The unfortunate & brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis challenges our assumptions and our ideals. It highlights the tensions present in our US culture; yet, depending on your skin color, these tensions are experienced very differently. This incident - which is only one among thousands in US history - tears at the core of our assumption & aspirations as a community supposedly striving to become better and more humane. There is work to do to attain this!
Yoga is an inclusive process of crossing all supposed boundaries of separateness until we arrive at the tangible feeling that we are all on the same team. We all share the same earth, the same resources, breathe the same air, eat of the same soil. This is a Uni-Verse. Every individual & every creature should be seen as our brothers & sisters seeking freedom & happiness. Biodiversity creates strength. Cultural diversity is no different: a phenomenon. It is the earth producing her abundance naturally & without prejudices. A culture that recognizes this and learns from one another grows in knowledge, compassion & wisdom. As individuals, we must listen with more empathy and with an open mind willing to change its course based on broader awareness.
For many, Mr. Floyd’s death and the events surrounding it have been felt especially acutely, in ways that many of us likely cannot fully understand because of our own backgrounds & experiences. As aspiring yogis, we must start with ourselves, at home, and make sure that our ever thought, word, and most importantly, our action is inclusive. That we eschew stereotypes and recognize every individual as fundamentally endowed with the same inner potentials & aspirations. We must challenge the assumptions that buttress our sense of separateness. Thus armed with a larger sense of belonging, let us emanate an aura - wherever we are, wherever we go - that reassures others of their sense of safety, well-being and belonging. Now is the time to bring the yoga of union out into the world and into our everyday ordinary experiences.
“There is no tree whose branches are foolish enough to fight amongst themselves.” – Native American Proverb
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
