Aren’t you tired?
Tired of breaking sticks and casting stones

Aren’t you tired of the harsh energy circulating through your body
Boiling in your blood
Burning into your heart?

Aren’t you tired?

Tired of allowing those who have never step foot in your shoes
To dictate how you walk?
How you hold yourself?
And how much dignity you deserve to maintain?

Aren’t you tired?
Tired of putting out energy
That is debilitating and depleting 

Tired of receiving the harsh output of others
Energy that was never designed for you

Because they too are walking in shoes
That right now,
May hurt their feet

Kindness

Kindness goes beyond the surface
beyond the layers of flesh that can be punctured and wounded

Kindness isn’t an outward act

It’s an act of love
An act of compassion

An act that begins in the heart
And threads us all together
Like a woven piece of art

Extending beyond the physical realm
Rooting in the way that we think, speak, and intend

Kindness

Kindness is first an inward focus
A focus rooted in the way in which you treat yourself

A way in which you allow yourself to be loved,
By you first,
By others second

A way in which you make your body a home,
A safe place where you belong

A place for exploration 
And expression 

A place of freedom
And passion 

Kindness to self
Occurs through the words that roll off of your tongue
And the actions that you take
Knowing that joy is at stake

Kindness is how you express your energy,
Inward first,
Outward second

Kindness
Is how you show up for the wind and the trees
The butterflies and the bees

It’s being one with nature
Because nature too
Is a force

A force that brings us about 
All the energy
That helps relieve us of doubt

Kindness
Is how you show up for others
In grace and in poise

It’s being a part of something greater
The collective in which we thrive
The connection that brings alive

A vigor that lets us be seen
To show us that we are never alone
And together we can all share that thrown

Kindness is how you express your energy,
Inward first,
Outward second

A focus rooted in the way in which you treat yourself
A way in which you allow yourself to be loved,

But kindness
Can only occur when you invite it into your being

Allowing it to seep into your vessel
Permeating your bloodstream
Kindling a fire in your heart
That inspires you to start

To start new and clean
Recognizing that we all too,
Have once been mean

But that doesn’t have to be our forever
It doesn’t mean you’re stuck in this mindset
In which you constantly have to be clever

It’s okay to just be
To lead with your heart
And do all things in love
Because kindness goes so very far

Aren’t you tired?
Tired of breaking sticks and casting stones

When together,
We can allow kindness
To soak into our bones

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A few weeks ago I shared a blog on non-attachment, discussing how we cannot cling to things outside of our being because it prevents us from feeling optimal joy. This week, I’m sharing more on non-violence, loving-kindness. These principles are a part of the 8 limbs of yoga, the core pillars that promote high-vibration energy in our lives. Non-Attachment and non-violence fall under the core pillar calls that Yamas, which are the 5 primary social ethics. Ahimsa, or non-violence is about spreading kindness to ourselves, to others, and to Earth. The principle encompasses the idea that all things have feelings and hold energy and through kindness, we can promote a more tranquil and united front.

The collection of words above is a message I wrote on kindness. As I’ve been studying ahimsa, I’ve been thinking about what kindness means. And similar to love, it’s something that must be discovered and felt inward first, outward second. Kindness is something that stems from confidence. How confident do you feel about yourself to cultivate kindness within? How kind are you to your being? This idea of kindness to self includes how you speak to yourself, how you treat and honor your body, how you follow through, if you follow your intuition, etc. Kindness can only be truly received from others when you give it to yourself first.

This occurs by building trust in the subconscious mind and body. When you speak kindly to yourself, your body recognizes this as the truth. You build resistance to violent words and acts. Therefore, when others are kind to you, you can see and recognize the compassion they are offering, allowing you to invite it in rather than push it away. For example, when you speak kindly to yourself and someone gives you a compliment, you will believe it, improving overall self-esteem and joy. When your self-talk is negative and someone compliments you, your natural reaction will be avoidance while thinking (or saying) “that can’t be true” or “thanks but …” You become more numb to the idea that someone may actually want to compliment you. You don’t believe the words and actions. Your confidence decreases.

Non-Violence and Well-Being

There are so many ways that you can practice Ahimsa, or non-violence. Some people that’s eating a vegan diet, refraining from animal products while others may choose to consume animal products but focus on how the animals are raised. Some may clean up beaches while others plant trees. Some may speak loving affirmations while others may make an effort to push for equal rights. There isn’t one way to practice Ahimsa in your life and there is no possible way to do every single thing to bring about non-violence. You can, however, always walk with a kind and gracious heart.

Doing all things in kindness promotes overall well-being by taking you out of toxic thought patterns, and bringing you into a higher place energetically. This can go as far as only moving your body in a loving way. These little shifts in how you treat yourself and others will bring about more joy in your life. The energy you put out is the energy you’ll receive. Put out kindness and you’ll be more open to receiving it back.