18/08/2025
In these highly volatile times, it's easy to turn away from what is important, or decide to retreat into oneself.
This is a shame as we humans do have the capacity to feel and act, greater than we imagine we can. It's just that we need to learn how to do this, without burning out, getting overly frustrated or creating more division.
Here are two ways to do this:
How to stay aware - and not drown in what you see
-allow yourself to feel whatever awareness brings you (insight, sadness, anger, hope, frustration, and so on)
AND
-alongside that recognise what you have to feel grateful for
So Awareness is Balanced with Gratitude.
How to hold a view - without being smug or patronising (particularly in social, political and interpersonal matters)
-understand you don't have to like or agree or even respect opposing views or ideas or ideologies, but remember the person who holds that opposing view, idea or ideology thinks they're right too
-both you and them have your own life history that informs how and what you think now.
We Retreat so that we CAN then live not in Retreat
-Yoga and Mindfulness offer refuge and often comfort from the difficulties of every day life; but actually both are tools to deal with every day life
-If we go to Yoga and Mindfulness to retreat and stay there, then we aren't learning and growing; Life is the testing ground for our beliefs and our development.
I learnt these tools and approaches from a combination of ancient Yogic thought, notably, The Bhaghavad Gita, and forms of mindfulness that teach both awareness and expanding the heart, and then.. in life itself.
Comments welcome.
Dx
