Spiritual Awakening in Troubled Times

In the wake of yet another school shooting in the U.S., we are searching for some way to actively respond to a world that has given birth to so much violence and injustice. For the month of June, we chose to embody the spiritual principles and practices we embrace in proactive ways. We don’t want to see Yoga practice as a withdrawal from the world or simply shake our heads and shrug our shoulders at the events unfolding around us.
We may often think of spiritual awakening as a passive effort to withdraw the senses and quiet the mind to experience Peace within. Certainly, that is an important aspect of spiritual growth – but equally important is how we engage in the world. Both ways of practicing are needed since we want to take action that is guided by the source of wisdom within.

We may need to touch this inner, spiritual Light again and again to awaken it fully enough that it shines in our hearts and minds as we walk through our days. But we need not wait for some level of enlightenment to take Yoga off the cushion or mat and into the street. We can purposely practice moving, talking and thinking with peace and compassion in our hearts.

This intention remains a vague idea unless we find specific ways to cultivate it. We bring compassion into conversations when we listen deeply to another person and make a real effort to understand and respect their needs. We can approach even those with whom we disagree with an open heart and an effort to build on the common ground we share, instead of focusing only on the differences. We can speak out against injustice when we witness it and aspire to be a peacemaker in moments of conflict.

Above all, we can maintain our equanimity in the face of violent words or actions. By keeping our own balance, we sustain a connection to an inner well of peace and bring that energy to the situation. We arm ourselves with mindfulness, enabling us to pause and make conscious choices that consider the well-being of everyone involved.

We also bring more compassion into our world by serving in our local communities. We can offer Yoga classes, serve in a soup kitchen, become politically active, or reach out in myriad ways to those who are struggling. Serving locally in whatever way we feel called connects us to the needs and disharmony in our own neighborhoods where we really can make a difference, and compels us to see beyond our own little worlds. It reminds us that beneath our differences, we are all seeking the same happiness, and that a grateful heart is naturally inclined to uplift others.

On a more subtle level, Sri Swami Satchidananda strongly affirmed that each time we pray for peace in the world, as we do at the end of each Integral Yoga class, we send a profound message into our world. Even though we may not see the effect, each time we visualize peace in our hearts and intentionally send it outwards, we bring healing energies to other hearts.

Every choice we make, everything we do, can be guided by either a ‘me’-centered or ‘we’-centered mindset. Understanding how our daily actions are the moment to moment expression of our beliefs can transform our lives, bringing meaning to every aspect of it. May we all learn to see how bringing spiritual values into everyday life is both a vital response to a violent world and an essential aspect of awakening the inner Light.