Resist The Sludge Of Indifference
With the high voltage of this Fall upon us, it is a great time to sharpen our ability to walk that razor’s edge with grace and sukha (sweetness) supported by our abhyasa, spiritual practice. We must neither fall asleep at the wheel, nor rage against the machine, but rather, find that middle path, aided by a sense of vairagyam or coolness, dispassion, that allows us to stay involved and do what we need to without driving ourselves completely mad.
Dispassion does not mean we become apathetic. It is, rather, the difference between reactivity and response that meditation gives us. It teaches us to maintain our own center as we navigate the intensity of the outside world. It speaks to cultivating a healthy relationship to something, learning it’s edges as well as our own, without shutting down, so that we understand where one begins and the other ends, and what parts are porous. Which takes practice, and is at the heart of what we do in the space of yoga.
Sarah and I just got back from my bestie’s wedding. It was her first gay wedding and it was so uplifting, so gorgeous. He had asked me to give one of the two toasts for the night and as I ruminated on what I wanted to speak to, I was struck that it’s only been nine years, since 2015, that we queers have enjoyed the same federal protections over our marriages, over our loves, that have existed for straight people. Nine years. That’s it. Not that long, right?
It certainly puts things into perspective: our planet’s health, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, birthing and abortion rights, gun safety, and really, all our rights, as well as the practice of democracy itself are on the ballot this November. I, personally, can’t afford not to vote, no matter how strongly I disagree with the government’s handling of the war on Gaza. And if you are considering sitting this one out, perhaps notice the rights you already enjoy that let you even take that position. If we do not win this election, we will not even be able to congregate with friends to complain about how much we hate the government. That is what a dictatorship does. It is bleak. This is no time to sit on the sight lines no matter how disenchanted you may feel. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Nobody said we were always going to love it or love it at all. It’s a grind. And it is not only our right as citizens, but our civic duty. It will take all of us to ensure that we can continue to have any say at all. So resist despair and apathy. Turn it into action.
To that end, expect longer meditation and breath work during our regular sessions this fall. This is the time to practice resting in motion. Finding ease as we ride the waves. It’s all hands on deck time. Let’s go!!!
