Living the Yamas: Reflection as Practice

Yoga is not only what happens on the mat. It also asks us to notice how we speak to ourselves, how we use our energy, how we relate to others, and how we respond when life does not go to plan.
The Yamas are the first limb of Yoga. They are often described as ethical guidelines, but they are not rigid rules or another set of ideals to perfect. They are qualities we gradually learn to embody through practice, observation, and self-study.

For women who have spent years showing up for everyone else, these teachings can reveal what has been happening beneath all the doing. Where have you become harsh with yourself? Is fear speaking as truth? Has your own rest continually been pushed aside? Where is your energy going, and what are you ready to stop carrying?

When practised sincerely, the Yamas strengthen Buddhi, our inner faculty of discernment, wisdom and clear seeing. Buddhi helps us pause before reacting and recognise what is harmful, truthful, nourishing and aligned.

These teachings are not here to create more self-judgment for our thoughts. The practice begins with noticing.

The Quiet Ways We Turn Against Ourselves

Ahimsa: The Practice of Care

Not all harm is loud or obvious. Sometimes it appears as comparison, judgement, blame, projection or harsh inner dialogue. Sometimes it is the pressure we place on ourselves to keep going when the body is asking us to slow down. It may be the need to control, to win, to prove ourselves or to force an outcome before it is ready.

These movements can become so familiar that we no longer recognise them as forms of harm. Ahimsa means non-violence, but its practice reaches far beyond the absence of physical harm.

Ahimsa lives in our tone of voice, our thoughts, our pace, our choices and the way we speak to ourselves when something has not gone as planned.

The practice is not to notice these patterns and then judge ourselves for having them. That would simply become another form of self-violence. Ahimsa asks us to notice with witness consciousness and loving awareness. It asks: Can I see what is happening without immediately reacting? Can I meet this part of myself with care? Can I choose a response of loving kindness?

Take This Teaching Beyond this Page

This journal is a place to begin reflecting on Ahimsa. Inside Buddhi Light, we take the teaching further through our Light on Philosophy series.

Through an integrated learning experience of podcast teachings, video lectures and reflective practices, we explore how philosophy appears in our thoughts, choices, relationships and everyday responses. With Ahimsa, this means learning to recognise the quieter forms of inner harshness and developing a way of meeting yourself and others with greater awareness and care.

👉 EXPLORE BUDDHI LIGHT

Where Ahimsa May Be Asking for Your Attention

You might begin by asking: Am I moving through life with unnecessary force? Am I judging myself or others? Am I pushing my body beyond what it needs today? Am I speaking to myself in a way that I would never speak to someone I love?

Ahimsa does not require us to become passive or agree with everything. Discernment still matters. Boundaries still matter. There will be times when we need to speak clearly, disagree or take action. The practice is to do so without adding unnecessary harm.

Before judging another person, teacher, path or tradition, we can pause and ask: Is this fair? Is it necessary? Do I have the full picture? What is being triggered in me to judge?

Ahimsa is a conscious response.

Reflection as Practice

Take a few quiet breaths before you begin. Rather than trying to find the “right” response, allow yourself to write honestly. Notice what arises without turning it into another reason to judge yourself.

Journal Prompts for Ahimsa

• Where do I notice subtle harshness or pressure in the way I relate to myself?  When you notice, consciously make a shift to respond to yourself with more loving kindness. Write down what that would look like.

From Understanding to Embodiment

Learning about Ahimsa can help us recognise the quiet ways harm enters our thoughts and actions. Embodying Ahimsa asks for self-observation, practice, awareness and loving kindness not only to others but to ourselves. 

Explore This Teaching More Deeply

Inside Buddhi Light, our Light on Philosophy series brings the deeper teachings of Yoga into daily life through podcast teachings, video lectures and reflective practices. It is not simply philosophy to learn, but wisdom to observe, question, practice, embody and live. 

👉 EXPLORE BUDDHI LIGHT