Ahimsa (Non-Violence) in Action: Living Your Yoga in a Turbulent World

In January 2026, I had the opportunity to travel with eighteen University of Minnesota students and lifelong learners through the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing’s academic study abroad course, CSPH 5319: Yoga & Ayurveda in India. Throughout the course of two transformative weeks, we learned about the Himalayan Yoga Tradition at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) Ashram and studied the foundations of Ayurvedic medicine at the Mamgain Ayurveda Clinic in India, the birthplace of these sister sciences. However, this study abroad course was more than just a trip to a faraway country or a way to earn academic credit – for many of us, it created a container for healing and internal transformation during a turbulent time. 

At the beginning of our orientation at the Ashram, one of our teachers posed the question, “What is yoga?” to our group. When asked to conjure up a definition for this word, many people in the west tend to focus on the physical aspect, such as postures, or asana, of yogic practice. While having a healthy body is critical to a healthy mind and ultimately reaching spiritual liberation, according to yogic philosophy, yoga extends far beyond the movement-based classes that have been popularized in the United States. It is a 5,000 year old spiritual tradition that creates a union between the practitioner and their true nature (or God or the universe, depending on what resonates with the person). In India, yoga is aligned with Ayurveda for a dietary and lifestyle framework to provide a holistic health system. 

We experienced this deeper understanding of yoga by following the Ashram’s daily schedule, which was based on the three foundational aspects of a Hatha yoga practice: asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing), and dhyana (meditation). In addition to taking classes with Yoga and Ayurvedic practitioners, we visited significant historical sites, which provided an immersion into the rich and vibrant cultures of India, where every facet of life is a reason for a celebration.

It is incredibly rare in our busy society to have entire days dedicated to a routine that supports whole-person wellbeing. I was struck by how much more relaxed I felt almost instantly because the mental load of making so many decisions throughout my day was no longer a factor while on the ashram’s schedule. The gift of spaciousness created internal stillness and greater capacity for reflection. Ultimately it was an opportunity to deepen my connection to yoga, not only as a practice that improves my wellbeing, but as a way of living. It reinforced the notion that yoga isn’t just something you do, it is ingrained in who you are and how you move through the world. 

While our group was entrenched in the beauty of living a simplistic life aligned with yogic principles at the Ashram, we received word that our community back at home was in turmoil. The federal government had deployed 3,000 immigration agents to Minnesota in an immigration enforcement campaign titled Operation Metro Surge. Minnesotans leapt into action in an effort to protect those in their community who were being targeted. While acting as a legal observer, an encounter with an ICE agent led to the fatal shooting of local resident, mother, poet, and writer Renee Good. (Later, Alex Pretti, a University of Minnesota alum and intensive care nurse, was also killed by ICE agents).

The juxtaposition of our tranquil existence at the Ashram, while our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers were subjected to an invasion with violent force, was stark and unnerving. Many of us felt a sense of guilt or helplessness. It was challenging to know what to do in an unparalleled situation while being so far from home. Our reality at the Ashram, which was built on a path toward internal peace, differed greatly from many of our loved ones, who struggled to have their basic need of feeling safe met. 

During past experiences of upheaval, yoga has been an immense comfort and helped me to manage my stress. Due to the physical distance of being in India, I had the privilege of being able to pour my heart into my yoga practice. I also recognized that many in our community did not have the opportunity to find any type of reprieve. In an effort to honor those protesting, volunteering to keep others safe, and supporting their community in whatever way they could, I spent a lot of time at the Ashram thinking about how yoga can serve as a place of solace by building capacity to cope with the pain in our world, and ultimately make it a better place to live.

According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a foundational yoga text, pain that has not yet come is avoidable. Our lives on earth are destined to be filled with painful moments such as death, illness, loss of relationships, trauma, and many other dark experiences beyond our control. This type of unfathomable pain was fresh in my mind while I was in India, as I reflected on the violations of human rights happening in the United States. However, there is power in choosing how to react to the agonizing circumstances that will inevitably arise. We can break down and suffer, or we can bear witness to our pain without being consumed or immobilized by it.

Yogic philosophy can be used as a framework to begin to understand the causes of pain. The root cause of pain is eliminated when we cultivate discernment to understand the difference between our true self and identifying with objects of perception. The yoga sutras identify five afflictions as the reasons for all human suffering, limiting spiritual progress: Ignorance, Ego, Attachment, Aversion, and Fear of Death. Each of these afflictions are ultimately caused by ignorance or mistaking the impermanent as permanent. By accepting that impermanence is part of our human experience, we are better able to recognize our capacity for resilience, even in the most challenging moments, because we know that this too shall pass.

