Last week I themed classes based on Ahimsa (Sanskrit for non-harming) and it was so interesting to see how that theme morphed into other life lessons. When I told you about the woman on her phone, some of you said things like “Hope she never comes to class again,” or “oh, because its Lifetime,” or “What’s wrong with people.” Um, folks, YOU were not practicing Ahimsa either.

Funny thing is that we are so quick to judge and point fingers without really knowing the whole story. Now, some of you gave this woman the benefit of the doubt saying that maybe she was having a bad day and could actually take her yoga & its lessons to heart to maybe change things. And, that my friends, IS Ahimsa—offering up love and compassion.

I found out much later that this woman was, in fact, having a really bad day. The contempt she had on her face during the class was not directed towards me. It was because she had a hard time letting go of the pain, which happened to show forth in her face and body. That only goes to show that we don’t always know what kind of crap people are going through. She came to the mat for the same purpose as you. It was just harder for her to practice her own Ahimsa. So, why put more harm onto someone already in pain?

Now, those who placed judgment, you’re not bad people. You’re only human. We unfortunately tend to quickly place blame, hurt, or judgment not only onto others, but onto even ourselves—saying we’re not good enough or we are failures. Even I am victim of not practicing what I preach. I am not perfect either. It happens.

Our practice of yoga is a constant reminder to live Ahimsa. To live with love and compassion. To move and breathe within the asanas with love and compassion. In turn, to treat others, to think of others and ourselves, with love and compassion.

It’s a lot harder to do than you think! We can be impulsive people who place undue harm onto others or ourselves if we don’t think before we act upon our thoughts. So, the next time you find yourself in a situation of harm in any form, take a moment, breathe, and practice Ahimsa. Love.