Ahimsa: The First Step Toward Living Yoga
When most people think of yoga, they think of poses. But the postures are only one small part of an eight-limbed path that guides us toward living with purpose and awareness. The journey begins with the Yamas—ethical principles for how we relate to the world. And the very first Yama is Ahimsa, often translated as non-violence or non-harming.

What Ahimsa Really Means
At its core, Ahimsa asks us to live with compassion. Not just by avoiding physical harm, but by noticing the subtler ways we may create harm—through harsh words, judgmental thoughts, or even neglecting our own needs.

Practicing Ahimsa doesn’t mean avoiding conflict or silencing ourselves. It means learning to pair truth (Satya) with care—speaking honestly in a way that builds connection instead of tearing it down.

Everyday Practice of Ahimsa

• With yourself: Catch your inner critic. Would you speak to a friend that way? You could offer than it makes sense that that part of you feels that way and then shift the perspective.
• With your body: Move with awareness. Challenge yourself, yes—but don’t push into injury or depletion. Ahimsa lives in that balance between effort and ease.
• With others: Before you speak or act, pause and ask: Is this true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Reflection for You
Take a moment today to notice: where does subtle harm sneak into your life? Through self-criticism? Overworking? A sharp word at home? Choose one place to soften.

​Why This Matters
When you live Ahimsa, even in small ways, you begin to shift the energy around you. Peace becomes something you create moment by moment—not in theory, but in how you live, breathe, and relate.

​✨ Ready to go deeper?
If you’re curious about how these ancient teachings can transform your modern life, I created a self-guided program: 40 Days of the Yamas & Niyamas. Each day gives you a short video and reflection to bring these principles into your life in a practical way.
👉 Learn more about the 40 Days program

📖 Read the Book: Dancing with Our Selves: A Practical Guide to Harness the Ego and Live on Purpose — my book blends yoga philosophy with modern psychology to help you move beyond reactive patterns and live with intention.

👉 Explore my Yoga Teacher Training: If you’re ready to take the full journey of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, my Yoga Teacher Training offers an in-depth, life-changing experience that prepares you to share yoga with others and embody it more fully yourself.

When most people think of yoga, they picture postures: downward dog, warrior, handstands. But the truth is, the physical practice is just one small part of an ancient, holistic path.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali outline eight interconnected limbs—a roadmap for living with awareness, balance, and purpose. These limbs guide us from the outer world of action toward the inner world of wisdom and union.

The eight limbs are:

1. Yamas – ethical guidelines for how we relate to others
2. Niyamas – practices for inner discipline and self-care
3. Asana – physical postures
4. Pranayama – breath regulation
5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana – concentration
7. Dhyana – meditation
8. Samadhi – integration or union

​Yoga isn’t just about touching your toes. It’s about touching your heart, your community, and the deeper meaning of your life.
Reflection PromptWhich of these eight limbs do you already practice, knowingly or not? Which one feels most intriguing to you right now?

Further Resources
If this post on the 8 limbs of yoga sparked something for you, here are a few ways to go deeper:

Read the Book
Dancing with Our Selves: A Practical Guide to Harness the Ego and Live on Purpose — my book blends yoga philosophy with modern psychology to help you move beyond reactive patterns and live with intention.

Practice the Principles
Join my self-guided program, 40 Days of the Yamas & Niyamas, and receive short daily videos + reflections to bring these teachings into your everyday life.

Train & Transform
If you’re ready to take the full journey of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, my Yoga Teacher Training offers an in-depth, life-changing experience that prepares you to share yoga with others and embody it more fully yourself.
👉 Start Here

Last night was one of those nights. Both kids were up several times, and by morning my body felt wrung out. Instead of muscling through, I gave myself 30 minutes for a Yoga Nidra practice I had recorded during a recent teacher training weekend.

As I was guided through the five koshas—the layers from the physical body inward to the place of oneness—I felt myself merge with all that is. For a little while, I wasn’t “mom” or "wife" or “business owner.”

I wasn’t even tired.

I was spacious, connected--not separate.

And then I opened my eyes.

Suddenly, separation was back: the toys scattered across the floor, the pile of laundry, the mental tug-of-war between cleaning the house or working on my business. My roles came rushing back in—mom in charge of kids, entrepreneur hustling to trade my services for resources. That sense of oneness felt like it evaporated.
​
But here’s the thing I keep reminding myself: the koshas don’t disappear when I roll up the mat. The same wholeness is still here—even when I’m folding laundry, running ads, or trying to decide what’s more important today, marketing the book or cleaning out the junk drawer.

​Instead of grasping at how to keep that Yoga Nidra feeling, the real practice is remembering it in the middle of daily life. The question isn’t, “How do I hold onto this state?” It’s, “How can I recall this oneness in the middle of dishes, emails, and sibling squabbles?”

It’s easy to believe the separation: that parenting isolates us, that entrepreneurship is a hustle, that clutter is proof of failure. But these are just roles and stories. Beneath them, the same oneness hums.

What helps me is pausing to ask:

• Which action will help me feel most present—tackling the clutter or riding the wave of creativity?
• Am I acting from separation (scarcity, desperation) or from wholeness (service, offering)?

My business coach recently reminded me (as my ego was moaning about having to learn how to run ads on Amazon) the purpose of my book isn’t to make a fortune—it’s an anchor for the rest of my work as a training facilitator and speaker. When I get grounded and centered through my yoga practices I tap into my higher self where I know I don’t have to force expansion or chase leads; they’ll come through relationship and resonance.

That reminder felt like a deep exhale. When I act from desperation (ego), nothing flows. But when I share what I love (higher self)—whether that’s guiding people through a playful Chaturanga workshop or offering a Yoga Nidra practice—I’m serving from wholeness. And that’s when connection happens.

If you want to experiment with this, here are a few micro-practices that help me:

• Pause before acting. One breath, recall the koshas, remember the wholeness.
• Ask a guiding question. “Which action will make me feel more present an hour from now?”
• Tune in. Even five minutes of focused breathing can remind you: you are not just your roles, you are the field in which the roles play.

This week, I’m following the creative urge to share two things:

1. A 90-minute Chaturanga workshop that blends physical alignment, mental/emotional reflection, and playful methodology—a taste of the depth we explore in yoga teacher training.
2. The Yoga Nidra practice that reminded me of oneness after a sleepless night. Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing it soon.

And if this resonates deeply with you, consider taking it further with my ​Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). Whether you want to teach yoga or simply deepen your practice, YTT is a journey into the koshas, the philosophy, and the lived tools that help you bring oneness into everyday life. We explore not just poses, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual layers that make yoga a practice for living—not just for the mat.

Because the truth is, wholeness isn’t found only in perfect silence or on a retreat. It’s right here in the mess of motherhood, entrepreneurship, and daily life.

Yoga is the practice that helps us remember.

Read more about the Five Koshas here.