Ahimsa: Stop Fighting Your Self
There’s a quiet misunderstanding that shows up in the hot room all the time.
That the goal is to push harder.
Go deeper.
Hold longer.
Endure more.
And on the surface, it can look like strength.
But more often than not — it’s the opposite.
This month in the studio, we’ve been focusing on ahimsa — a principle from yoga philosophy meaning non-harm or non-violence.
Not just towards others, but towards yourself.
And in a practice like Original Hot Yoga, this matters more than ever.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EFFORT AND FORCE
This practice is designed to challenge you.
That’s part of its power.
But there’s a difference between:
● Working at your edge
● And pushing past it without awareness
One builds strength.
The other leads to burnout, frustration, and porentially injury.
You’ll hear me say it in class:
“Work with your body, not against it.”
Because the moment you start forcing, holding your breath, or losing control…
you’re no longer building anything useful.
Ahimsa asks you to notice that moment —
and choose differently.
NOTICE THE NOISE
But the real work isn’t just physical.
It’s mental.
Because while your body is in the posture…
your mind is often somewhere else entirely.
Judging.
Comparing.
Telling you you’re not good enough.
Or pushing you to go harder than you need to.
So a question to sit with in the room:
“What is stealing your peace right now?”
Is it:
● The need to keep up with someone next to you?
● Frustration with your body?
● The voice telling you to push past your limit?
That inner dialogue — the constant commentary —
can be just as harmful as forcing a posture.
Ahimsa is learning to become aware of it.
Not to fight it.
But to recognise it… and not automatically believe it.
THIS IS A PRACTICE — NOT A PERFORMANCE
It’s easy to look around the room.
To compare.
To feel like you should be doing more.
But yoga was never meant to be a performance.
This is why we call it a practice — not performance, not perfect.
Every body in the room is different.
Every day is different.
And your 100% today might look nothing like it did last week.
Ahimsa is choosing to respect that — instead of override it.
THE SECOND SET IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING
In Bikram, we repeat every posture twice.
And most people assume the second set is about going deeper.
But what if it’s not?
What if the second set is about:
● More awareness
● Better control
● A quieter mind
● Smarter effort
Not more force — just more understanding.
THE BODY YOU HAVE — TODAY
One of the biggest shifts in this practice is letting go of what you think it should look like.
And instead working with what’s actually there.
“It’s about doing the best you can with the body you have — and receiving the benefits you need today.”
Some days that means strength.
Some days that means backing off.
Some days it means sitting down and breathing.
And sometimes… it means noticing the thoughts that are working against you.
All of it is part of the practice.
STRONG AND KIND CAN EXIST TOGETHER
There’s a version of this practice where you leave feeling completely drained, like you’ve survived something.
And there’s another version where you feel worked, focused, and clear — without having fought your way through it.
That’s what we’re aiming for.
Not less effort.
Just better effort.
Physically and mentally.
Because long-term progress doesn’t come from pushing your limits every class.
It comes from consistency.
From awareness.
From learning when to challenge — and when to soften.
THIS MONTH IN THE ROOM
You’ll have heard me cue these things a little more:
● Work with your body, not against it
● Stay with your breath
● Control over depth
● It’s a practice not a performance
● Listen to your body and its limitations
It’s the small shifts of focus that changes everything.
If you’ve ever felt like you need to “get through” the class…
This is your reminder:
You’re not here to fight your body.
And you’re not here to fight your mind.
You’re here to understand both.
