We began yoga class, as we often do, with a moment of inward reflection, setting an intention for our practice and for the day. I sat, my mind reeling, mostly thinking about the slight twinge in my shin and my run later in the day. I'd been battling with this little "twinge" for a couple of weeks, since the Disney 1/2 at the beginning of January, and been trying to continue running while also trying not to become seriously injured. As I sat, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea to go running later, the yogic concept of Ahimsa came to mind.
Ahimsa is a concept that means to do no harm and means kindness to all living things. Ahimsa respects all beings and believes all beings are connected (thanks Wikipedia!).
Ahimsa relates to the self as well. I believe that most of the people I come into contact with wish no overt harm on others. Then why do we often abuse ourselves? Whether we imbibe in alcohol or drugs, smoke, or eat poorly, we are not practicing Ahimsa when we are acting in violence towards our bodies.
As a runner, I find myself doing this often. "Just push a little harder," I tell myself. "Get those extra miles in this week," or "That ache in my [knee, hip, ankle, shin] is okay as long as I can finish my run."
When we don't listen to our bodies, we become disconnected with our inner selves, and are less likely to notice other times when our bodies are telling us something is not right. While exercise can help improve health and self-confidence, rest and recovery help our exercise. In order to run your best, you have to find that delicate balance for your body between push and pull, pushing yourself hard and resting and rebuilding.
I decided to take a few days off from running, and listen to my body and practice Ahimsa. I went for a swim instead, let my body play a little and enjoyed some recovery.
