend to say those things to ourselves on a s on an on a daily basis. Ahimsa asks us to notice that, and it doesn't mean we ignore our flaws or pretend everything is perfect. It means we need to learn how to correct ourselves without destroying ourselves completely. Ahimsa will also ask us to consider the energy we bring into our relationships. Sometimes harm isn't obvious, and it can look like gossip, unnecessary criticism, passive aggression, constant judgment, saying something cruel because we're angry, trying to control someone, intentionally trigger someone's insecurities, or making someone feel small so we can feel bigger. Nonviolence doesn't mean becoming a doormat and showing compassion does not mean tolerating harmful behavior. You can practice ahimsa and still say no. You can love someone and still create distance, you can forgive someone and still maintain a boundary, and you can speak your truth without intentionally trying to hurt someone. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for ourselves and another person is to create a boundary. When we practice nonviolence, we begin changing the way we interact with the world. And when we practice that, we're gonna become less reactive, more compassionate, more patient, less judgmental, more aware of our words, better at setting boundaries, more forgiving of ourselves, more intentional with our energy. And to share the quo of the day, to go along with this, the way we speak to ourselves eventually becomes the way we experience ourselves, others, and the world. Fingers down. If our inner voice is constantly attacking us, the world can start to feel like a hostile place. When we begin creating safety within ourselves, we can respond to life from a very different place. Um, so with all that said, we have some tips, some tricks to help you practice the nonviolence, the himza in our everyday life. Number one, you're gonna catch your inner critic, which is probably the hardest one, but the most recommended one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

And this is I catch myself doing this all the time.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

When you notice yourself ask or saying something cruel to yourself, you're gonna pause and you're gonna say, Brittany, would you say this to someone you love? And if the answer is no, guess what? You're not gonna do it to yourself. Yep. Because you're worthy of that same love that you give others, exactly. And so, again, if that answer is no. You need to change the language.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Say, I'm learning, or you know, just reframe it like I'm human. You know, it's okay if I make mistakes and I'll learn from them, you know. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Number two, pause before reacting. When you're angry, don't immediately respond. Because I know we want to. Like we want to say things out of anger. I get it. Um, when you want to respond, but you don't, remember, we're not responding. You're gonna take a breath and then you're gonna ask, can I respond without causing unnecessary harm? If you don't have to suppress your feelings and you don't have to let your feelings, and you don't have to let your feelings choose your behavior. So you don't have to become what your feelings are. Number three, practice compassionate honesty. Ahimsa doesn't mean lying to make people feel better. Practice truth without cruelty. You can be honest and kind at the same time. This this is a real thing. I do it all the time. Like, I like I know that there's some people I can't say no to because they get so offended by that word that I have to find a way to say no without directly saying no. Like you can set those no boundaries, which is highly recommended. Everything that we're saying today, highly recommended.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Um, but that's also perfect because I mean, this is like our first, this is our foundation for the yamas, right? It's like first and foremost, do no harm. But next week we're gonna be talking about truthfulness. Like, so it ties in. Like we can we can speak our truth without being harmful to it. Because sometimes, I mean, I know I've caught myself in situations where it's like, well, I'm just gonna tell this person, not even thinking about the harm that it's gonna cause them. Yes, you know, so there's always like that fine line that you want to balance with it, but first and foremost, do no harm.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Number four, watch your words before speaking. Is it true, necessary or kind? Not every thought needs to become a sentence or spoken out loud. So you remember that saying when you grew up, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it in the beginning. Just write about it in your journal, okay? Yeah. Go write it on a piece of paper. Read it and burn it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

You know, like you can still release that emotion without holding on to it. But you know, like the world, like the world just needs kinder people. And like, and when I think about nonviolence, I think I'm like, what's the opposite of violence? It's like kindness, compassion, empathy, you know. So it's really just bringing more of that into your life to mitigate the the violence aspect of it.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Absolutely. Number five, practice ahimsa with your body, especially in yoga. Don't force your body into a shape that doesn't belong to you. So, like, we're not, we don't want to go beyond what we can't do. Don't turn your practice into punishment. Your body isn't something you need to conquer, your body is something you need to honor. Number six, set boundaries without hatred. Ahimsa can sound like I love you, but I can't participate in this conversation. Or I understand how you feel, but this boundary isn't changing. And maybe even another one. I need some space right now.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Very valid. Yeah, absolutely. I feel like, especially when we're we're in that state of like anger, you know, like that violence is coming up. It's just like personal space is such a good thing. I know for me, like whenever I get upset, I'm like, give me a couple minutes. Like, I know I know I'll come down if you give me a couple of minutes by myself, you know, so I can think through it. So, like, prioritize that alone time. It can be really, really helpful for not only you, but for the people in your life, right? Like sometimes when we act out of out of violence, like we we can really hurt the people that we care about. And it's not that you're actually wanting to hurt that person, it's just because you're frustrated, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

So exactly. Number seven, stop feeding unnecessary negativity. Notice what you're consuming, people, social media, conversations, the news, music, podcasts, any content. Any content. Um, because is this really nourishing you or is this really disturbing your peace? Um, we actually talk about this a lot. I do actually, because like I'll come in and I'll be like, I watched this real and it made me sad. It made me real sad.

