Practing Yoga and Politics -- together?!

Approaching Conflict Without Judgement

And how I'd argue that Patanjali, the Founding Fathers, and Dora the Explorer are all great role models ;)

As I mentioned in my first post, I have this nagging quality inside me that ignites when I see injustice. In yoga, that "fire" is sometimes referred to as "tapas". And while there are certainly benefits to it, if left unchecked, it can be unhealthy.

My yoga practice has evolved over the past 17 years. And I'm not just talking about being able to hold tree pose for longer... more critically, yoga has taught me to reflect upon my spiritual growth through the lens of the Yoga Sutras (Patajanali's moral guidelines). Those critical reflections also help balance out the fire -- the tapas -- inside me, and they remind me to reflect before I react when I am faced with challenges.

Personally, one of the traps I tend fall into is judgement. The first Yoga Sutra is "ahimsa," which is loosely translated as "non-violence." Interpreted literally, this means not harming people or living things, but emotionally, it can also applied to our daily interactions with other. Judgement -- towards ones self or towards others -- is harmful. And, not surprisingly, when I find myself in these "judgement funks", it doesn't feel good. And I don't function at my best self.

On Judgement, Quicksand, and the Simple Genius of Dora

So here I am.  Over these past few weeks, as I mentioned in my first post, I've started to creep into the world of local politics. With our municipal election just days away, emotions are rising around town, and I am feeling the familiar grasp of judgement sucking me in, like quicksand. So, just as Dora the Explorer knows to reach into her backpack to find the right tool when she gets stuck, I'm reminded that I have my own tools to use, too.

But first, instead of simply focusing on getting myself out, this time I'm going dig a little deeper -- because if I don't know why I keep getting here, I'll never get out of the trap. So I decided to sit with the "uncomfortable" for a bit -- to strip away the many, many other factors that are complicating matters, and just get back to the basics.

And here's what I realized: my personal cycle of judgement rarely involves what other people DO. It's almost always about what people DON'T do. And I realize that I've been taking a black-and-white approach to this. Because it seemed like a simple doctrine: if you think something is wrong, you should do everything in your power to change it. But this attitude has only resulted in my continued disappointment in others, and, you guessed it: judgement. But what I realize now is that while that doctrine certainly makes sense in theory, in practice, it doesn't work for everyone.

Engaging in Nonviolent Battles: Is that Possible?

Because here's the issue: the second you step out of your comfort zone, you make yourself vulnerable, and you set yourself up as a target. People will openly dispute you, they will disparage you, and you will be stuck in an uncomfortable, ugly place... and sometimes, you will be hanging out there all alone. Now, looking at it that way, it becomes so obvious to me: who in their right mind would ever want to feel that way?

To make matters worse, let's be reasonable: we just don't have enough energy or time to take action every time we see injustice. This forces us to "pick our battles," if you will, and, because we are only human, our tendency is to only pick the battles that directly impact us.

But that, in itself, provides another conundrum:

• If I strive to practice nonviolence, should I be avoiding battles altogether? Why would I voluntarily put myself into a situation that involves conflict if I could, instead, stay out of it entirely?

Looks like I need to head back to the meditation mat ;) Until later.

Namaste-