Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Ahimsa, the first of the yamas, the very foundation of all yoga practice, means the absence of 
harm, the practice of compassion, kindness, and gentleness. To practice yoga is to work to bring 
this ideal into our lives, both on and off our mats, in order to contribute to greater peace and 
harmony within ourselves, our relationships, and our society. We begin, where we are, by 
bringing our awareness to our thoughts, our speech, and our actions. 
All of our actions have repercussions—from the food we choose to eat, the businesses and 
industries we support with our dollars, the things we say, the jobs we take—repercussions that 
ripple out in myriad ways not immediately perceptible. 
To practice ahimsa is to take the lens of mindfulness to our lives, to begin to see these ripples of 
effect, and to seek ways of creating more peace, kindness, and well-being. We begin with our 
thoughts, because these are the source of our actions, and often the very root of both conscious 
and unconscious harming behaviors.
This assignment is an opportunity to treat your life like an experiment, and “try on” the practice of 
ahimsa in a way that suits you. First, read two articles posted in Canvas. Reading 4, “Feeding
the Right Wolf” by Pema Chödrön (chapter one of her book Taking the Leap) will give you a 
sense for how to approach the practice of ahimsa. Reading 1, “What is Yoga” by Donna Farhi is 
worth rereading—please focus particularly on her description of ahimsa. 
Once you’ve read, take some time to contemplate, feel, consider, and yes, practice (and, if you 
want to, research**) this concept of ahimsa, and write honestly about your insights, in the form of 
a personal essay. Your paper should be approximately 2-4 pages.
** Don’t bother with internet research; this is not a research paper, but a personal essay. 
To help you generate ideas on how to approach this assignment, you might wish to read the 
supplemental readings in Canvas. Chapter 3 of Bringing Yoga to Life, by Donna Farhi, discusses 
the yamas and niyamas (the first two of the Eight Limbs). Pages 29-37 are of particular 
relevance to this assignment, and I strongly encourage you to read these pages. For another 
perspective, Judith Lasater’s Living Your Yoga includes a brief personal essay on ahimsa (p.135-
140). If you use these or any other outside sources (not including the two required readings in 
Canvas), please include a bibliography listing the sources you used. 
The most important aspect of this assignment is to practice ahimsa: incorporate the idea 
of ahimsa into your daily life over the course of three or more weeks, and reflect on your 
experiences. 
Notice for yourself where and when in your life you find an attitude of ahimsa easy to maintain, 
and when more challenging. What relevance does ahimsa have for you in the way you make 
your livelihood, in your social relations, your personal health, and your inner thoughts and 
attitudes? Is ahimsa relevant to your yoga practice?
As you incorporate ahimsa into your life, think about how you feel it makes sense to apply it. Do 
you practice ahimsa with yourself? With other people? Toward animals, or nature? Is ahimsa 
relevant to your life? If so, how can we translate the ideal of nonharming into daily practice? 
How does an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life come to bear on our
understanding of ahimsa? What relevance does ahimsa have at the personal level, the relational 
level, the societal, and the global levels?
Think about historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa, 
and other forces for peace in the world. Consider the ways our food is produced, its ecological 
and ethical impacts on the environment and on animals. How does our consumption contribute 
(or not) to ahimsa? Fashion, politics, partying, friendships, recycling—how do these and other 
elements of your life relate to the idea of ahimsa?
For those interested in their food choices, there are many great books that discuss the harmful 
impacts of industrial food production. The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Mason is 
one that provides a perspective that is firmly (some might say radically) grounded in ahimsa. 
If you are interested in both political and personal alternatives to violence and suffering, The 
Search for a Nonviolent Future by Michael Nagler is a great overview of the broader implications 
and applications of ahimsa.