ahimsa

Ahimsa in Adaptive Yoga: Neurological Change & the Eight Limbs

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Ahimsa in Practice: Adaptive Yoga, Neurological Change, and the Eight Limbs for Every Body

This month, my work is rooted in ahimsa—the yogic principle of non-harming. While often translated simply as “non-violence,” ahimsa is far more nuanced. It asks us to relate to ourselves, our bodies, our nervous systems, and one another with care, patience, and deep respect.

For me, ahimsa is not theoretical. It has been shaped through nearly two decades of teaching adaptive yoga to people living with neurological conditions, and through my own lived experience navigating pain, injury, and profound physical change. This is where yoga becomes real. This is where it becomes adaptable, accessible, and truly transformative.

Adaptive Yoga and Neurological Change

Neurological conditions—such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, MS, dementia, and traumatic brain injury—affect far more than movement. They impact balance, coordination, cognition, emotional regulation, confidence, and one’s sense of identity.

Adaptive yoga meets people where they are, not where a pose or practice says they “should” be. It honors the reality of neurological change by:

  • Prioritizing safety and nervous system regulation
  • Using choice-based, non-linear movement
  • Emphasizing felt experience over external form
  • Supporting dignity, autonomy, and self-trust

This is ahimsa in action. We are not forcing the body to comply—we are listening.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga: A Framework for All Abilities

Yoga is not just physical postures. The Eight Limbs of Yoga, outlined in the Yoga Sutras, offer a comprehensive framework for living well—one that is inherently adaptable to all abilities and all stages of life.

Here is how I weave the Eight Limbs into adaptive yoga and neurological care:

1. Yamas – Ethical Foundations

Ahimsa lives here. In adaptive yoga, this means letting go of comparison, performance, and “pushing through.” We practice kindness toward bodies that may feel unpredictable or unfamiliar.

2. Niyamas – Self-Relationship

Practices such as self-compassion (saucha) and contentment (santosha) help students build a healthier relationship with change, loss, and limitation—without bypassing grief or frustration.

3. Asana – Adaptive Movement

Postures are modified, seated, supported, or imagined. The goal is not shape, but connection, safety, and agency. Sometimes the most powerful asana is simply resting.

4. Pranayama – Breath Awareness

Gentle breath practices support emotional regulation, vagal tone, and a sense of calm—especially important for those experiencing anxiety, tremors, or cognitive overwhelm.

5. Pratyahara – Turning Inward

In environments with constant stimulation—medical settings, assisted living, or busy minds—learning to gently withdraw attention can be profoundly grounding.

6. Dharana – Focus

Short, accessible moments of concentration help rebuild confidence and presence, even when attention feels fragmented.

7. Dhyana – Meditation

Meditation in adaptive yoga may look like guided imagery, sensory awareness, or simply noticing one breath at a time.

8. Samadhi – Integration

For many, this limb shows up as moments of ease, belonging, or acceptance—not perfection, but wholeness within change.

Ahimsa as a Monthly (and Lifelong) Practice

Focusing on ahimsa this month is an invitation to slow down and ask:

  • Where am I pushing instead of listening?
  • How can I reduce harm—to my body, my thoughts, my expectations?
  • What would it feel like to meet myself with curiosity instead of judgment?

In adaptive yoga, ahimsa reminds us that doing less can be doing the work.

Why This Matters

As someone who has taught adaptive yoga in assisted living and neurological settings for many years—and who now lives with my own physical limitations—I believe deeply that yoga must evolve.

Yoga should be:

  • Inclusive, not exclusive
  • Trauma-informed, not prescriptive
  • Rooted in compassion, not achievement

When we return to the heart of yoga—especially the Eight Limbs—we remember that yoga was never meant to be one-size-fits-all.

Ahimsa teaches us that every body, every nervous system, and every season of life belongs.

If you are interested in adaptive yoga, mindful resilience, or applying yogic philosophy to real-life challenges, I share ongoing practices, reflections, and resources here on the blog.

Ahimsa Begins With Ourselves | Week One of a Month of Compassion

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Week One of Our February Yoga Theme: Ahimsa — A Month of Compassion

Introduction

Ahimsa, often translated as non-harming, is one of the foundational principles of yoga philosophy. While it’s easy to think of ahimsa as something we practice outwardly—toward others, animals, or the world—it begins much closer to home.

Week One of our February theme invites us to turn inward and explore ahimsa toward ourselves. This is where compassion takes root. This is where true softness and sustainable strength are born.

What Does Ahimsa Toward Ourselves Mean?

Practicing ahimsa with ourselves means noticing the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways we cause harm internally:

  • Harsh self-talk
  • Pushing past pain or exhaustion
  • Ignoring emotional needs
  • Judging our bodies, choices, or perceived shortcomings

Self-directed violence is often quiet and normalized—but it deeply shapes how we move through the world.

Ahimsa toward ourselves is not indulgence or avoidance. It is honest care. It is listening. It is choosing kindness without force.

