So that date that the Mayans kept talking about for thousands of years is finally here.
While I think the majority of the people who followed this myth were expecting the earth to move like a Carole King song, it didn’t, at least not in the obvious sense.
But, if we take a step back, we can see how the earth really has moved under our feet for the past several decades, if not just over the past couple of years. It seems the shift is not under the earth’s crust, but in our perceptions. We are all waking up to see our patterns of behavior – from financial downfalls to climate change. And it doesn’t affect just one region, it has affected the entire world.
Awakening To Our Actions
When we look back, we can see how all of our behaviors that were guided by fear, greed, ignorance, hate, apathy and anger have affected our choices, and the state of the world we live in.
We have seen Wall street crash because of greed, the housing market crash because too many of us were living outside of our means, nations clashed over anger and fear and refuse to try understand the other, our water ways have suffered because of careless management, and the environment, including the animals, are suffering because many refuse to see how precious they are to our world, and of course, people are suffering.
So many activists have been speaking their messages on most of these issues for decades – “save the planet,” “save the whales,” “no more war,” “no more guns,” “equal rights for everyone,” “stop the killing,” “ban the bomb,” and the list goes on.
Each time a catastrophe happens, the world’s eyes open a little wider to the truth.
Living Our Truths As Yogis On And Off The Mat
As practicing yogis, no doubt a lot of us started to see a number of these truths as our practice got deeper, more frequent and more personal.
Is it possible that yoga has helped our world to open its eyes as it has also increased in popularity over the past three decades? My guess is yes, it has.
The sense of mindfulness that we’ve created on our mats with our bodies, breath, mind and actions, has indeed helped many of us to be more mindful of the world in which we live.
Think about it. Have you been inspired to recycle more? Eat organic or local? Speak out on the treatment of animals? The environment? Violence? Or anything else you might see as going against the yamas and niyamas we’ve absorbed as part of our nature as yogis?
A Time of Transition to Practice What We, Well, ‘Practice’
This era of uncertainty and change is not the end of the world as some think the Mayans predicted, rather it’s a time of transition to thinking in a new way. And, it is perfect for exercising the many lessons we’ve learned on our mats during physical practice and meditation.
One quote that inspires me at this time, and is perfect for yoga practitioners to remember is, that, “Peace does not mean a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
The New World Has Already Begun
So while a few of us might be anxious about the so call world destruction that lies ahead, I say, it’s already here. And it’s a good thing. We’re taking off our blinders and seeing the truth.
Here are three examples of proof that we’ve already taken the steps:
1. We are seeing, and being, the helpers
The good is shining brightly after every tragedy – from fundraisers to donations, or those who support a change in the world brought on by the event.
2. We are working together to make changes
In the 60’s protesters seemed like radical, untamed animals. These days, it’s expected that we take a stand on what we disagree with.
3. We are questioning old habits
We are waking up to see how we’ve hurt the earth through overdevelopment, hurt each other through violence, and becoming more sensitive towards what past intentions have done to create the world in which we live.
Now is the time to remove your blinders and realize that these tragedies and changes help us to see the truth. Wake up and notice the energy – good and bad – that come from our actions. Wake up and notice the events and see the good, and bad, it has brought to our world to allow us to change, rather than to continue suffering and making the same mistakes.
Wake up and feel the earth move under your feet and confidently walk the path of change.
