Yoga Across Borders

People practicing together at the border fence between Tijuana and San Diego

Ring the Bells- Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad- Free Download

A beautiful holiday gift from Pakistani star Salman Ahmad and Melissa Etheridge- a free download of their new holdia song Ring the Bells.

When Melissa Etheridge and Junoon performed last December at the Nobel Peace prize ceremony in Oslo, we were doing soundchecks before the show at the Oslo Spectrum in Norway. Listening to her sing just from a few feet away, I was blown away by the power of Melissa’s voice and the Unity of vibrations contained in it. She gave me goosebumps. Later that evening Al Gore and the Nobel peace prize gathering of Hollywood stars and moguls, rock stars, King, Queen, Prince, Princess of Norway, politicians, business leaders and environmentalists all agreed with my observation. Melissa and I became friends and musical admirers and in January, this year, she invited me to her home to spend a couple of days in Los Angeles where we talked about many things. Among them, Love and Unity and how they are universal themes running from Rumi to the Beatles.In both East and West it’s poetry and music which unites humanity rather than politics which aims to divide and demonize ‘the other’. Melissa and I also talked about the children of Abraham: Jesus, Moses and Muhammad and their common spirit of brotherhood and sacrifice. We sat with acoustic guitars and out of that intense talking and jamming came RING THE BELLS. Ring The Bells is a cry for Peace and change in a world of war and chaos….

More on the story, and hear and download the song for free at http://www.intent.com/podcasts/2008/12/15/salman-ahmad-and-melissa-etheridge-ring-bells

How are Yoga and Peace Connected?

Deepak Chopra, in  Peace is the Way, talks about personal transformation as the only route to peace.  “Peace movements have tried three ways for bringing war to an end: the first is Activism (eg, protests and public demonstrations, lobbying)- the difficulty of this being that protesters are not heard, they are worn down by frustration and resistance, they are outnumbered by war interests, and their own idealism often turns to anger and violence. The second is Humanitarianism – helping the victims of war, bringing kindness compassionate relief. While this is good, the challenge is that this comes after conflicts have started, is vastly underfunded and that humanitarians are wildly outnumbered by soldiers and warmakers. And the third option – Personal Transformation – has never really been tried. The closest we have come is the exhortation to “pray for peace”- but it has never really been attempted on a broad basis. The idea is that you can only end war one person at a time- when you end it in your own heart”.   Some other teachers, coming from the yoga tradition, speak of it this way:

Nonviolence includes thought and word, as well as in deed. Violence in speech or action is almost always preceded by violent thoughts, and violent thoughts have serious repercussions on the mind and on the body- they should be avoided if only for this reason. On the positive side, careful cultivation of nonviolence leads to spontaneous, all encompassing love. Once begins to see the unity in all creation and thus progress to the goal of self realization… We are not talking about Peace as in the absence of war, but a Peace that permeates all parts of life… it fuses our mind, actions and speech, keeping us balanced and harmonized – it illuminates our life.– Swami Rama

Our living organism has been abused by a social mind that believes it to be separate from god and nature ….to be a yogi, all it takes is to see and embrace your own reality – the natural intelligence that is you….Even in climates of war, animosity and terror, an alternative exists. An understanding that all are connected to each other and to source. By creating communities with common values, and developing conscious awareness, false barriers are removed, and individual change can occur.- Mark Whitwell

The main teaching of yoga is that man’s most innermost nature is divine but that he is unaware of this and mistakes himself for his body and intellect- both of which exist within the realm of matter and therefore are subject to decay and death. All of man’s misery is a consequence of this false identification. Yoga leads one to the direct experience of his inner Self, his true identity. With such realization comes liberation from all human perfections.– Swami Rama

Yoga is a practical systematic science for cultivating awareness,  balance and harmony in the self.   A new world order of love could easily be affected by the adoption of even the simplest and most fundamental observances of yogic discipline.  In other words, by taking control of the Body and Breath, one can provide the ground to achieve tranquility of Mind.

This conclusion, that only through individual changes, has been reached by many great thinkers over the years, including Hannah Arendt, who survived the death camps in WWII, and stated, “Deep reflection will bring us face to face with the decisions we make, and turn us away from evil”. Other comtemporary thinkers and philosophers are encouraging us to move toward change from the inside out, including Deepak Chopra, best selling author, MD, and founder of the Alliance for a New Humanity.

