Yoga in Practice: World Peace

How can Yogis and Yoginis help the movement for world peace? Should world peace ever be discussed in an Ashram? What can Yoga practitioners do about conflict on a larger scale?

Most of us feel helpless when we turn on the news. Crime, warfare, disease, and starvation rule the media, but what can any of us do about it? Let?s look at the source: The reason the media shows us negative images of life is because it sells. If we tell the media different, it will cause change.

The media feels they would go out of business if they displayed a balanced view of humanity. ?Feel good? stories are not front page news. Look at the number of people who waste their time watching nonsensical television programs. Who is to blame for this?

We have to share the blame together, without pointing fingers; then take action to get balanced entertainment, innocence back in childhood, religion back into the family, and learn to get along with our neighbors. In other words, you do not have to picket outside the White House to make progress. Just by taking small actions together - we can make a big difference.

Discussing politics in a Yoga class is not in popular demand; most Yoga students want to leave the world outside the ashram, but meditating on world peace is acceptable. If Yoga students think of world peace, they might also envision complete freedom from ignorance. Interestingly, this is what many of us think heaven will be like.

We may not be able to create heaven on earth, but we can make small improvements. Therefore, world peace must start on the small scale within our homes, at work, in the ashram, and everywhere we go. Always help others and support groups that seek peaceful resolutions to violent conflict.

Yoga practitioners from all over the world can be found on Internet forums. This is the beginning of many fruitful cultural exchanges that take place on a daily basis. People tend to fear what they do not know, or understand, so the Internet is a useful way to understand other people from different cultures.

Traditionally, non-violence has been a path full of sacrifice, marches, and protests. This is still true in some instances, but it is also true that showing courtesy, teaching courtesy, acts of loving kindness, giving, listening, praying, meditating, and mindfulness make a difference when encouraging peaceful resolutions to conflict. Interestingly, all of the above approaches and methods for non-violence are from Yogic principles.

? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering