Healing Ourselves and Our World
Coronavirus. George Floyd. Protests. Riots. Murder Hornets. 2020 has been a test in physical and mental strength. How much more can we endure? It’s no wonder many of us are starting to feel uneasy, anxious, and depressed. There’s so much uncertainty in the world today. So much fear, so much unknown. The ever-present threat of change in everything we’ve ever known life to be.
How do we cope? How do we approach life when there’s so much trauma and pain surrounding us? How can we heal our bodies and minds when we can’t control anything around us?
“When you can’t go outside, go inside.”
We have been given a unique opportunity to slow down from our usual rat race and routine of life, and connect with ourselves on a deeper level. We are so used to running from here to there, working nonstop, and rushing through our lives. Do you ever stop to think about why you’re doing what you’re doing? Perhaps you’ve felt like this busy life made you who you are. Without the hustle and bustle you’re not sure what your purpose in life is. Sound familiar? We often become so identified with our outer activities- what we do for a living, our familial roles, our hobbies, that we never actually connect with who we are. When we meet someone new, one of the first questions we are asked is “what do you do?” as if that will tell the other person who we are. If you’re still not sure where I’m going, think about this. You identify yourself as a wife, a mother, and a businesswoman. This is ‘who you are.’ This identity encompasses your entire life, from the moment you wake up, to the moment you fall asleep every day. Now imagine. You get divorced. Your child passes away suddenly. You lose your job. Who are you then? Maybe some of you have experienced this on some level and have had to ask yourself this very question. Who are you when your societal roles and your occupation can no longer define you? When you’ve been in quarantine for 3 months and had to give up your job, your friends, maybe even seeing your family? Who are you when all you’re left with is your self?
“Yoga is the journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self.” - The Bhagavad Gita
Among many things, Yoga teaches us the path to reach our real, true selves. This is an inner journey which we must walk alone. We must do the inner work, let go of our perceived notions of our “selves” and practice consistently to reach our ultimate goal: the pure bliss of everlasting happiness. When we practice, we come to the realization that true, pure happiness cannot be found outside ourselves. It cannot be found in our jobs, our families, our possessions, our homes, our favorite food, or even our experiences. Sure, these things may bring us some happiness for some time, but they also bring us a certain level of pain and suffering. Because we cannot hold on to these things forever, we must learn to release our attachment to them and recognize that the happiness we all are looking for is always present within us. We just have to get quiet enough to find it.
So during this time of uncertainty, grasp this opportunity to do the spiritual work. When you go inside, you can let go of the noise, the suffering, and the pain that surrounds us. This doesn’t mean we ignore it, rather we use it as a tool to enhance our spiritual practice. We rise above the stress and anxiety which is claiming a hold over the earth and we learn not to let it disturb our inner peace. Although the world is at war against a medical crisis and racial pandemic, we can remain at peace.
The second of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras states the goal of Yoga as “Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodha.” Or, Yoga is the stilling of the mind. This is the true goal of Yoga, and of our human life. When we dedicate our time and energy to this practice, we let go of all of our problems, control our minds, and ultimately change our entire world as we know it. So, who are you? Let’s practice and find out.
