How we can start a Revolution from our Mats.

Image: Author’s own by Geoff Fortune/Instagram

The true essence of yoga is revolutionary.

Yoga in itself can be a form of rebellion—to teach and embody connection, authenticity, love, humility, empathy, and understanding goes against all of the most important systems that support our capitalist society.

To embrace emotion, energetic awareness, inner reflection, and being human in this day and age is rare—not encouraged, and more difficult than ever.

It is easy to become opinionated and angry about the current political climate. It doesn’t matter what you believe in, these are tough times we are living in. When we focus on all that is going wrong, we feel more separated and disconnected than ever.

This is why yoga is something that our world desperately needs.

Yoga translates as union. Yoga reminds us that we are way more similar than we are different. We strive for union within the self—mind, body, and spirit. And we also strive for union with all of creation—with other humans, animals, and our planet.

We begin to notice that we are all one, divinely interconnected, and in this together. When we step back into this frame of thinking, the anger and opinions of our personal political beliefs no longer matter. As yogis, we are revolutionaries—and here’s why:

Most of us were not taught to become familiar with or reflect on our inner feelings and emotions. Much of the way our society is setup benefits businesses and not individuals. Unfortunately, to have a society full of people who are confident and love themselves does not drive business.

From a young age, we are digesting so many expectations about how we should look, how we should act, and what we should do with our lives. Much of this is downloaded and processed into our perception of who we think we are.

We spend our whole lives trying to live up to these expectations instead of living authentically from a place of connection and love. Instead of tapping into our emotional intelligence and true self, we have to dig through layers and layers of conditioning to find what truly lies beneath.

Thankfully, yoga facilitates this process.

In the yoga asana practice, we move the physical body in order to stir up energy, gain flexibility, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system with our breath. Through the yoga asana practice alone, individuals usually feel a shift in awareness and perspective about themselves and the world around them.

As one’s practice deepens and the other seven limbs of yoga come into play, more space is created in the body and the mind. People begin to break open—to experience more emotions, release more unnecessary tension, and reevaluate the life they’ve been living.

Yoga builds self confidence, reduces stress, increases gratitude and contentment, and gives individuals an overall sense of well-being. When people are living from this space with clarity of mind, it is easier to tap into the depths of their inner knowledge and remember who they are.

Perhaps you know this from your own personal experience: when you feel better about yourself—whole, complete, confident—you can better serve those around you.

If we want to cultivate a world of abundance, peace, and love, we first must find that within ourselves.

Our political climate is simply a mirror to the internal world of our universal consciousness. Yoga provides us with the space and time to work on ourselves in a safe space. This is what will change the world.

Becoming attached to your opinions, trying to force others to see and agree with you, or allowing frustration and despair to come into your being does not work. This will only make you feel worse.

Trust the yoga. Step into your power, serve from a place of wholeness, and spread peace everywhere you go.

Of course, the opportunity may arise where we need to take action or speak up against injustice. By no means is yoga an excuse for passive tolerance or silence. It is beautiful to stand up for what you believe in.

Yoga allows us to cultivate the tools to do so in a productive and effective way. We have a responsibility as yogis, as peacemakers, as healers to share our wisdom and defeat oppression in order to bring the world closer to a state of union.

Our yoga practice helps us to not get overwhelmed, frustrated, or hopeless. Our yoga practice helps us believe in ourselves enough to take the peace within and share it out into the world. Our yoga practice helps us to see things clearly, so we can recognize injustice, oppression, or intolerance and rectify it with love, oneness, and equality.

There is much work to do, and yoga allows us to step into a calm and focused livelihood where we are better able to serve ourselves, others, and the world in need.

Love yourself first and foremost, be proud of yourself, and thankful for every victory and defeat.

This is how we fight greed, selfishness, doubt, and fear. We start with ourselves and embodying a life where those things are not present.

Embody the type of world you want to live in. Be nice to everyone you encounter, smile, question how you can be of service. This is much needed and radiates out into the world. We can all be a source of light. Continue the practice.

Yoga is the revolution.

~

Jeanine Talento is a New York native currently living in Oceanside, California. Jeanine was introduced to the healing benefits of yoga in 2006 and decided to become a teacher in 2013. She studied with School Yoga Institute in Savusavu, Fiji for her 200hr teacher training where she fell in love with both traveling and teaching. Jeanine completed her 500hr advanced professional teacher training at Prana Yoga Center in La Jolla, C.A. Jeanine is also a Certified Integrative Life Coach and hopes to create a safe space for her students to transform their inner worlds and outlook on life. Jeanine is also passionate about and educated in Embodied Cognition, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga for Anxiety and Depression, and Yoga for Teens. Jeanine now works for School Yoga Institute as their Brand and Marketing manager, as well as facilitates teacher trainings with them internationally. She also currently teaches yoga classes in Oceanside.

Reach out to Jeanine at [email protected] or on Instagram.

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