Yoga & Politics
Lately I've been struggling with the concepts of practicing non-judging and acceptance as it applies to our upcoming elections. I've found myself getting angry, fearful, worried, and very judgmental -- qualities that aren't exactly yogic. So I dedicated Sunday morning to figuring out how to apply yogic principals to our political situation, and I'm sharing this with you because the process can be helpful in all aspects of our lives -- not just politics.
First I pondered this question while I was doing my morning rounds of agni sara and kapalabhati breathing. I was looking out the window while practicing, and I noticed a flash of brilliant blue. It was a magnificent Blue Jay. He was almost purple, and looked very grand with his black and white face paint. He was nebbing around the bushes and stopping often to listen to the other birds. I realized that no matter who the president is, he will continue to go on with his Blue-Jay business. He will be his magnificent self regardless. And likewise, we can be our best selves and live according to our values regardless of our circumstances. As the Buddha said, we can make a light of ourselves. This realization helped me a lot, but I still had questions. After all, the Blue Jay will not have to pay taxes or send his kids to war. So I sat down on my cushion to meditate on it. I do this whenever I need clarification, whenever I am struggling with a decision. Here's my process:
