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December 20, 2012

Yoga in Response to Tragedy. ~ Laura Plumb

Photo: InSight Photography

How do we, as yoga teachers, show up in the face of national tragedy?

In a forum we have for graduates of our yoga teacher training, one of our students posted on Saturday, “Having a hard time planning my class for tomorrow morning. I know people will be coming to class looking for guidance into light and love, peace and forgiveness, but I am having a hard time just breathing right now. Guidance and words of wisdom anyone?”

The truth is, how do we show up in the face of national tragedy? Who are we, as yoga teachers, to play God, or priest or medicine man or shaman, when that is exactly what is needed and no less?

I just offer you this: Trust the Yoga. Yoga works. Let it lead. Let it be the healer, the guide and the wisdom.

Never forget that something great and mighty, eternal, infinite, all-loving and all-healing is encoded in the practice. Just come to your mat. Offer grief, confusion, turmoil, anger, darkness to your practice. Yoga will find its way through, bringing you back to the light and home to the heart.

In tragedy, people need to feel: connected, in their bodies, safe. Yoga gives that. All you need to do is to show up.

For that, for showing up with willing hearts, in a world that needs you now more than ever, thank you!


Laura Plumb
first I fell in love with Yoga, then a wild and wise Yogi, then Jyotish and Ayurveda, followed by India, an ashram and a certain saintly Swami. Now I live in a place called “awe” because I never thought I could ever fall so deep into love, or that the world would rise up with so much vigor and heart. I teach in order to sustain.

 

 

~ Ed: Kate Konieczny

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