An Evolving Poly- Eco- Yoga Humanifesto, from Pegasus at the Balance
Fourth Deep Breath
Yogis of the world unite and take your yoga off the mat and into the wider world!!
Seeing the anxious, greedy, fearful or biased mind clearly can give us great insight into ourselves. Then we may begin to find and use the tools that will enable us to not simply move about aimlessly, but to take meaningful action. Practicing yogis are well aware of how little they need to live “the good life.”
When we can agree that our yoga centers could be beacons of light to share useful practices for the world in its current threatened state, we will be on our way to this yoga-informed world. “Living simply” might become our mantra, cycling, walking and car-sharing might be our common practices, and growing, preparing and sharing food part of our daily life.
Why do so many yoga practitioners keep spending hours a day in meditation, asana and pranayama practice? Why do so many keep seeking enlightenment in far-off places on the other side of the globe?
Maybe it is partly a question of temperament. Some of us are suited to working in the wider world, some are more suited to being home bodies. If we are to heed the lessons of the Bhagavad Gita, our challenge is to find OUR dharma, OUR particular duty in this world, and not to disfigure ourselves in trying to do someone else’s duty, whether it’s our parents’ idea of our highest purpose or a spouse, friend or teacher. This is OUR quest, and no one else’s.
We may come to realize that, as A.J. Muste said last century: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” In one vision of peace, we could have music art and poetry where we live, not through screens/channels we PAY to be advertised to, more local foods where we live, not carbon-heavy footprinted foods from thousands of miles away, and more sharing of our many bounties where we live, rather than outsourcing our gifts to far-away places.
“All Yoga is one.”—B.K.S. Iyengar
…to be continued, please weigh in.
