Coerced non-violence

This is actually kind of funny.

For starters, I am a real-life yogi. That means that I have by no means transcended to an especially divine level of existence. That being said, I am the first to admit that although I naturally believe in the yogic principle of ahimsa, meaning non-violence, there are just as naturally some minor exceptions to that rule.

Yesterday when I rolled out my mat in my bedroom, I noticed a fly flying about. Realizing that this guy was only going to land on me the second I was still, I decided he best be on his way to the other realm before I got started. Since the fly swatter was upstairs I rolled up my issue of Yoga Journal (which I know is sacreligious!) and decided to flatten him once and for all.

First I couldn't find him. And when I finally did: A swing and a miss! *damn*

"Ok, screw it," I thought and got started on my session. Lo and behold he hung out on my white closet for a while before going back to buzzing around me. So I paused between sequences and tried to nail him again as he sat on my overnight bag that lay beside my mat. Strike two!

"Whatever!" So I go back to doing yoga, and I figure that before I lie in savasana for my final relaxation I better end this once and for all. At this point, however, he wasn't anywhere to be found.

"I surrender." At this point, I could honestly see the irony in my actions and could do nothing other than laugh at myself. Sure enough, as I lay spread out on the floor, Mr. Fly landed first on my leg, and then my wrist, and then my hand... I figured I could use this opportunity for some vispassana inspired meditation, where you allow all sensations to be a part of your experience. So everytime he landed on me I thought silently to myself, "Fly on ankle. Fly on wrist. Fly on hand." And so on.

Once finished, I got up to turn off my music, and all of the sudden there he was: right on my white nightstand table, next to my cd-player.

With a smile on my lips, I turned off my music and left.