Despite the fact that this July 4th may go down as the first time in history that as many American flags as hamburgers were burnt to a crisp, I am certain that the world does not need one more semi-educated opinion on the legacy of Freedom in these currently divided states. Between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the geriatric dot-com sites, the amount of bullshit and toxicity swimming in the internet tubes is truly astounding. Somebody needs to invent a bullshit detector that automatically deletes falsehoods and propaganda from the web - like a super-charged digital Hoover that just sucks up all the bullshit and deposits it in the Pacific Ocean right next to where we put the rest of our garbage. Maybe that's the solution to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that nobody's thought of yet - all the toxic energy from the digital stupidity, grandstanding, and virtue signaling will just decompose the thousands of tons of plastic and we'll kill two birds with one stone. Somebody get me a meeting with Elon Musk and Bill Gates and the nerd that invented the vacuum cleaner and we'll get it done!
But of course we humans like to maintain this pesky notion we call Freedom. And thus as a cool as an Elon Musk powered vacuum cleaner would be, if we are to cherish freedom we must squash the plans for what would be the most powerful censoring device known to man. We would also all be a little dumber from not having access to that nugget of insight I found on the world wide web at the top of this piece. Back to the drawing board for my Nobel Peace Prize.
Freedom. Politicians campaign on it. Judges help define it. Humans crave it. Yogis try to experience it, so that they can embody it.
I was chatting about yoga a few weeks ago and the conversation switched gears after we discussed yoga as a means to decrease stress, to calm the mind, to unwind and relax. Yes, this is yoga. But to end a description of yoga at this point would be like describing the ocean as a large accumulation of water with a salty taste. No mention of the billions of creatures that call it home, the magnetic connection to the moon that shifts its tides, the lost ships and buried treasures, the rejuvenating affects of its touch, or the magnitude of its effects on our world.
Yes, yoga is calming. Most importantly it calms the mind. But to fully comprehend yoga one must explore its depths, all the way dow to the ocean floor. Yoga is a journey towards self-knowledge. It's the process of self-realization through self-inquiry. Yoga is not constant happiness, relaxation, or joy. Yoga is work. It's an exploration and excavation of ourselves with brutal honesty and no armor. It's letting ourself feel discomfort and vulnerability. It's acknowledging fear, shame, and guilt as opposed to running from them.
Yoga is not just introspection and contemplation, though they are pillars of the practice. Yoga is skill in action - knowing when and why to take action and what action to take. Whether it be a business decision, the learning of an instrument, personal life choices, or open-heart surgery, the intent of yoga is to enable right action - that which was the right decision given the circumstances.
Yoga is the process in which we become aware of, confront, and overcome our fears. It is the boat which enables us to traverse seas we've never sailed to lands we've never been. It's the desire to attempt to understand who we are, and what life is.
Yoga is a path to reach our fullest potential as humans. It encourages us to do our best, repeatedly. It's not about winning (spoiler alert: Trump doesn't have a consistent yoga practice), it's about being the best individuals each of us can be given our strengths, weaknesses, and unique life circumstances. It's the ability to focus, whether that be a dot on a wall or a 10-year dream in the making.
But ultimately the essence of yoga is that which many people celebrate so fiercely today. Yoga is Freedom: real, experienced, honest freedom. It's freedom from attachments, worry, and suffering. Freedom from the opinions of others and the judgements of ourselves, from our self-limiting beliefs, from fear. The state of yoga is a freedom not granted by the government, societal structures, our parents, nor our friends. It is a freedom provided by the life source within each of us - that which enables freedom, consciousness, and love.
Yoga is a path in which we learn from those that have come before us and we do our best from wherever we are on that path. I understand what I write about yoga, but there is a difference between understanding concepts intellectually and being able to embody truth from experience - this is the goal. Enlightenment is not the goal. Moral or spiritual superiority is not the goal. Detachment from society is not the goal. Freedom through direct experience is the goal. It may take a lifetime...or a few. But that's the point. We strive, we experience, we grow. Always towards freedom, for ourselves and for others.
Wishing lots of freedom and joy to all,
So'Ham Hamsah,
Swan