The scenery and the method of travel may depend on the pupil but the "rules" are the same for everyone. When the destination is the state of emotional peace that consistent Yoga practice is known for (at least on some if not most days) , there is no getting around that first and foremost rule of thumb: ahimsa. Without it there is no trip and the methodology is irrelevant.
The infancy of a practice is usually led by the ego and is often rife with torn muscles and aching joints. The bruises usually extend to the ego itself and as such for many the practice ends before it begins. Those who continue do so but with a new found understanding of physical limitations (for the time being). And so begins the practice of being non-harmful, ahimsa manifesting as respect for the body over will of the ego. Initially this respect may only reach as far as the boundary of the mat but consistent practice will carry it into daily life. The childhood phase of a developing Yoga practice teaches the individual the application of the principles of ahimsa to the physical self.
Exponentially more difficult to practice is its application to the emotional body. What frequently sends most people's emotional barometer out of a healthy range (or entirely out of control) is interaction with others. Even the aware individual may one day find himself under circumstances which leave him confused or simply unable to act in a non-harmful way. In the ever lasting quest for the "right" answer, the ultimate non-harming action was forgotten. An inability to make a choice may indicate lack of adequate information. Non-action may be the answer for the time being. An inability to eliminate incoming negativity into personal life may indicate a reciprocation of the same. Non-action or non-response may allow incoming fires to burn themselves out.
While we have much less control over life than we think we do, personal lives need not be solely reactionary. Sometimes the most harmful thing we can to ourselves is to live life as dictated by others. Living life solely on reaction will cause the individual to forget his own power. Non-action implies non-reaction and non-reaction is, ironically enough, a conscious act of taking back power and personal responsibility. Ahimsa.
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