Harmony

A really cool thing is happening tomorrow, Sunday June 21, 2015. Yes, it's Father's Day here in the USA as well as the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Aside from those colliding events, June 21 is the inaugural International Day of Yoga. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi proposed the idea of an international day of yoga to the United Nations and thus, the day was born. PM Modi stated that "yoga is India's gift to the world" and indeed it has had far reaching tendrils since it was first brought to the West in 1893 at The Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago by Swami Vivekananda. The unfolding of the story is captured in the book, "American Veda" by Philip Goldberg. 

The intention of the International Day of Yoga is to promote harmony, a simple and accessible way to physical health, spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for fellow human beings and for the planet in a way that does not discriminate. More can be found  here on the United Nations web site.

We are living in violent times and fortunately, I live in an area where the violence seems far way..."over there", yet, being part of the all encompassing web of humanity violence affects all beings. And although I feel safe in my community it is a vital part of my yoga practice to reach into my local yoga community in perpetuating loving kindness as we are primed to do so. 

Each time we step onto our mat we connect to the deepest places that reside within us. We have an opportunity to remember that peace and ease are accessible through slowing down, quieting our mind, connecting to our breath and moving our body. We begin to harmonize the connections within our own being between our body, our mind and our soul. When we make that connection and step off our mats to interface with the rest of the world, how we are can affect everything else.

If we are sending out feelings of contentment, ease and peace, it has an effect on those we meet. Our practice begins within and we as a collective can be the peacemakers. When we find our own balance, we begin to shift the collective consciousness. You can bet that those acting violently against others or the earth are out of balance. The ancient practice of yoga offers tools of restoring to our natural rhythms harmoniously.

So how does it work? How do we bring ourselves into balance? We are told that if we exercise and eat right that all will be well. However, we know that it's the bigger picture of our life that makes a difference. More specifically ask yourself if you're doing the following:
Eating whole, fresh foods
Moving in a variety of ways every day and at varying intensities
Finding solitude and time for reflection, contemplation or meditation
Hanging out with people who uplift and support you
Living with purpose
Serving others
Being connected to family and social networks
Undertaking activities that bring you joy
Laughing 
If you reflect on the above list, does anything jump out that could be more abundant in your life? If the answer is yes, then take the next step to bringing that into your tomorrow.

Self-care is vital for inner peace and once we realize that looking after ourselves is a step toward community and world peace, we are taking action to bring yoga into realization.

So on the first International Day of Yoga think about yourself and how it relates to the community and your world beyond that. Take a deep breath and find gratitude for being an agent of change. The world needs us so desperately..."there is no way to peace, peace is the way" (Gandhi, Thic Nhat Hanh & A.J. Muste).