Yoga: The Remedy for Suffering

     I have to admit I struggle with finding my joy in a world that is experiencing havoc.  Climate change is causing extreme fires, droughts, and floods. Institutions and governments promote unjust hierarchy through racism, sexism, religious dogma, and economic greed. The pandemic of Covid-19 seems unending. Recently I read about three doctors in training at a hospital in the Bronx committing suicide within eight months of each other in the department of internal medicine.  A healthcare system that is suppose to take care of the sick cannot even take care of its own. 

     Even if I feel joy and gratitude, should I express it in the midst of the suffering of others?  This past weekend there was a BIPOC mental health awareness and Resource Fair in a park in the minority community.  It lifted my spirit to see people coming out in support of each other.  This made me realize that joy and gratitude is to be shared even with uncertain times, --especially in uncertain times.  It says we have faith in that by coming  together as a community we can help one another to alleviate the sense of suffering.  Instead of people feeding each other their pain and sorrows, dances were performed, poetry was spoken, music was sung, yoga and tai chi movements and meditations were offered, all of which shared a strength and joy that perseveres through hardships.  Booths were set up to offer resources and support for legal help, drug and mental health treatments. The media does not highlight such events that show the best in us. 

     Yoga is to highlight the best in us. Inherent in being human are the experiences of suffering. Yoga is said to have been brought to us by the great Seers of early times to help us cope with life on this earth home. Yoga does this by moving the body to release tension, conscious breathing to balance the nervous system, the training of the mind to focus inward to the nourishment of prana, and ultimately to lead the mind into the full absorption of our being that is unending bliss.  From Yoga we show up in the world as our best self no matter what the conditions.