ahimsa

You only need to do a quick Google search on the “science of gratitude” to see that there is power in being thankful.

Many spiritual teachers (myself included) often assign gratitude journals to help us look for those things to be grateful for daily. When we move into a place where we be in gratitude for the smallest things we can shift patterns, thoughts, and limitations in the moment.

One of the struggles that I see in this exercise is that we often try to force the practice. We open our journals, and we sit.. stare at the blank page, tap our pens… and feel the resistance that is sometimes present in spiritual work. One way to breakthrough this is to start where you are, “I am thankful for this journal, I am thankful for the ears that allow me to hear the tapping of this pen… (then deeper), I am thankful for my resistance, I am thankful for the thoughts that are moving in my mind, I am thankful for my struggles today and I am thankful for the contrast they offer my life, I am thankful for life…”

You can also write the same things more than once. Our tendency is to try to find new things everyday to be grateful for… doesn’t have to be so. Try to take the circle of gratitude outward, but do so when you are ready.

We have our journals, we have our affirmations, and most of that exists in the conceptual. We have found gratitude, now it is time to extend it and to LIVE it. Sharing gratitude is powerful, and makes it real. Saying, “Thank you” to those you encounter, saying to loved ones, “I am grateful for you.”, doing acts of kindness without expectation of return, all allow us to experience gratitude. When we take gratitude off the paper and out of the mind it becomes real.

What are you grateful for today? How are you going to Live Gratitude today?

You are Loved. You are Beautiful. You are Divine.

Namaste and Blessed Be.

Mike

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will

Ahimsa: the law of reverence for, and nonviolence to, every form of life

The words above from the Wiccan Rede really sum up the yogic principle of ahimsa. Ahimsa is non-violence towards any living being. One of the beautiful things about nature based religions are the built-in reverence for the earth, the elements and for well.. nature.

Many yogis extend ahimsa to their plates by observing a vegan or vegetarian diet (This is something that I will be going into in-depth in future posts). It is one of the first principles that many first time yoga class participants will hear about. Ahimsa is also extended to mean not competing with others in yoga class, allowing yourself to be okay just where you are in your practice.

I want to take this a bit further. When we discuss the application of harming none, we often speak in reverence to our practice. Yogis being yogis try to do no harm in their yoga pursuits. Yoga Witches are cautious to do no harm in our craft… but how often do we forget to take this beyond our practice.

In this fast paced world it can be hard to remember to extend kindness to all of those around us. As we enter into the holiday season I’ve been pushed by many hurried shopper on the metro trying to make it to the next big sale, and often I catch myself after the I’ve called them a name in my mind. Ahimsa is bringing awareness to our thoughts as well as our actions, our sense of being as well as our sense of crafting.

Taking it deeper, we have to be kind to ourselves. It’s often the part of doing no harm that is truly forgotten. We might remember to not say something mean to a loved one, to not allow our energy to be reactionary, but there are times when we say unkind things to ourselves. We often forgive others, but not ourselves. We have to remember that we are beautiful souls living a human experience. Our many imperfections are what make us perfect. We beat ourselves up for minor things, we hold things in our hearts that bind us. Learning to love ourselves unconditionally is the lesson that ahimsa brings to us.

Take a moment to reflect a time when you were harsh with yourself.
Now breath into that moment and extend love to your heart center.

You are Loved. You are Beautiful. You are Divine.

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

Bhakti Witch

Witch – Warrior – Poet

The Practice of Gratitude

The Ahimsa of Witchcraft: Embracing Kindness