“I am an activist” she declared proudly. Her intense eyes boring into mine.
She preceded to tell me a harrowing tale. Outrage against the machine, anger weighed against teargas, hand lettered protest signs waving against clear polyester riot shields. Faces on both sides painted with glistening sheen of rage and fear.
Passion and power radiated from her whole being as she spoke. Like watching storm clouds gathering on the horizon, towering higher with each blink of the eye, magnificent and ominous.
And here I am, a Yoga Instructor, or rather a Yoga Instructors Instructor.
Familiar feelings of shame and embarrassment creeping across my soul, spreading relentlessly like mold across a piece of cheese.
My soul brought to account, brought into question.
Who am I, do I make a difference?
In that darkening moment I had a realization.
I am truly an activist.
I care, I’m a driven to make a difference in the world. And I do.
Activist, n; A person who campaigns for social change.
Activism can be judged on a spectrum. From quiet to deafeningly loud. That scale reflects, not right or wrong, merely different approaches. Some effective and some not.
The practice of Yoga would lie on the quiet end of that spectrum.
It is a practice that is growing, one person at a time.
It has, in many cases been usurped by those with agendas that do not adhere its original intent.
Yoga, n, A Hindu philosophy that teaches a person to experience inner peace by controlling the body and the mind.
Simply put, Yoga provides a practice that that trains the brain to focus, to be still, to quiet itself. It is a practice that trains the body to work with the mind. Awareness, physical and mental, quiets the noise. Most anyone with a yoga practice will say there is a moment, a moment when we notice the quiet, the peace that we are capable of.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. Lao Tzu
Our world is tumultuous, and yet, we can train ourselves to be centered, to be balanced. We can bring this thoughtfulness and focus to the issues each of us deal with daily.
Some of these issues global in scope, newsworthy, and, frequently, profoundly disturbing.
Other issues, private, pacing back and forth in the cold steel cages of our thoughts.
Now, I walk proudly into my world each day, as an Activist. My work, my instruction provides humans with a powerful foundation of optimal health and minds that can be quieted, that can focus and think clearly.
And from that place humans can walk powerfully into their lives and make a difference for themselves, their communities and the world.