Good morning Yogis! We just completed our positive practicing cycling through the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Today is the first day of special Holiday Yamas Practices! December is the holiday season for many worldwide nations, cultures, and religions, so this ties in with most other holiday seasons our Yogis may celebrate. I will continue my research through the month and tie in our practices with world holidays if they tie in with our daily practices… please contact me if you have any requests or suggestions!
Holiday Yamas Practice Schedule
We start by counting down the 5 Yamas with 5 days of Ahimsa (non-harming), 4 days of Satya (truthfulness), and 3 days of Asteya (non-stealing) before we have a full week of Brahmacharya for the week of Christmas in the United States.. a time that I will enjoy the focus on moderation! We will focus on a different way to practice each of these Yamas each day.
Holiday Season – rohatsu / Bodhi Day
Today is the celebration of Bodhi Day (Enlightenment) for Zen Buddhists in Japan – called Rohatsu which translates to the 8th day of the 12th month. Bodhi Day is celebrated at different times of the year for different sects of Buddhism due to switching from traditional lunar calendars to the Gregorian calendar we use today, but most Buddhists recognize this holiday in January. This is a very reflective and quiet holiday, often practiced with up to a week of intense meditation called Sesshin. Since this is a very personal holiday, we will focus on practicing Ahimsa (non-harming) with ourselves today.
Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to practice kindness to ourselves for Ahimsa / Non-Harming Day! Give yourself the kindness you need the most right now! Need some ideas?
- Make time for a long meditation for yourself in honor of Rohatsu today.
- Perform a random act of kindness for yourself! Get yourself your favorite food, a book you have always wanted, or give yourself a day off.
- If you have something you have been holding on to or feel guilty about, let it go! Learn to forgive yourself and move forward from the past.
- Make time for extra self-care today – perhaps take a long bath, give yourself a facial or pedicure, make time for your favorite hobby, or check out this huge list of self-care activities.
- If you are practicing Asanas regularly, remember to be kind to yourself and keep Santosha (contentment) in mind and do not push yourself to injury.. I am relearning this lesson after injuring my shoulder last month and having to take things slowly!
- Whatever feels like the right way for you to actively practice kindness and compassion with yourself, or to make yourself happy today.
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Please comment and share how you decided to practice Ahimsa with yourself today. How did it make you feel? Always remember, be kind!
