Dear friends
The world around us often feels both breathtakingly beautiful and unbearably turbulent. News of violence and discord reaches us daily, leaving many of us feeling unsettled, heartbroken, and searching for hope or clarity amidst the chaos.
Patanjali’s wisdom meets us precisely here. He teaches that the mind’s fluctuations; our fears, judgments, and desires, are not only the source of our individual suffering but also lie at the root of the world’s unrest. The principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, is foundational in yoga: only as we quiet the storm within and remember our essential unity with all beings do we begin to dissolve the seeds of violence, both in ourselves and in our communities. Patanjali’s path invites us to observe our own tendencies, anger, impatience, withdrawal, and soften them through practice, returning again and again to compassion and conscious action.
In my practice, these teachings offer me deep refuge, especially when the world feels overwhelming. The mindful movement, breath awareness, and meditative moments,do more than strengthen and soothe my body, they nourish my heart and mind. In the quiet moments after practice, I remember that beneath all turbulence is a place of stillness, a clarity that is always available, and which the practice helps me access. There, I rediscovered hope, steadiness, and the courage to meet the world with compassion rather than despair.
May our practice offer each of us the refuge, steadiness, and inspiration needed in these challenging times. I look forward to being together on the mat, sharing in this path of awareness and compassionate action.
Sitting in a Quiet Room
There is this stark moment
when I see I am not my worry.
When I do not chastise
myself for worrying, nor
do I demonize the worry.
I do not imagine the worry
as a snake or a tick or a nail.
I welcome it into my lap,
uncomfortable teacher,
and pause here
on the hard chair of curiosity.
Softness arrives with conscious breath.
In and around me blooms
spaciousness.
Silence is the tenderest lullaby.
It holds both the worry and me.
It has no tongue, yet the lyric is clear,
There is nothing here you cannot meet.
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer