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Ahimsa, yoga for peace Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahra, dharana, dhyana and samadhi are the eight limbs of yoga Ahimsa, satya, asteya, bramacharya and aparigraha are the five yamas The yoga sutras of Patanjali, 2.30-31 In the classical yoga system described by Patanjali more than two thousand years ago, the first pillar (or limb, as they are generally called) of yoga is Yama (ethical disciplines) and of these, Ahimsa is the first. In short, according to Patanjali, ahimasa, non-violence or, as Desikashar defines it, "Consideration for all living creatures, especially those who are innocent, in difficulty or worse off than we are" should be the very beginning of any yoga practice. One of the greatest and most famous yogis of the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi, proved that ahimsa is a workable idea through his successful non-violent resistance to British rule in India. A number of organisations are promoting peace. They include:
By supporting these organisations, financially or otherwise, we are actively taking steps against the war and working toward a better, more peaceful world for ourselves and our children. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Christophe Mouze, Editor Yoga Online |
