PEACEFUL WARRIORS

Whoo-Boy!  This election season has been a doozy!  So many times I've shown up at Yoga Circle angry and agitated about what I just saw on social media, read in the newspaper, or heard on the morning news.  There has been plenty to react to and reactions have been swift and at times dramatic as people supporting either of the Presidential candidates have become more and more polarized.  I've been grateful for the respite yoga allows my spirit.

I guess the public perception of Yoga is that it is some hippie-dippie woo-woo thing, all peace and love and chanting Om while sitting on the floor cross-legged.  It is pretzel-y shapes and patchouli, yoga butts and buff biceps.  It is assumed to be divorced from the "real world" of rough and tumble politics, policy-making, the art of compromise, and fighting for change where change is needed.

To quote one the of candidates for President, leaning into the microphone, "Wrong".

Yoga is so much more.  It serves the deepest desires of humanity -- the union of mind and body, the the desire for connection.  There are varying schools of yoga, led by various teachers, emphasizing one or another aspect of the ancient tradition, just as there are various parties, politicians, and ideas about how best to address a collective desire for safety, security, and human potential in a world that seems at times to challenge more than nurture.

Our response to these challenges comes from our own desires, our own experiences, our own vision.  To take a step back from habitually responding in the same way to the same stimuli requires focus and attention, the desire to break old habits and to see things anew.  This process applies to asana as well as our pattern of mind.  Yoga teaches us we can try a new way; it serves us in all aspects of our lives, on the mat and off, and especially in the political realm where common ground seems impossible to find.

I attended the first ever "Spark" event last week, hosted by the Snohomish County Arts Commission.  Twelve local artists from various artistic genre spoke about what stimulates their creativity.  Karen Guzak, owner and teacher at Yoga Circle, spoke of her life as an artist, yoga teacher, and politician.  She drew parallels between each endeavor, pointing to a desire to unite disparate people and ideas in a union of common experience and shared humanity.

Can we find this union in the next two weeks and beyond as this presidential campaign finally comes to an end and the work of governing anew begins?  Can we find compassion?  Understanding?  Forgiveness?  Can we come together, rather than scream each other apart, to find a way forward?

Can we, all of us, set aside stereotypes, break molds, ditch old habits,?  Can we strike a Warrior Pose -- strong, solid, and steady --  standing up for fairness, equality, and justice for all living beings?  Can we be Warriors for Peace?

Yes, because we are stronger together, in union, in compassion, in peaceful community.  Yoga leads the way.©

Namaste,
    donnajurene