This does not mean that we do nothing when terrible situations happen, such as innocent people being detained or deported, simply because we know eventually those circumstances will change. Yogis practice ahimsa or nonviolence, which is one of the yamas or yogic guidelines for interacting with the world. In this situation, being a passive observer wasn’t enough. According to Yoga and Ayurveda Expert Dr. David Frawley, “sometimes we must act in a strong or decisive way to prevent harm from occurring, as in the action of a true warrior or defender of dharma.”

The people of Minneapolis embodied ahimsa in action with organized, nonviolent resistance to the federal immigration enforcement. Peaceful protests were held, mutual aid was raised, and community members used whistles to alert their neighbors when ICE was present, which resulted in the people of Minneapolis being nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. My heart swelled with pride when I returned home and heard the firsthand stories about all the ways our community had shown up for one another. While those behind Operation Metro Surge wanted to instill fear and hatred, we the people of Minnesota chose love.

After spending two weeks at the Ashram, I couldn’t help but wonder what the world would be like if everyone practiced yoga. Studies show that yoga is positively associated with aspects of spirituality including faith, hope, compassion, and happiness within. This does not mean that yoga is a panacea that will solve all of our problems in our very complex world. However, I would propose that there would be less personal and collective suffering if we chose to live in alignment with yogic ethics including non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, and non-greed.

In a class on yoga in daily life at the Ashram, the teacher shared that practicing yoga makes the practitioner more loving and nurturing because spiritual practice cultivates internal steadiness and sweetness. We discussed how when a person begins practicing yoga, those closest to them often begin to notice positive changes in their demeanor and lifestyle. Kindness is contagious, and it begins to spread and inspires others to act in more loving and nurturing ways as well. Therefore, practicing yoga isn’t just for personal self-improvement. According to the teachers at the Ashram, it creates a domino effect that ultimately contributes to a healthier society.

In October 2025, a group of Buddhist monks began a 2,300-mile walk across the United States promoting peace, compassion, and nonviolence. In a social media update regarding the monks’ journey, they profoundly summarized the impact doing this internal work has beyond individual wellbeing:

“One person practicing mindful breathing creates ripples. One person acting with awareness transforms their corner of the world. A family practicing peace becomes a refuge. A community practicing peace transforms a neighborhood. And slowly, quietly, persistently, the peace that begins with ‘me’ spreads to ‘we,’ and from ‘we’ to all. Let there be peace on earth. And let it begin with me—with my breath, my thoughts, my words, my actions, my presence in this world.”

There is so much happening in the world today that is outside of our control. It is easy to become overwhelmed by this absence of control, which can lead to feeling apathetic or hopeless. During my time in India, I rediscovered how living yoga helps me keep the bigger picture in mind. It grounds me in recognizing all the places in my life where I do have autonomy. I decide how I spend my time and where I put my energy. I choose how I show up in any given situation, what actions I take, and how I speak to others. These small opportunities to spread kindness each and every day make a difference. Individually, we cannot change the world on our own, but our collective actions can create positive ripples that ultimately make the world a better place.

My yoga practice makes me a better person because it increases my connectedness to what is most important in my life. Your yoga might be going for a walk in nature, cuddling with your pet, or cooking a nourishing meal for your family. It could be prayer or your relationship with a higher power. You may find it while dancing or being in a flow state while knitting or creating art. Practicing or living your yoga is an opportunity to step outside of your anxieties and plug back into a gentle and enduring energy of something much greater than yourself. It is wherever you show up fully as yourself in alignment with your values, knowing that finding joy in life is an act of resistance in its own right. 

More About CSPH 5319: Yoga & Ayurveda in India led by Katie Schuver, PhD, LADC, C-IAYT, E-RYT

Yoga and Ayurveda are interrelated, ancient, holistic Indian traditions that integrate ethics, spirituality, and healing. While studying with expert practitioners at the University of Minnesota and in India, students examine the claim that the systematic practice of these traditions promotes healing and optimal health. Using critical thinking, students investigate scientific evidence for Yoga and Ayurveda and propose additional research needed. Students synthesize the philosophical, psychological, and ethical teachings of Yoga and Ayurveda with their experiential knowledge in order to meet the course objectives and their own needs personally and professionally. 

