The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice can now be purchased in Spanish from or Sirio Editorial or Amazon
I love to watch movies with superheroes and heroines. No matter how desperate things get, nothing is required of me. Someone with super powers will come along and save me, along with the rest of the planet.
Unlike superheroes who do the work for us, the wise teachers of the past and present don’t “save” us; they teach us how to grow into a people who can “save” ourselves. They model for us things like awareness, discernment, compassion, shadow work, and a growing love and inclusivity of others. These qualities require constant vigilance, practice, and a willingness to sacrifice self-centeredness.
While watching Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, a documentary about Fred Rogers, I found myself taking notes. I was moved by his gentleness and honesty, especially with children. One comment that found its way to paper was Mr. Rogers’ invitation to “make goodness attractive.”
In contrast to Mr. Rogers’ statement is an October 3, 2018 article written by Adam Serwer, a political staff writer for TheAtlantic. Entitled “The Cruelty is the Point”, Serwer suggests that for many in this country finding pleasure in the suffering of people they hate and fear has become a bonding mechanism that fills the vacancy of cultural loneliness.
It is no secret that our world is struggling for its very survival while we humans determine the very nature of our species. Superheroes will not save us. Nothing will change until we realize that we are the game changers and that goodness can be found within us.
As 2019 approaches, can we envision a world where we each find pleasure in “making goodness attractive” and together be the super power we are waiting for.
Wayne Allan Dirks
My father died 2 weeks ago.
He not only had his will, his wishes, and his belongings in order, he also had his heart and soul in order. He was ready to accept what life brought and to accept death when it came. He was ready to take his last breath with a prayer of gratitude on his lips.
One of my final memories was sitting on Dad’s hospital bed, holding his hand. He was in a lot of pain, yet his mind was incredibly sharp. I asked him what he wanted to happen in his pained, weakened state. He looked at me with the smile I had come to expect and said, “If I die, I get to be with Jesus, and if I live, I get to stay here with Nancy…either way I win.”
I have noticed lately how often people use the word busy or talk about how much they have to do. Busy has almost replaced the word “fine”, when responding to the question, “How are you?” Even my 3-yr-old granddaughter felt compelled to tell me how busy she was, although I wonder if she knows what the word means.
It seems there are high expectations placed on us by both society and ourselves to meet a certain criteria of accomplishments daily. I am amazed how much of a failure I feel each day that I don’t post, or go on Facebook, or accomplish much of anything. I keep looking for something to do, even when my body objects.
This article written by Deborah Adele first appeared in Yoga Internatiional 7.10.18
After the 2015 publication of my article “Living in Brittle Bones: My Life as a Yoga Teacher With Osteoporosis,”I was greatly surprised by the response I received. It wasn’t just the number of comments or the enormous interest in the topic. What surprised me was some of the content in what has been an avalanche of emails, that even now continue to arrive in my inbox. The majority of these emails have been from yoga teachers or yoga studio owners who are dealing with the same thing—an osteoporosis diagnosis—and who, in some cases, were told by their diagnosing physicians to give up yoga completely. That surprised me.
I was recently playing with my 3-year-old granddaughter when she got overly excited and broke some rules. Her mother immediately put her in a 5-minute time out. Upon being released from her time out, she confidently ran back to play with me proclaiming, “Grandma, grandma, I want you to know I am changed; I am a completely different person now!”
Despite her confidence, I have no doubt that my granddaughter will spend many more 5-minute periods in time outs as she grows to adulthood. Each time will be an invitation for her to remember a different way to be as well as a time to reflect on who she wants to be.
In the beloved story of the Bhagavad-Gita, a corrupt and narcissistic king sits on the throne. He is selfish and greedy with little concern for the welfare of the people he rules. As a result, everything is out of balance and suffering prevails.
Enter Arjuna, our main character. Arjuna is a warrior, and it has fallen to him during these difficult times to lead a battle against the forces of self-interest in order to restore wellbeing to the whole kingdom.
A study was done at the University of Virginia showing that 67% of men and 25% of women would rather endure an electrical shock than to sit alone is silence. Startling, isn’t it?
The school shooting in Florida is now history, and the nation is buzzing with controversy. The students who survived the massacre are saying, “No more.” The NRA is waving its freedom flag. Our President is suggesting possibly arming the teachers to “solve” the “problem.”
