06/11/2025
In todays River City Press :
When the World Feels Like Quick Sand, Yoga Teaches Us How to Stand
Walk down the street, switch on the radio, or glance at a newsfeed and you can almost feel it: the hum of unease. Markets lurch, politics polarise, communities fracture. What was certain yesterday can dissolve by tomorrow. It is no wonder many feel as though they are walking on quick sand, unsure where to plant their next step.
But there is an old practice, quietly persisting for thousands of years, that trains us not only how to stand firm, but how to breathe, balance, and even find peace in the midst of turbulence. That practice is yoga.
Part One: Anchors in the Storm
We often think of stability as something the world provides—secure jobs, steady housing, reliable systems. Yet, history tells us the opposite: change is the only constant. Civilisations rise and fall, economies boom and bust, relationships flourish and fade. If we rely solely on the external world for stability, we are bound to be shaken.
Yoga flips the equation. Its ancient wisdom suggests that steadiness must be cultivated from the inside out. On the mat, this wisdom takes physical form: standing postures that root us through the feet, breathing techniques that steady the pulse, meditations that gather the scattered mind. The poses are metaphors for life itself: tree pose reminds us that balance is not about rigidity, but about swaying with the wind while keeping our roots deep.
The effects ripple into daily living. Mentally, yoga teaches us how to pause—an underrated skill in a world addicted to reaction. Emotionally, it tones the nervous system, lessening the grip of fear or anger. Physically, it builds bodies that are strong without being brittle, supple without being unstable.
And perhaps most importantly, yoga reshapes how we meet one another. A person who is grounded does not pass on panic to their children, their partner, or their colleagues. Stability becomes contagious. In this way, yoga is not only a private practice but a civic one—it creates calmer families, steadier workplaces, and communities with more glue.