Other Students Share Their Experience

Chris Neyman

“As our time at the Ashram came to an end, I found myself wondering whether the sense of calm and clarity I felt was tied to being in India. It was easy to feel steady in a place designed for stillness. The harder question was whether that steadiness could travel with me. What began to shift was the realization that the environment had not created the experience. Instead, it revealed a capacity that could be practiced anywhere. The ashram felt like a mountain, offering perspective and distance from the noise of everyday life. And I found myself reflecting on how often we climb mountains to be seen, when what matters is learning how to truly see. The value of that perspective wasn’t in staying there. It was in learning how to return to it in ordinary moments—through breath, attention, and small acts of awareness. That, for me, became the real takeaway: not escape, but integration.” 

- Chris Neyman, MA, CYT-200, Combat Veteran and Master of Arts in Integrative Health & Wellbeing Coaching Graduate

Robin Melville

"When asked “how was India?” by friends, family, and colleagues, I find myself at a loss for words. There is not a succinct answer, nor would any words do justice to the experience. India was transformative. It changed me in ways I can’t quite define, yet I continue to discover. In difficult moments of daily life, I notice a sudden sense of clarity and insight. I can feel the gentle integration of the yoga teachings into our modern, stressed, hurried world; it is a knowing that comes quietly, with a sense of calm and understanding. The worries, urgency, stress, doubt, confusion, and chaos fade, the moment slows to the pace of my breath, and a comforting sense of peace reassures me that, regardless of what is happening externally, I can remain in my stillness. 

This was all put to test immediately upon returning from a peaceful time away to our home, our community being threatened, invaded, attacked, and put at the center of increasing tensions and hate in our country. We came home to a polar opposite experience in so many ways. Hurt, fear, anger, hatred, disrespect and dehumanization were felt everywhere. The stark contrast between the worlds was jarring, to say the least. I experienced an intense feeling of guilt for having been away, practicing yoga and meditation, finding a sense of peace I had not before, all while my community was struggling and fighting against the horrible injustices occurring in our streets. How could I feel okay with enjoying myself, investing time and energy into my practice, and finding ways to live in peace when the world was on fire around me? This was something I really struggled with, particularly when witnessing the restless anger, pain, and despair of others while simultaneously experiencing a remaining sense of inner stillness within myself. 

It took a few days of being back to work as a therapist, hearing clients share their own heartbreaking stories from the past weeks, before I recognized something. I was feeling guilty for not being here, not feeling the same hopelessness and rage that had consumed everyone I know. But that certainly did not mean I did not care, or that I did not oppose what was happening with every part of my being, or that I wasn’t also heartbroken for my fellow community members. It meant I was seeing the results of my yoga practice. I was immersed in a world of pain, depression, hopelessness, anger, fear, trauma and grief, and I was able to continue shining the light within me to help others through their darkness. My time away did not equate to me detaching from what happened here, it prepared me to return stronger, centered, and armed with the love necessary to withstand the battle. 

Since returning, I have found myself navigating situations with much more compassion and perspective than just one year ago. I am less reactive, less at the mercy of what is happening around me, and more aligned with what is happening within me. I can feel the release of pressure from needing to fix, plan, predict, avoid, or put energy towards things beyond my control. Instead, I can show up as a calm presence of comfort amidst chaos. I can tune in to my body, my breath, and my mind to observe what I’m experiencing and respond how I need in that moment, allowing me to remain centered and grounded for myself and others.

One of the books I bought at the ashram happened to address the very concept of prioritizing yourself and doing personal work, especially while so many others are in need. The author compared early yoga students to a young tree stating, “a tree that has just sprung from the earth is easily overwhelmed by the environment in which it finds itself… if we wish a young tree to grow, we often put a fence around it for protection,” (Rama & Ajaya, 1976, p. 48-49). The time we dedicate to our personal practice is our fence. We are protecting ourselves from the challenges of our world while we work to strengthen ourselves and continue to grow. After time, we grow strong enough to remove the fence and remain standing. “We then are able to live in the chaos and confusion of the world yet remain calm and serene. At this point, we become a source of inspiration and guidance to others…” (Rama & Ajaya, 1976, p. 49). I was feeling guilty for focusing on myself; as it turns out, that is exactly what allows me to show up how I do for others. 

I have become a better therapist, friend, daughter, partner, and person because of my time on our journey in India. To this day, I often find myself looking at the clock and figuring out what time it is and where they are in their daily practice at the ashram. Even though we’re half the world away, it's like a part of me has stayed there and for that, I am eternally grateful. Namaste."

Source: Rama, S., & Ajaya, S. (1976). Creative use of emotion. Himalayan Institute.

- Robin Melville, MA, LPCC, RYT-200, Therapist, Yoga Instructor and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Integrative Therapies & Healing Practices Student.