A Yoga practice may be an individual pursuit, but there is no denying that each time you step onto your mat or sit on your meditation cushion, the positive energy and spirit of connection from your individual efforts has a ripple effect out into the world.
In his book, The Tree of Yoga, BKS Iyengar describes how an individual and society can be united through a yoga practice:
“Yoga works on each individual for his or her growth and betterment, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is meant for the whole of humanity…Yoga is firstly for individual growth, but through individual growth, society and community develop.
Individual growth is a must, and yoga develops each individual. But your body is an image of the world around you; it is a big international club. You have three hundred joints – that means there are three hundred club members associated in one body. The blood circulation is ninety-six thousand kilometres long if you take all the arteries, veins, and smaller blood vessels together, and there are sixteen thousand kilometres of biological energy flowing in the nervous system…Yoga provides help to all these parts to coordinate together so that they may work in harmony and concord. Yoga works on your conscience. Yoga works on your consciousness. Yoga works on your intelligence. Yoga works on your senses. Yoga works on your flesh. Yoga works on your organs of perception. Thus, it is known as the global art.
When your body, mind and soul are healthy and harmonious, you will bring health and harmony to those around you and health and harmony to the world – not by withdrawing from the world but by being a healthy living organ of the body of humanity.“
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Spending time in internal reverence rather than external reference through yoga, meditation, nature walks, dancing, singing, journaling, whatever it is that brings you joy and connection builds your reservoir of health positive energy that you can then share with your family, friends, and community. Spread that love!
Explore more about wellness, the physiology of yoga, the science behind the practice, and the peaceful power that yoga cultivates in our classes, Y4A’s unique workshops, and on our Facebook page.