Namaste Friends!

Lately I have noticed an inordinate amount of  fiery communication going on around the community. Ironically, we are in a celestial phase that encourages us to keep communication to a minimum.  Mercury is in retrograde until Sept. 12th.  It has slowed its orbit significantly as it does three times a year (this year four times).  This planetary shift affects us on a cellular level and it is advised to watch our words because things can easily be misinterpreted.  But that bit of advice has fallen on deaf ears.  Facebook has become a battleground for revenge.   Little pockets of gossip and drama make their way to my ears, and as much as I don’t want to be a part of it, I find myself with an earful. And then what?  I try not to continue the telephone game, but it seems as though some of the poison leaks out eventually to someone else…and so on. 

 

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali gives us some guidelines in which we could live our lives.  This is called The Eight Limbed Path.  The first of these eight limbs is the Yamas or abstinences…the things we should refrain from.  Within the Yamas, he breaks this down to five specific things to refrain from.  The first of which is called Ahimsa.  Our western culture has translated it to mean non-violence or non-killing, but really it means to not cause pain.  “Causing pain is different than killing or an act of violence.  Causing pain can be even more harmful than killing.  Your words and even your thoughts can cause pain “(Satchindanada 126).

 

The words we say, the looks we give, the energy we put out are all ways to give love or ways to inflict pain.  We can shred someone down to their most vunerable place with one little “whatever”, or one dramatic eye-ball roll, causing them pain and heart ache.  Even if we think we are masking our negative thoughts, our energy can be felt.  When we hold the thought in our heart that we don’t like someone or that we wish them ill will, not only does that individual receive that vibration, but the whole planet, on a subtle level, takes a hit from that wave length of  hurtful thought.  Furthermore, we too are holding that poisonous vibration in our heart and mind, which is harming our own spiritual energy. 

 

Its is virtually impossible to be completely void of all negative thought.  We are human and therefore we are imperfect.  But we do have free will, and we can choose to try to rid ourselves of harmful patterns.  If we find ourselves in that head space where we are being Negative Nellie’s or Neds, we can choose to stop, and instead send out a positive word, thought or vibration.  We can practice forgiveness, compassion, tolerance, and acceptance.  Just as the energetic highway will pass along the negative vibrations, it will also pass along the positive vibrations.  Thank God:)

 

 

This is my harmless plan of attack.  We can start to catch ourselves at the onset of a hurtful gossip session, and instead tell a story of compassion.  We begin to recognize that our internal feelings are as apparent to others as if we were wearing them as clothes, and so we begin to update our emotional wardrobe with a more loving ensemble.  We can smile at people we don’t know as we pass them, knowing that a simple smile could give them that energetic lift that they so needed in their day.  We begin to practice Ahimsa (not harming) by practicing Metta, or Lovingkindness. 

 

 

 

 

In the words of Robert Browning, “Take away Love, and our Earth is a tomb“.

There are lots of offerings at Karma Yoga Center to help us better understand the concept of Ahimsa

  Saturday the 4th

We are hosting a workshop with special guest Zarah Kravitz who is doing a Dharma Mittra Yoga Workshop on Ahimsa.  Their will be asana and dharma talk.  Zarah is a student of Sri Dharma Mittra, who has long been a major advocate for living the ahimisic life.  Be sure to check the special events tabs for details.

 

 

The gong bath on Sept. 17th

This a great way to rid ourselves of toxic energy and renew our system with positive vibrations.

Our Yoga Teacher Training begins Sept. 18th. 

 This is a great way to dive into positive thought and energy!

And of course, you can always just simply come to your mat and refuel with a great class.

I hope to see you soon and I am sending you strong vibrations of lovingkindness.

Much Love,

Katrina