Coffee
and Non-Violence:
Experiencing
the Unfolding of Non-Violence in Your Daily Life
by Denise Dempsey
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I am sitting here drinking a cup of coffee, thinking about
Non-violence. A strange combination? Well, I'm a meditation and yoga teacher.
A Hakomi therapist. I think about these things a lot.
Take a deep breath.
Believe it or not, that was an act of non-violence. The roots
of non-violence, plain and simple, are awareness and compassion. Non-violence
is an active term, one of conscious intention to honor the sacredness of
all things, including yourself. Have you treated yourself violently today?
Thomas Merton said, "To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude
of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself
to too many projects, to want to help in everything, is to succumb to violence."
Again, tune into the breath. Slow down. On most days, I think I have a
long way to go. How about you?
Non-violence means non-harming. It comes to us from the Sanskrit
word
ahimsa, which means reverence for all life. For thousands of
years it has been at the core of spiritual traditions around the world.
To Ghandi, it meant seeking solutions without creating confrontations or
bitterness. He used the Sanskrit word satyagraha, non-violent action.
Did you show reverence for your own life today? Did you eat
good food? Did you get enough sleep last night? Non-violence can mean going
to bed early. It could mean buying organic food -- or simply eating good
food period, and non fast food. Or maybe just eating breakfast. Or just
eating and not starving your body to fit someone else's definition of beauty.
In my work as a Hakomi therapist, I help clients work with
stress and emotional issues by helping them to learn on an experiential
level to be non-violent with themselves. I help them to go with the grain
and trust in their innate wisdom. Force always meets up with resistance.
Gentleness and co-creation bring growth, empowerment and a sense of connection.
Picture yourself studying for a test in a non-violent way.
What would you do? Is staying up all night learning the material better
for you or is it studying a little each day? No one can answer that but
you. Seeking the most life affirming solution may not be an easy as you
think. You may find that this becomes an internal query into an eternal
question.
About that cup of coffee – where did it come from? Organic?
Fair trade? Good for me or not? Perhaps I really need more rest? Or is
it’s warmth and aroma a treat for my senses? Do I just happen to really
enjoy coffee? Start over with your next breath, your next sip of
coffee, your next step. Be gentle with yourself. Don't go against the grain.
Practice non-violence with yourself and you will find it spreading through
your life. Take a deep breath. Notice the stars tonight. non-violence does
not only mean peacefully resolving conflicts. It means not using force
to harm any living system, including your own. Taking a deep breath connects
you to your life force affirming that you are alive and worthy of deep
respect.
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