Everyone I meet seems to feel it. There’s a sense of urgency at this time in the world. A collective feeling that whatever we do right now has so much impact that our fate is being decided.
At a recent Anusara® yoga training with John Friend, the topic of 2012 came up. There we were rocking with energy and light, working transitions and shifting energy, and since it’s all interconnected it was natural to speak of transformation and shifts on a global level.
2012 is the end of many ancient calendars. Do you feel the crescendo? It’s like we’re at a climax of energies that have been creating friction for ages. I must say I’m very much excited to be alive right now.
Though ancient calendars mark the end of one monumental cycle of time, the concept of the end of the world is a very western one. There is no specific ‘end’, but it is very probable that we are reaching a grand transformation and that nothing will ever be the same.
Truly every end holds a new beginning. And there in lies the hope, for every thing you do ripples out to touch the world!
Here’s a brief rundown of the current situation pointing to the fact that something’s gotta change:
- The political world is confused and often corrupted
- There are far too many people dying of starvation and disease which we have the resources and knowledge to prevent
- Most of the world’s educational institutions are less than exemplary
- The economy is walking a tightrope
- The environment keeps sending us apocalyptic signs that say “Would you please do something about the way you’re treating me?”
The whole idea of the world coming to an end has some truth in it. Yet we also know that whenever there is an end a new beginning also comes with it.
We have reached the transition of ages. This is explained in many ways; scientists, the descendants of ancient tribes, and the prophecies of times past all point to a juncture point in time. And it’s happening right now, and in the coming years.
The Potency Of Now
The importance that you feel in your heart is based in the truth that your choices right now are shaping the future. The stakes are high.
Because we are at a threshold in time, our thoughts, words, and actions have even more power. Every choice you make is crucial, and this is where yoga can be your guiding light.
Yoga invites us to become skilful in how we interact with the world. On the mat we use a spacious focus, mindful breath, and engage in a physical dance that can strengthen every aspect of who you are.
Anusara yoga, specifically, teaches you how to line up with nature. You can use the principles and practice of Anusara yoga to learn how to move prana, or life force, and the creative energy that pulses in everything that is (this energy is often called Shakti). Working with this energy not only contributes to self healing, but ripples out of you to create balance.
When you do yoga in a way that empowers you, aligning with what is good, and bringing more light into yourself, you are directly influencing the shape of the world. Off the mat yoga helps you be kinder, more patient, more skillful, and, yes, even more able to save the world.
“I Can Save The World?”
Yep. You! YOU can save the world. And there are a bunch of others to help you.
Here’s how it works; every time you smile, or make someone else smile, happiness grows. Each time you help someone, or even send them a silent blessing, good deeds expand. Any thought that is turned from fear or worry or doubt into a force of goodness, hope, and light, makes it that much easier for the next thought to follow the same uplifted path.
Every single endeavor that brings more goodness and light shifts the course of the world.
It’s like we’re in a see-saw game where one child is troubled and the other is full of love. Every time the bright child smiles, that light finds its way into the heart of the child who is feeling like they’re in darkness. At some point, as we go back and forth in this interactive game of life, the hearts and minds that have been cloaked in darkness find that they are glittering with stars.
I believe we have reached critical mass, and that the movement of what is good is lighting up hearts in even the darkest corners of the earth. And I’m not the only one who feels this way – the light is spreading, and it is powerful!
Keep doing your yoga.
Practice in whatever way is best for you. Pay attention and notice as even the smallest things you do make a considerable difference.
One last thought is informed by my teacher, John Friend: When you’re on your mat doing asana, the poses demand so much focus that any thought or energy you work with is amplified. When you use intention in combination with the efforts and surrenders of the dance of yoga, transformation happens on every level – personal, physical, communal, and global.
Breathe, love, laugh. Stay strong in your light and it will shine into the world with such power that when the end of one cycle comes, in 2012 or otherwise, the new beginning will be truly magnificent!