On the Mat: Practicing Self-Compassion in Yoga

This week’s yoga practices emphasize:

  • Slower pacing and intentional transitions
  • Permission to rest, modify, or pause
  • Awareness of internal dialogue during movement
  • Choosing sensation over performance

Rather than asking, “How far can I go?” we gently ask, “What would feel kind right now?”

This approach builds trust with the body and nervous system—something especially important during times of stress, healing, or uncertainty.

Off the Mat: Ahimsa in Daily Life

You may notice this week’s theme showing up beyond your yoga practice. Some gentle reflections to explore:

  • How do I speak to myself when things feel hard?
  • Where might I be pushing when listening would serve me better?
  • What would change if I treated myself the way I treat someone I love?

Small acts of self-kindness—resting without guilt, setting gentle boundaries, offering yourself patience—are powerful expressions of ahimsa.

A Simple Week One Practice

Self-Compassion Pause

Once a day, pause for three slow breaths.

  • Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly.
  • Inhale: I am listening.
  • Exhale: I choose kindness.

Let this be enough.

Essential Oil Support (Optional)

Rose or Bergamot — both oils gently support the heart and emotional body, making them especially aligned with self-compassion.

  • Rose invites tenderness, self-love, and emotional healing. It reminds us that softness is strength.
  • Bergamot offers lightness and encouragement, helping ease self-judgment and lift heavy inner dialogue.

Diffuse during practice or apply (diluted) over the heart space or wrists as a gentle reminder to meet yourself with kindness.

Closing Reflection

Ahimsa does not ask us to be perfect. It asks us to be present.

As we begin this month together, may we remember that compassion practiced inwardly ripples outward—softening our edges, deepening our resilience, and shaping how we meet the world.

This is where the practice begins.

Be sure to grab my book 52 Weeks of Wisdom and Wellness for more mindfulness practices.

February Yoga Theme: Ahimsa — A Month Of Non-harming Compassion

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Ahimsa: A Month of Non-Harming Compassion

February invites us to slow down, soften our edges, and return to one of yoga’s most foundational teachings: ahimsa, the practice of non-harming. Often translated as compassion or non-violence, ahimsa is not about perfection or passivity. It is about care. It is about choosing responses that reduce harm and increase kindness—toward ourselves, others, and the world we share.

This month at Embracing Spirit Yoga, we explore ahimsa as a living practice—one that unfolds gently, week by week, through awareness, movement, breath, and reflection.

Rather than striving to do more, February asks us to listen more deeply. To notice where we push, judge, or override our needs—and to choose something softer instead.

Week One: Ahimsa with Ourselves

Non-harming begins within. The way we speak to ourselves, interpret our experiences, and meet discomfort sets the tone for everything that follows.

This week’s practices focus on cultivating self-compassion and awareness. We slow down enough to hear our inner dialogue and gently shift the tone from criticism to curiosity. Through mindful movement and breath, we practice meeting ourselves exactly as we are—without fixing, forcing, or comparing.

Reflection: How do I speak to myself when things feel difficult?

Affirmation: May I meet myself with kindness and care.

Week Two: Ahimsa with Our Body

Our bodies carry wisdom, yet many of us have learned to override signals of fatigue, pain, or discomfort in the name of productivity or progress.

This week invites a different relationship—one rooted in listening rather than pushing. Practices emphasize honoring sensation, respecting limits, and moving with awareness instead of force. Ahimsa shows up when we trust the body’s messages and respond with patience rather than judgment.

Reflection: What does my body need from me right now?

Affirmation: I honor my body with gentleness and respect.

Week Three: Ahimsa in Our Relationships

Compassion in relationship does not perhaps surprisingly—mean saying yes to everything or avoiding conflict. True non-harming includes honesty, clarity, and boundaries.

This week we explore how ahimsa lives in connection—with presence, listening, and respectful communication. Practices support staying open-hearted while grounded, especially in moments of emotional charge or disagreement. We practice kindness that includes ourselves.

Reflection: Where might kindness and boundaries coexist in my relationships?

Affirmation: I can be compassionate and clear at the same time.

Week Four: Ahimsa in Our World

In the final week, we widen the lens. Ahimsa extends beyond the mat and into daily choices—how we consume, speak, act, and participate in the collective.

This is not about carrying the weight of the world, but about recognizing the power of small, intentional actions. Steadiness, presence, and care become forms of compassion in motion.

Reflection: What small choice today reflects non-harming?

Affirmation: May my actions reflect care for the world I am part of.

Practicing Ahimsa This Month

You may choose to support this theme with simple rituals—lighting a candle before practice, pausing for a conscious breath before responding, or diffusing a grounding essential oil like cedarwood to remind yourself of connection and community.

Above all, let this month be an invitation rather than an obligation. Ahimsa is practiced one moment at a time.

May February be a time of soft strength, steady compassion, and living with care.

— Embracing Spirit Yoga