For more quotes and a complete class outline, suitable for yoga teachers/class leaders, download the class here: http://www.hoypeaceproject.org/

Human Chain of Unity in Mumbai- December 12th, 2008

With all of the myriad reactions to the Mumbai attacks, this is the one we like the best. From the land of Mohandas K. Gandhi, we would expect no less than this- a human chain, holding hands in midday, wrapping around the city- saying “we stand for peace”.

Can two make peace in a single house?

“If two can make peace between themselves in a single house, they can say to a mountain “Move!”, and it will move.”

This US downturn is a tough one for alot of people- it may turn out to be a wakeup call. The 2 million job losses this year, 500K in the last month alone, are particularly harsh, and this stress is exacerbated by the general lack of financial cushion and high debt burden in most households. But it’s not just the lack of money (the “heaven sent leaf” of Faust) that’s a problem: so many people have their identities tied up in their job or what they do, and if not that, than in what they have or possess- that these big shifts can cause a lot of pain beyond cutting back. A sad and unneeded side effect is relationship turmoil, blaming, fighting- people turning on each other over what is essentially an external circumstance, not controlled or individually created by any one person. Is this kind of fighting, when there appears to be “not enough to go around”, really any different than divided countries?

When we read the passage above from the Gospel of Thomas, we first looked at it pretty much at face value, patting ourselves on the back for being one of those families that could weather a storm with love and feeling reinforced by its message of hope, and the simultaneous acknowledgement of how difficult such an accord can be to achieve.

But on closer reading, with softer eyes, we really came to see this not about a couple trying to get along, trying to forge their priorities or to create a “house united”– but foundationally about eliminating duality within yourself- and knowing or remembering who you are, what you stand for, and not allowing pulls from competing masters- the most fundamental of which is love and money- duel to claim your own internal resources!

While we could develop entire treatises on joint problem solving and deep listening and communication between people off of this simple lesson, we’re not going there- we’re taking it back to the source: you are one with the energy of the universe, you cannot be alienated or divided from source (nor can those you live with!)- and that when you forget that and begin bickering in your own head or with others, you are only in a temporary delusion.

I’m wishing that your next budget meeting starts with loving eyes toward your partner, that you can do your own practice and be at peace in your internal “single house”, and that this extends to those you live with.

Peace and love

Christine

Watch the Trailer: Shalom Salaam

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Watch the Trailer: Shalom Salaam – Yo…“, posted with vodpod

Downloadable Class for Peace posted.

How are Yoga and Peace connected?  What meditations and verses can I use in class to support a peace practice?  What kind of an asana practice could support a peace class?  How can I host and promote a class for peace?

Our class for peace has the answers to this and more!    Will you consider hosting a class?

class-flyer

A break from the mideast sun, Yoga Everywhere

Hello everyone,  We received the following lovely note from Ernessa, in Tel Aviv.

Yoga Everywhere
Yoga has permeated so many hearts and minds, beyond the physical and mental borders.
Jerusalem is a place where yoga is being practised, I had the privilege of attending a class there taught by a friend, a gentle hatha yoga practice, designed to teach yoga to anyone who is interested.  It was taught partly in English, Arabic and Hebrew. To Arab women, aside from myself.

Yoga as a form provided a few minutes away from the heat of the Middle East Sun, the chores of the washing, cleaning, cooking and other work each of us were going to continue that day, a calm space, a retreat, back into the experience of self, the simplicity of breathing and moving.

We all felt well after the practice, said hello and goodbye, and nice to meet you, perhaps we will meet again, etc.   The gentle inquisitiveness of where each of us were going now, continuing with our everyday lives, the provoking question of how much traffic there was going to be for me to return back to Tel Aviv.The stark reality that they weren’t going in that direction, and I wasn’t going in theirs.

Please do what you can to support Ernessa’s work, because one heart can change many!

https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=21397

Love!

