New year, new intention
Coming into the new year, it’s often a time when we consider (or make) resolutions for what we want to do for the next 12 months. While I’m not usually one for resolutions, I do like to make a yearly intention.
Something to cultivate within myself and bring into my actions outside myself. A guiding light through the dark months of winter blooming in the warmer seasons. In yoga, we often set intentions at the beginning of practice, which is a perfect way to continue to commit to my yearly intention and allow it to shift and expand as the year progresses.
Recently, I saw a video by @yogawithtahara that has been working its way into my mind and body in such a way that it has become my 2026 intention: Ahimsa.
Non-harming
Ahimsa is one of the yamas, which are practices to guide our actions in the world. Ahimsa is often translated as non-violence or non-harming. @Yogawithtahara talked about this yama as not only a practice of the big ways of non-harming, but the small ones too. Like becoming mindful of the energy we bring into a space, how we interact with the people in it, and how we treat the space itself.
In short, she described ahimsa as consideration.
Of our energies, of the space around us, of the people we are among. It’s a way of steadfastly being in community. And that is something I want to practice more of.
Starting on the mat
Our yoga mats are a place we can practice not only our poses, but also the broader teachings of yoga, like the yamas. So, it feels like the perfect place to take this 2026 intention of ahimsa and begin to engage with it.
It starts with how I arrive at the studio. Perhaps I take a breath before I open my car door or as I walk up the steps to check in with myself. How am I feeling? What energy am I bringing with me today? Allowing myself to show up however I am while also considering the energy that I am bringing into the place I am going. When I walk into the studio, I can lead with consideration for the teachers, for the front desk staff, and for the other practitioners I am sharing space with.
More practically, I can double-check that my phone is off, so I don’t accidentally disrupt my class and avoid wearing scents that could impact the person who practices next to me. As I make my way into Studio A or B, I can take a moment to let the class before me depart, giving them a chance to make a peaceful transition into the rest of their day.
When I step across the threshold into the room, I can remind myself that my energy contributes to the communal energy of our practice together. Placing my mat down and my belongings at the front of the room, I can gather my props with care and quiet. In this way, I am in consideration of the shared tools we use in practice and of those who are readying themselves for it. It’s ahimsa in action.
When I step onto my own mat, I can do it with intention. How do I want to show up in my life? In my community off the mat? I can begin it right here, in this little studio village, becoming mindful of every piece of it. From the props on my mat to the pictures that adorn the walls, to the fellow villagers that I will be with for the next hour or two.
Begin again
This way of practicing ahimsa feels like another way to engage in cultivating presence: one that is rooted in compassion. And because of that, there is always an opportunity to begin again, because I know I will falter. That’s part of the human journey, isn’t it? Here, on the mat, and in each moment and each day, I can always restart. Whether it’s January 1 or December 31.
An intention with roots
“Waking up each morning I smile. I have 24 new hours to live. I choose to greet the day with presence, compassion, and joy. I give thanks for the blessings that are already in my life. With gratitude and humility, I enter the journey of today.”
Happy 2026, Yoga Centre Winnipeg. I look forward to practicing with you again this year.
