Dear Fellow Global Citizens,
I find myself asking, “What is my role in the current political, national and global environment?” The inundation of flabbergasting and traumatizing information, combined with the inspiration I find in so many friends who are standing up against injustice, is pushing me to discover my own Edge. In yoga classes we always seek to find our edge: that place where our bones are in alignment, our muscles are being used in the right way, we are going as far as we can while breathing fully, free of pain, and our energy can flow freely, allowing us to experience the most vibrant versions of ourselves and to grow. Our edge is always changing, depending on our anatomy, what we are going through on a particular day, or at a particular phase of life, and how all of that is manifesting in our bodies. Everyone has a unique expression of each pose. It doesn’t matter where your edge is, but it does matter that you find it.
In the yoga of daily life, everyone has a unique way to use one’s passions, skills and community connections to stand up for Greater Good. This means that we must explore what resonates with each of us. Are you more into protests, doing research, calling your senator, educating others about what’s going on by posting enlightening information on social media, holding a safe space for people to express what they’re experiencing, organizing, creating positive spaces for people to experience joy (which can give us fuel to go on), leading meditations and prayers, having very real (and sometimes very uncomfortable) conversations with others whose views differ greatly from yours, or something else?
May we all recognize and remember that everything and everyone is connected. All of life is connected. That is the meaning of Yoga: Union. To Yoke. Oneness. And history is connected to the present. Mistakes of the past have the ability to repeat themselves if we lose touch with those connections and memories, and fail to take the lesson that those past experiences offer us. When we stay in our bubbles, our comfort zones, and our fears, we miss out on opportunities to sink into that greater tapestry of Human Experience and Universal Consciousness. In such moments, I risk losing sight of the fact that an injustice committed against you is ultimately an injustice committed against myself. If I step out in an act of fear (disguised as an act love for my own, or the desire to protect my own AT ALL COSTS) then I may become blind to the moment when my sense of desperation to protect my well-being comes at the COST of YOUR well-being. I may try to remove myself from the situation in order to avoid facing the difficult choices ahead, or I may act aggressively and senselessly, both paths yielding harmful results. When I step out in an act of faith, hope and courage, however, I have the opportunity to cultivate Light in the Darkness. Love can then usher in the chance to build bridges rather than walls, to unite rather than divide, to develop friendships rather than enemies, to create space for conversations that can help to bring healing, understanding and forgiveness, rather than fuel chaos through rigidity and ignorance that can only breed more fear, hate and division.
So let’s all work to find our Balance, our Edge: that sweet spot where we are aligned with our true selves, our best selves, which will allow our energy to flow freely, and enable us to use our power in the most productive, positive way, with AWARENESS, for the benefit of ALL BEINGS.
There are times to walk and times to run; times to follow the path of least resistance and times to resist. I invite you to connect with yourself and evaluate your edge, over and over, as it is always changing, so that you may connect with your community, the broader global community and the Oneness of All.
Come discover your edge at a yoga class over the next couple weeks. I’m teaching:
Tuesday Jan. 31
Area Yoga (Montague) – Express – 12.30-1:30 p.m.
Area Yoga (5th Ave.) – Power Yoga – 4:00-5:10 p.m.
Emerge Boutique Wellness Studio * Like us on Facebook. 380 MacDonough St., Brooklyn, NY- Basic Hatha – 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Monday Feb. 6
Area Yoga (5th Ave.) – Basics – 8:25-9:35 p.m.
Tuesday Feb. 7
Emerge Boutique Wellness Studio – Basic Hatha – 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Monday Feb. 13
Area Yoga (Court St.) – Sweat, Stretch, Relax – 4.20-5:30
Area Yoga (5th Ave.) – Basics – 8:25-9:35 p.m.
Tuesday Feb. 14
Emerge Boutique Wellness Studio – Basic Hatha – 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu. May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all.
In Yoga,
Anne
tangiyoga 