SPEAKER_01 26:38

It made me real sad. Yeah, be mindful of who you guys follow on social media because it really, yeah, it makes a big difference. We actually talked about this during my yoga teacher training when we're like learning about energy and everything, because everything has a frequency, right? So when you're like watching movies that make you feel bad, it's lowering your own energy field as well. So you have to be really mindful of what you allow into your life and what you're consuming because it's either gonna lower your vacation your vibrations or it's going to raise your vibrations. And ideally, we want to be at a higher vibrating state. So it's really important to be mindful of what it is that you're consuming.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Exactly. Um, so that was the last tip. And Kimmy wants to read some stuff out of this book.

SPEAKER_01 27:21

Yeah, so again, I'm referring to the book The Yamas and Niyamas by Deborah Badell. Um, and one of the things, one of the sections that she has in here is titled Dealing with Powerlessness. So if you guys have the book, this is page 27. Um, and I feel like a lot of the time that we act out of anger, it's because we're in that state where we feel powerless, right? Like we feel like we don't have any other options. And so it's like, well, I'm gonna act out because you know, that's the only way I can get attention or get the help that I need. Um, so yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna read a page from here. And she says, one of the biggest challenges to maintaining balance is feeling powerless. Feeling powerless leads to outward aggression in the form of frustration and anger or withdrawal inward into depression and victimization. We fear our own power and we often feel trapped at our sense of powerlessness. By powerless, I mean those times we feel like we've run out of choices. We've run out of options and we are feeling totally incompetent to deal with the challenge at hand. At these times we may feel like a caged animal, trapped and ready to spring. Whether we respond with anger, withdrawal, frustration, or resignation, there is a way in which our mind shuts down, as if we are riding a train through a dark tunnel and we can't see anything but darkness and anxiety. Ahimsa invites us to question the feeling of powerlessness rather than accept it. When we feel powerless, we have forgotten how much choice we really have. We have a choice to take action and we have a choice to change the story we are telling ourselves about our powerlessness. Instead of sulking in the feeling of powerlessness, we can ask, what do I need to do right now to feel competent to handle this situation? During these times, we can also jumpstart ourselves by remembering past times when we successfully handled a challenging situation while remaining loving and whole, and then try to find that feeling again. I have found three ways of thinking that shift me out of a feeling of powerlessness: practicing gratitude, trust in the moment, and thinking about others. When I change my approach, I am out of the dark tunnel of powerlessness, suddenly in the light, and I see many options. And I love that because it's just so good. You know, sometimes we feel powerless, but we really have so many options. Like if you feel if you feel like you're stuck in a relationship, you know you can leave them, right? Like if you if you feel stuck at your job, you know you can quit, right? Like there, we really have so many options at hand, but we feel stuck in that powerlessness just from like outside expectations and societal ideations. So just know that you you have so much more choice than you're probably even aware of. So know that you have choices. Um, she also says, I have come to believe that any sense of powerlessness we are feeling can be traced back to the story we are telling ourselves in the moment about the situation. We all have the choice to tell a different story and grow ourselves up to take responsibility for our lives in a new and fresh way. I feel like that aligns with our quote of the day because the way that we speak to ourselves becomes the way that we experience ourselves, others, and the world. So you have the choice to view your life through different eyes, through a lens of compassion and kindness and empathy. So make sure that you're giving that to yourself.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

You just gotta take that step. Yeah. And that's the hardest part. It is the hardest part. But once you get going, you'll be unstoppable. Yeah, absolutely. So I've seen how all of this has benefited like our life and our business together, and like it's been also interesting to kind of like reflect on the last year and just be like, I don't know if I could have gone through this particular season in my life if I wasn't practicing yoga almost every single day.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

