Yoga Is The Path of Action; What Action Will You Take?

Yoga is the path of action. The yoga sutras are very clear about that – there are many paths to enlightenment but the path we tread is a path of action. We seek the realization of the self and divinity through discipline, study and devotion. Every part of that is important – we have to be diligent and disciplined to overcome any obstacles. We have to study to understand what is happening and be able to see where we go wrong and how to correct it. And we do it with love and devotion because it is a not a self-interested path even though it is about transcending our own suffering.

I’m saying all of this because right now is the time for action out in the world. Yoga gives us a lot of tools for personal transformation, but I also believe it tells us something about transforming our world, changing systems, realizing justice. I haven’t quite connected all the dots to explain why and how it does that, but that is part of why I’m writing this blog – to have a space to figure it out, in dialogue with an amazing community of leaders and yogis.

But right now, individual transformation is not enough. Doing your practice is not enough. It is a critically important time to take action to oppose what is happening.

The minute Donald Trump is inaugurated begins the first 100 days of his administration. Volumes, piles of books have been written about the importance of the first 100 days. For the first 100 days, everyone in Washington is figuring things out. It is a time of transition and uncertainty. It is the time of biggest possibility for the President to accomplish big things. After the first 100 days, the honeymoon is over. Fault lines emerge, opposition hardens into its position, the public loses its love affair and attention span and support can sag. So what happens in the first 100 days can determine the whole thing – whether the new President will accomplish his agenda or not.

100 days.

100 days from Jan 21 is May 2.

Can you set an intention and make a commitment to do everything you can between now and May 2 to disrupt, to express opposition in every possible way.   

The coming week is filled with days of action.

January 14 is a day of action for immigrants and refugees. In many cities there will be marches.

January 15 is a day of action for health care. In many communities there will be teach-ins and information sessions about what happens if Obamacare goes away.

January 19 is a day of action for education. In many cities people will be going to schools and standing up for students and teachers who may feel vulnerable because of what is happening, like undocumented students who come to school and can’t learn because they are consumed with fear that they may be deported, or they may go home to find family members have. And to support public education against the certainty of Donald Trump's intention to privatize everything - to turn poor and working class kids' need to learn into an opportunity for big corporations that know nothing about learning or kids to make more money.

January 20 is the inauguration. Many communities will have protest events.

January 21 is the women’s march in Washington, DC. Many communities will have parallel events.

What can you do to support this work? We need you to show up and take action. If you have benefited from yoga, that probably means someone else has done hard work to learn it, become a teacher, figure out how to offer a class, commit to their own practice and improvement to offer you that opportunity. Your suffering has probably been diminished in some way. Can you please help create opportunities for others to have less suffering by actively opposing what is happening.

In my own yoga studio, I know that many of the students are generally liberal or progressive. Some of them are quite politically active. But many of them are busy people with complicated lives, challenging jobs, family to care for. They read the paper and know the critique of what may happen, but I don’t know that they take action. So I’m writing this post today to ask that we please not think it is enough to sit on the sidelines and have a very sophisticated critique. 

It is time to take action.

Aside from the days of action, it is important to call your senators regularly to oppose the nominations and oppose the repeal of Obamacare. Don’t think it doesn’t matter. Even if you didn’t vote for your Senator, it matters: they’re supposed to represent everyone in the state. Even if your Senator is a die-hard conservative republican, it matters: they need to know there will be political cost for taking extreme action. Even if your Senator is completely democratic, it matters: they need to hear from their constituents that this is not the time to accommodate. Even if you called your Senator last week, it matters: these are strange and extreme times and they need to know constituents are observing every step.

There is already evidence that some of this is working. Delaying the hearing for Department of Education nominee Betsy DeVos was a sign of that. Sitting Senators Al Franken and Cory Booker testified yesterday to oppose Jeff Sessions' nomination for Attorney General. That has never happened before. We are being heard.

If you don’t know how to do any of these things, or want help researching events you can attend, or want a paragraph you can read when you call your Senator, you can leave a comment below and I will help.

But please take action. This is the time when everything matters and we need you.

With love, solidarity and gratitude.