Kindness to Yourself Helps Others

It was a beautiful day! I decided to walk my dog and as I was passing a house, I saw an agitated family arguing in the driveway. By the time I passed the house, the father was yelling and telling his wife and small children to “shut up.”

Unfortunately this happens in many relationships. And, most of the time, the person who is acting inappropriately does cares about the person he or she is hurting.

All traditions address non-violence and I focus on teaching these principles through Yoga as well.

Ahimsa is a word used in the yoga tradition, and it means non-violence or non- harmfulness in thought and action. Many of us try hard to be kind to others, but somehow our harmful reactions still seep out.

Why? Because if we don’t treat yourselves with loving kindness and if we abuse ourselves, this will impact our relationships with others.

How many times have you made a mistake and berated yourself? How often do you not give yourself time to rest or play? Unless we treat ourselves with kindness, it is difficult to consistently practice non-harmfulness towards others.

How can you treat yourself with kindness today?