So, yeah, it's been really big, it's been a very helpful tool for us. So we hope that you guys get a lot of inspiration from this this next nine episodes, the next, you know, this is gonna be great. Um, because this has really helped us a lot in our life. Um, I think we're ready to move on to the note card or writing activity. Um, so if you guys have a journal or anything you'd like to write with, feel free to grab that and pause the episode here. Um, you can also just mentally reflect on these questions as well. They're great to just bring awareness to how you can practice nonviolence within your own life. So, the first question that you're going to answer where am I creating unnecessary harm in my own life? So, this could be like the examples that Britney has shared, like speaking unkind words to ourselves or even others. Um, this could also be choosing harmful habits like drinking alcohol, smoking, eating unhealthy food. Our food is a very big thing that goes into just into your overall health and um energetically as well. Like if we're if we're consuming high nutritional foods, we're gonna feel better. Um, this could also be maybe like acts of greed, like if you're feeling greedy and holding on to things that really you could probably like above. Um, it could be an insecurity or a fear that you have. It could be maybe you're a gaslighter or you like to lie a little bit. I mean we were kind of joking about it this morning because sometimes I love to gaslight my boyfriend. But you know, like that's right, you know, like a toxic way, not in a toxic way, like in a funny way. But like at the same time, like, yeah, where where are you creating unnecessary harm in your own life? Like, are there are there things that you could let go of to create more more space for kindness? Um, and then the second question I want you to reflect on is what is one small act of ahimsa or nonviolence that I can practice today? So maybe if if you previously wrote it's speaking unkind words, maybe you could try to speak kindly to yourself instead. Maybe it's releasing those toxic habits or letting go of judgment that you hold for yourself or others. Maybe it's practicing empathy or practicing forgiveness for yourself. Um, it could also be embodying courage, balance, or like we had previously talked about from that chapter, realizing that we have a lot of choices and that we're not powerless. Um, I want you to take this second question as an action item for your week. How can you bring this idea of nonviolence into your life and actually practice it? Like it doesn't have to be a big thing, it can just be catching yourself when you're I'm so stupid. Actually, no, I'm not. I'm learning. You know, just rewire, rewire those thoughts and see if you can practice um this idea of nonviolence because the world needs the world needs less violence in it and ourselves, we deserve that um as well.

SPEAKER_00 34:19

So that's a great note-card activity. Yeah, thanks, Brent. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

All right. I think we're gonna go ahead and get started in the meditation. So if you guys want to go ahead and lie down or gently close your eyes, soften your gaze, and we'll go ahead and get started.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and exhale completely. Again, breathe in and let it go. One more time. Inhale deeply. Exhale, releasing anything you don't need to carry into this moment. Feel your body supported beneath you. You don't have to fix anything right now. You don't have to accomplish anything. You don't have anywhere to be other than right here. Today we are practicing Ahimsa nonviolence, compassion. The practice of choosing not to create unnecessary harm. And today we begin with the person we sometimes forget to offer compassion to, and that is ourselves. So bring awareness to the way you speak to yourself. Without judgment, I just want you to simply notice these thoughts. What does your inner voice sound like when you make a mistake? What does it say when you don't feel good enough? What does it say when your body doesn't look or feel the way you want it to? You don't need to change those thoughts right now. Just notice them. And then imagine speaking to yourself the way you would speak to someone you deeply love. Softly, patiently. And again, without judgment. Take a breath in. And as you exhale, silently repeat, I do not have to hurt myself to grow. I can correct myself with compassion. I am allowed to be human. Bring one hand to your heart if that feels comfortable. Feel the warmth of your own hand. And remind yourself that I am worthy of the same kindness I so freely give to others. Now bring someone else to mind. Someone you love. Notice what happens inside of you when you think of them. And now I want you to send them the same compassion you just offered yourself. May they be safe. May they be peaceful. May they be free from unnecessary suffering. And now, if it feels right, bring to mind someone who has challenged you. Someone who has hurt you. Someone whose actions have been difficult for you to understand. You don't have to forgive them. You don't have to excuse what happened. And you don't have to invite them back into your life. Simply practice releasing the desire to create more suffering within yourself because of what happened. Take a breath in. Ahimsa does not mean allowing people to hurt you. Ahimsa means choosing compassion without abandoning yourself. And so sometimes Ahimsa may sound like, no, or I need space. Even that behavior isn't okay with me. The most compassionate thing you can say is to all that is, I choose peace. Take one final deep breath in. And as you exhale, imagine releasing any harshness you've been carrying towards yourself. Let the shoulders soften here. Relax the jaw. Soften the space between your eyebrows. And allow yourself to receive the kindness you've been offering to everyone else. Speak to yourself gently. Move through the world with compassion. Set boundaries without hatred and tell the truth without cruelty. When you make a mistake, remember that you are still worthy of kindness. Take one more beautiful breath in and slowly exhale out. Start to bring awareness back into your body. Bring your hands to heart center and silently thank yourself for choosing to practice a little more kindness today. May you move and leave this space, remembering that peace isn't just something we search for in the world. It is something we practice within ourselves. Be kind today to yourself and to those around. Thank you so much for joining us today. Namaste.