Sow & Root : Ahimsa
Ahimsa, or nonviolence, is one of yoga’s ethical principles. Literally translated from Sanskrit as “absence of injury”, Ahimsa is an ancient concept originating in the Vedas (Indian spiritual and philosophical wisdom dating as far back as 4,000 years ago). These old traditional Vedas, “divine knowledge”, were passed down via centuries and studied and developed into what we know as the Yoga Sutras (written by the sage Patanjali). These 196 Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) outline the theory and practice of yoga, specifically the eight limbs of yoga, each of which offers guidance on how to live a meaningful, happy and purposeful life.
Ahimsa is part of the first of the eight limbs known as Yamas, or practices of self-regulation designed to free us from being victims of our own negative human impulses. Yamas are likened to cleaning techniques for our minds, bodies and spirits that allow us to live more conscious, liberated and positive lives.
Gandhi lived by the teaching “ahimsa parama dharma”: “nonviolence is our greatest walk of life”. But with our modern-day responsibilities and jobs, we may not be able to live Ahimsa as a sole way of life. Instead, there are ways we can live day to day that allow us to see the benefits of Ahimsa not only in our yoga practice but also in our words, actions, thoughts, relationships, life choices and...our planet.
I wanted to create Sow & Root as an eco-friendly yoga and well-being studio, a practice of Ahimsa on both a personal and business level. A space to nurture people’s inner natural wildling but also raise awareness of the very real effects of climate change and promote nonviolence towards our world.
The word yoga translated from Sanskrit means “to unite”, the practice is a union of individual consciousness with that of the universal consciousness. Meaning a perfect harmony and connection between the body, mind and all tangible forms of consciousness that keep us living, aka nature: earth, air, water, and plant life.
The Earth has lost its balance through the decrease of our wild places and its biodiversity. We are responsible. With nothing to restrict us, we have made more of an impact on global warming in the past 100 years than the past 10,000 years and this blind assault on the planet has altered the very fundamentals of the living world, replacing the wild with the tamed. Our planet has been run by humankind, for humankind, with little left for the rest of the natural world. We have destroyed and over-run the non-human, it’s simply not sustainable and if we continue, the damage will be eclipsed by the damage coming next. To restore stability we must restore the world’s biodiversity by all living more sustainable lives, rediscovering how to be a part of nature once again.
Yoga and nature go together and therefore green issues and yoga must go together. Spiritual and scientific, there are endless physical and mental health benefits to sustainably utilizing Mother Nature. We rely upon her not only to survive but to flourish and it’s time to give back, to pay a debt, to help her regenerate for both our existences in the future.
“It’s time for our species to stop simply growing, to establish a life on our planet in balance with nature. To start to thrive...Act now and we can make amends.”
In our studio we hope to reduce paper usage, eliminate toxins, conserve energy, use greener energy sources, create the space using natural or recycled materials and promote eco-friendly equipment and products.
If we take care of nature, nature will take care of us. We must rewild the world, we must rewild ourselves!
Join in our green movement.
- Rose Martin (Studio Owner)