A Joyful Practice

Passion, Talents, & Happy Warriors Shine on a Tuesday April 7, 2020

Yoga Sutra 1.36: viśokā vā jyotişmatī

– “[the part that is] free from sorrow and/or infused with inner light cultivates steadiness [of the mind]”

“One’s personal duty in life (one’s sva-dharma) should be viewed as one’s responsibility to his or her highest Self, the Atma. This ultrahigh level of duty carries with it the requirement that one never does anything that is contrary to this True Self Within. And even if you consider your sva-dharma more narrowly from the standpoint of being true to your profession, you should not hesitate to fight. For a warrior, war against evil, greed, cruelty, hate, and jealousy is the highest duty.”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.31) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

We all have gifts, talents. Doesn’t matter if you believe you’ve been given them or if you’ve cultivated them, you have them. So, the question becomes: what are you doing with those talents? Right here, right now, it may seem like there is nothing you can do. And yet, and yet, so many in the world are doing what they can do. Sometimes we see people’s efforts on display in a way that seems so bright it is nearly blinding. Other people’s light shines in a way that is more subtle. It’s not dimmer, mind you, it’s just not as obvious. Some people shine in the light.

It’s easy to discount those lights that intermingle, because we don’t always recognize how much dimmer, darker, life would be without them. One example of this is all the people doing their jobs right now, despite how often in the past we’ve taken them for granted. Another example is related to all the celebrities leading fundraising events, donating money, mobilizing resources, and just spending some time literally sharing their talents. While our perceptions of these two (2) groups may be (often is) different, what they are doing for us right now, is the same. They’re keeping their inner lights on and inspiring us to do the same.

Furthermore, watching different celebrities rise to the occasion during this pandemic makes me think of all the “regular people” who give celebrities their status, their fame, and their fortune. This is one of the times celebrities give back. They do not give back alone; however, because for every millions of dollars or hundreds of hours that someone famous gives there is someone we may not every hear about who is also giving.

And the impact is bigger, and the light is brighter.

Except, of course, when we don’t let our light shine. Except, of course, when we bury our talents.

“Not doing the right thing when it is required is worse than doing the wrong thing.”

 

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.33) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Every one of us has a reason why we don’t do something we could be doing right now. Yes, there are people not honoring “stay home” mandates, but that’s not the part I’m thinking about right now. Right now, I’m thinking about the people who have had dreams in their hearts and ideas in their heads, but no time to pursue those dreams or engage those ideas. Right here, right now, I’ve been thinking about all the “Master Classes,” all the books, all the podcasts, and all the research that can be done. Right now, I’m thinking about people who can’t do what they were doing (work-wise) right now, for a variety of reasons, and who may be feeling the weight of the darkness.

If you are feeling the weight of the darkness, now is the time to get up and get ready to shine. Now is the time, to put your lights on. Almost all of the reasons you had (for not doing what is in your heart and in your head) are actually null and void. Life is different now. There is no reason, however, to suffer in the darkness. Be the light.

Even if you’ve hit the wall, consider what you need to get over it (under, or around it). Because I guarantee you that someone you know needs you to shine, because they too have hit that wall (and they need a little light to get over it, under it, or around it).

You have time. You have resources. If you are reading this, or listening to this, or someone tells you about this, you have an engraved invitation to get started. That’s all you need to do right now: take that first step. (Or take that second step you’ve been putting off.)

Prepare yourself for the moments after this worldwide quarantine is done. Life will be different when this is behind us. We may not know for sure what our new normal will be, but we don’t have to passively receive it. We can actively engage our lives and how we want to live it… even in isolation, choose the light.

“For the person of steady mind, Arjuna, there is always just one decision, but for the quivering mind pulled in a thousand directions, the decisions that plague it are endless, and they exhaust one’s mental strength. People with an unsteady mind inevitably end up failing; those with an unwavering mind achieve great success.”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.41) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Today (Tuesday the 7th), is Passion Tuesday or Holy Tuesday in the (Western) Christian and Roman Catholic traditions. It is also the anniversary of the birth of the poet William Wordsworth. If you are interested in hearing a couple of parables and practicing some “happy warriors,” please join me for one of the Nokomis Yoga practices on Zoom, today (Tuesday, April 7th) at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM or at 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM. The playlist for Tuesday is available on YouTube and Spotify.

As Zoom has changed some security protocols, please use the link (here) or on the “Class Schedules” calendar if you encounter any access problems. During this quarantine experience, you can make a donation through Common Ground Meditation Center, which operates on dana/generosity, or you can purchase a package on my Squarespace. Either option can be applied to any class. If you are worried about finances, do not add this to your worry list – I got you, just come to the virtual practice.

Speaking of our virtual practice, Kiss My Asana, the yogathon that benefits Mind Body Solutions and their adaptive yoga program is coming online at the end of this month. Founded by Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions helps those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. They provide classes, workshops, and outreach programs. They also train yoga teachers and offer highly specialized training for health care professionals. This year’s yogathon is only a week long. Seven days, at the end of the month, to do yoga, share yoga, and help others.  By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga… for 7 days.

What can you do, share, give?

You don’t need to wait until the end of the month, however, to consider how you might participate. Start thinking now about how you can add 5 minutes of yoga (or meditation) to your day, how you can learn something new about your practice, or even how you would teach a pose to someone close to you – or even to one of your Master Teachers/Precious Jewels.

To give you some ideas, consider that in past years my KMA offerings have included donation-based classes and (sometimes) daily postings. Check out one of my previous offerings dated April 7th (or thereabouts):

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 7th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 7th)

A 5-Minute Practice

5 Questions Answered by Yogis

Answers to Yogis Questions

A Poetry Practice

A Preview of the April 7th Practice OR (A Preview of the 2019 Passion Tuesday Practice)

### WE’VE GOT THIS ###