Yoga's Climate Battlefield
/Dear Yogis!
A while ago I went to a lecture by Matthew Remski about climate change and the Bhagavad Gita. Remski likes to look at the central character of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, and relate to his hopelessness. Just a quick précis of the book: Arjuna is a warrior who is on the battlefield opposite his relatives and his gurus. He is tasked with having to kill cousins, uncles, and people who have taught him everything he now relies on including his archery master. He is absolutely confounded by his situation.
Matthew Remski says that each and every one of us is standing in Arjuna’s place with regards to climate change. Just like Arjuna’s psychological paralysis on the battlefield, we are the same before the reality of climate disaster. He then asks: “What war is about to begin for me, in this hour?”.
This is the sledge-hammer bit… Remski says that “Arjuna definitely had it easier than us”, because his war was happening immediately and his only problem was in understanding how he should participate. “Our problem is in seeing how deeply we are participating already. Plus, nobody was gaslighting Arjuna. Nobody was telling him it was all going to turn out alright. His enemies were not tempting him to distraction with a new car or smartphone”.
Another sledge-hammer with this: the global yoga economy has a lot to answer for! Think of the yoga clothes and consumables, the air travel, the overspending. “Everybody is flying to this retreat and that retreat and accumulating trainings so that they can become even more self-actualized”. (Ouch!)
Zoom Classes
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Yoga in the news
The Washington Post has: Yoga can make people cry. Here’s why that’s okay. Yoga ‘offers “freedom from a number of emotional restraints.” The stretch receptors in the muscles connect directly to relaxation centers in the brain…“Profound, even momentary relaxation can release very strong emotions that are usually inaccessible.”’
Tennis World USA has: Rafael Nadal: 'I practice yoga and meditation to be able…’ "When you're on court, it's important to control your emotions," Nadal said. "In my case, I practice yoga and meditation to be able to control my emotions when I am playing.
Norwich Evening News has: Red wine, yoga and smiling - Eileen's secrets for reaching incredible age of 110. Norfolk's oldest person Eileen Ash has celebrated her 110th birthday - and put the secret of her long life down to being happy, drinking red wine and keeping fit with yoga.
Runner's World has: The Runners' Guide to Restorative Yoga, Including Benefits and Poses. Restorative yoga poses also encourage you to move your muscles and joints in ways you wouldn’t ordinarily move them in running. This can help eliminate muscle tightness and imbalances that contribute to aches, pains, and overuse injuries. “Complementing the repetitive movement of running with other activities is going to go a long way toward keeping you injury-free”.’
Happy Diwali.
