Can life be full of unavoidable hardship but also be abundant with the richness of excitement, pleasure, abundance, and peace of mind? Yes. Life can be whatever you choose it to be and anyone who lives in a practice of gratitude and presence will attest to this truth. As humans we can always be assured that there will be suffering but mitigating emotional distress is the practice that yoga encompasses at its center. Balance in mind, heart and body create harmonious lives. Often we forget that outward appearances are far less concerning than what is being cultivated inside. In the West we have been brainwashed to believe that what we see on the surface is the most important feature of being a respectable person. We are told that our worth is measured by monetary value, our strength is gauged by how we can endure physical and emotional hardship, and that our success is measured by how much material wealth we can accumulate. To compete for the most wealth is a distorted American tradition. If we truly live by these values the only thing we are ensuring is our own utter misery and the continued breakdown of society.
The truth is that contentment in life equates to being satisfied with just being and in being connected. To use an often misused cliche´, the present moment, right here and now, is the only moment that matters. Presence means being aware of this moment and choosing to live in it rather than be distracted or distressed by moments past or moments in the unknown future. It’s so simple and yet an elusive concept to most.
I, me, mine. I hesitate to personalize that which is presence but it is also true that my experience of this moment is unique to me and not to your experience of this moment. In the West we are groomed to be selfish, to assume that our experience of life is the most important one and that everyone around us should live up to our expectations of what should be. The fixation on social media is all too common among both younger and older generations, the interplay between false reality and ego identification creates division. Unfortunately social media hype has invaded every part of the globe so that cultures that historically where community based, where individual identity was less important than the whole of the society, social media has flipped that focus 180 degrees so that “selfies” have become the most popular highlights of a daily “feed”. We are all , globally, so focused on the “I”, the outward appearance of “me”, that we have deflated the importance of the web of connected energies and our place within those connections . It doesn’t take much investigation to clearly see the fractures in families, neighborhoods, cities, states and countries. We’re told to observe our fellow citizens suspiciously so that we can be alert and ready to accuse and condemn others for their perceived differences. This mentality of “me vs. you” has long been cultivated in our Western society, a systemic building up of walls between the “I” and the greater good of the community. The truth is we are never safer as isolated individuals. A strong community is one that is integrally connected, in unity.
The term “yoga” equates to union. Union of the individual with the entirety of the whole universe. We are made up of exactly the same matter as the universe and the more we identify with unified energy, the more we can let go of ego identified “me-ness”. The lightening up of the mind, the dissolution of the “I” ego and the unification of energy with all that exists around us. As we let go of individuality, as in our fixation on“me, mine, and my” the less suffering we have to endure and the more healing and support we can create amongst our neighbors, our family units, and our weaving together of friends.
People who volunteer selflessly understand the power of unifying with those that are distinctly different than themselves as a catalyst for sustained, positive change. They commit to the sense of us-ness and unity rather than the isolation of “me and you” and realize the benefits of offering selfless support to others as a key component of inner joy and contentment.
Practical ways of building community include;
putting the phone down and leaving the house for common daily activities
joining in grassroots volunteer efforts
connecting with neighbors to offer basic connection and support
creating communal events to build relationships
making eye contact with strangers and acquaintances, smiling with your eyes while speaking with authentic kindness
offering assistance to those in need, without requirement of reciprocity
At Shakti Studio Kat uses intimacy building as a core standard for clients to build connectivity in community. As each of us finds our place within our world, no matter how large a web or how small, being uniquely integrated within the sphere of community enhances the richness of life, builds self confidence, and cultivates love for each other, and for our Selves. Love expands outward and changes us, love changes the people around us, and love creates lasting shifts in consciousness. Using the heart rather than the mind to bring a more unified society to the forefront of our current situation is just the beginning of transformation of the global community to one of harmony.