Every day, I kill something (Ahimsa)

Today I killed:

a fly when I turned on the shower head
fruit flies who drowned in the apple cider vinegar while I slept

Lately, I have been killing fruit flies, the lightning bug that flew into the windshield (briefly lighting up resplendently, before slowly dimming), mosquitoes (this even without thinking), and plants.

I go out to Dara's farm (hey, lady) and decide which trees are more valuable than others, which plants deserve the limited ground space, and pull up the others. I go to my garden and nit-pickingly remove all of the small purslane, which is entirely edible in salads, but again that ground space, and is not preferable to broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce greens.

As I wonder aloud while ripping out massive bushes of honey suckle, Chris says, "Well, it's an invasive species that isn't native to the region." Yeah, me too buddy, me too.

Every day, I kill something

Ahimsa literally means against violence or harm-doing. It is also one of the yamas ("restraints") of the eight limbs of yoga. For a bit more on the yamas from a non-Wikipedia source, check out Rachel's Suburban Yogini. 

1. Begin practice by lying on your back
2. Supta Padangustasana (Reclined Big Toe Pose)
3. Supta Trivikramasana (Reclined Vishnu Pose)
4. Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (Upward Facing Fold Pose)
5. Repeat steps 2-4 on other side
6. Taking hands under knees, rolling on back along spine
7. Come to knees
8. Yoga Mudrasana (Seal of Yoga Pose)
9. Garbasasana (Child's Pose)
10. Uttana Shishosana (Puppy Pose). Hold for 5-10 breaths
11. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
12. Try to move, without coming down, into Dolphin Pose
13. Move between steps 11 and 12
14. Hold Dolphin 3-5 breaths
15. Garbasana
16. Adho Mukha Svanasana
17. Pulsing in low lunge
18. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
19. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
20. Parsvottanasana (Intense Stretch)
21. Prasarita Padottanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
22. Repeat steps 17-21 on other side
23. Dandasana (Staff Pose)
24. Janu Sirasasana (Head to Knee Pose)
25. Repeat steps 17-21 on other side
26. Come onto back
27. Urdhva Mukha Kapotanasana (Upward Facing Pigeon). Come into this pose on your back, using your hands to hold the leg in pigeon. Gently rock the leg like a baby to open hips further
28. Reclined Thread the Needle pose: one foot coming across opposite thigh, arms coming around that thigh and pulling it towards your torso
29. Supta Upavishta Konasana (Reclined Wide Angle Pose)
30. Repeat steps 27 and 28 with other leg
31. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)
32. Savasana