A note from Lisa, teaching in Sur Baher

Friends, here is an update from our beloved Lisa, teaching yoga in the Middle East, talking about the day to day life there, the struggle, the small joys.  Please support her work, and those of all the people bringing yoga as a nonsectarian unifying way to connect and acknowledge peace in the self and with others

I want to express my feelings of frustration at the situation here. Yesterday there was the attack in Jerusalem of the Palestinian tractor driver who overturned buses, smashed cars and ran over people in a crazed rampage. This Palestinian tractor driver was from Sur Baher – the East Jerusalem village that I have been entering twice a week to teach Yoga to the women.

I have not yet contacted the women I teach yet. I am still searching within me how to approach the situation, knowing that the attacker yesterday could be the husband, son or brother of one of them. I will find the way to do it, though,  because I have committed myself to teaching Yoga there at least for the next two months, until Ramadan in September. And I am building trust with the women there.

This event of yesterday has brought up a lot for me. Mostly, a great sadness, at how deep the anger and hatred is. That whatever caused him to do it yesterday, is connected to this great national pain-body of hatred, anger, fear and separation between the two people. Them and us.

And just before this happened, I went to Sur Baher, and hitched a ride from where i get off the bus in Ramat Rahel, to the place where i teach in Sur Baher. The Arab man asked me if I wasn’t afraid to go into Sur Baher, and I told him, “NO”, because I go in peace and trust that I am protected.

Now, after yesterdays event, I need to check within myself how far my “conscious naivete” goes, and where does it border with stupidity? Am I supposed to feel fear at going in there? Still, something in me refuses to give it up.

So I won’t hitch rides any more, on that 25 minute walk, from Ramat Rachel into the village of Sur Baher. I will take a taxi, also to keep a lower profile, because I am a woman walking alone on that road and its obvious I am not “one of them”, because I am not clad in robes and head-coverings. And maybe there is still hope that some kind of financial support will come through for me – because if I indeed take a taxi there and back – it will almost be as if I am paying to go and teach there (the amount I am paid for the lesson is symbolic).

I know that for me it is my peacework to do this, and I can accept that for them it is the Yoga, because the Yoga itself is good enough – without needing to “preach” peace.   I know not to bring politics into this situation, and to really stay with the Yoga, and to BE the peace and love that I want to see.

And I know that even if it is drops in the ocean, from the hugs I received from some of the women this week, I felt strong open-hearted love.

Also in Jabel Mukaber, this week, the woman whose place I have been teaching in is going overseas, and I invited the women who wanted to continue, to come to Abu Tur. I asked if anyone would object if I invited Jewish women to the class, and there was objection. So I let it go immediately, because it is obviously too early to bring this in. Firstly, I have to strengthen the love to Yoga, and build trust and friendship with them and me.

When I read in your letter the declarations of Heart of Yoga Peace Project, I had my own inner peace-work to do at not losing hope and trust that my work will be recognized.

Please give what you can to support Lisa’s work.

DONATE NOW: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=21397

May one heart change many.

Love.

What is Peace to you?

Here are some differing perspectives, from the secular and holy- Paul Hartling, Klaus Arnoldson, the Dalai Lama, Swami Kriyananda.  What is peace to you?

“Peace is more than just an absence of war.  It is rather, a state in which no people of any country, in fact no group of people of any kind live in fear or in need…on our road towards a better future for mankind we cannot ignore those millions for whom peace does not exist….whenever we solve one single problem we have contributed to peace for the individual we are making our world a slightly better place in which to live”- Paul Hartling, UNHC for refugees

“No interests, however great, are higher than those common to the whole of mankind.  Among them, the foremost is the old commandment: Thou Shalt not Kill!  You are all of one blood.  Love one another.  People can.  Nations can.  All this is eminently possible because love is as natural as national hatred is the most unnatural of all human feelings.” Klaus Arnoldson, 1908 (Nobel Peace Prize winer)

“Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold.  It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience.  It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country.  Lasting peace comes only when human rights are respected, the people are fed, and individuals and nations are free.” -The Dalai Lama

 

“To the extent we draw the world to us by an attitude of willingness, appreciation, kindness, joy…. We express the positive current.  When by unwillingness, a critical attitude, selfishness, unkindness, greed, we push the world away from us, excluding it from our circle of awareness, we express the negative current.  It is a choice:  to rejoice in our existence or to wallow in it.” Swami Kriyananda

 XO,

 

Christine