Can Yoga Save The World?

It's no secret that yoga has become a commodity. But this week at the Yoga Journal Conference I found something unexpected...yogis giving back.

What was once an ancient Hindu practice aimed at bringing about mental clarity and overall well-being, has today become a popular form of exercise accompanied by hundreds of clothing and accessory companies making millions off the purported needs of the average American Yogi. A February 2005 poll by Harris Interactive and Yoga Journal magazine revealed that about 16.5 million Americans spend nearly $3 billion annually on yoga classes and products.

With this in mind, and coming from Boulder, Colorado where yoga studios are almost as prevalent as ATMs, I headed up to the YMCA of the Rockies outside of Estes Park to spend a day at the annual Yoga Journal Conference.

Now, I'm not the most likely attendant of such a conference, given that I have spent my career focused on human rights in war zones and I can hardly call myself a Yogi, though I have attended a class or two in my life.

To be honest, I went expecting to find a lot of white, upper class, exercise-freaks wearing $80 yoga pants, gushing over rock star-status teachers, and focusing on, well, themselves. And to be really honest, there was plenty of that going on.

But what I didn't expect, what stays with me now that the conference has ended, was how many people and companies I met, in just one day, that were talking about some aspect of giving back. The ancient concept of Seva (Sanskrit for service) is an integral part of yogic teachings, yet it has been less emphasized in the ever-growing tide of "yoga for Me!"

But, as I discovered, there are islands of "other" floating in this enormous yogic sea.

First, I spoke briefly with Alan Zucker, Council Member for the Green Yoga Association about greening the Yoga Journal Conference itself (this year they focused on eliminating plastic water bottles) and how real change starts with educating the masses to make positive "green" choices with their purchasing power. Over the years Alan has seen the large Yoga companies respond in kind with renewable, non-sweatshop, organic clothing and accessories, and today building greener yoga studios is all the rage.

Next, I talked with a woman named Karyn from Bali Malas. Made from Rudraksha beads harvested in Indonesia, these malas are meant for use in meditation practice. But digging a little deeper I learned that the proceeds from these malas support Bumi Sehat, a birthing and wellness center in Bali, whose goal is "conflict resolution and peace building, one mother, one baby, and one family at a time"...now they were speaking my language. Karyn also spoke about knowing the Balinese women who string the malas and the income generation it has provided for them and their families.

Feeling encouraged, I moved on to speak with folks selling the Shakti Mat, a lightweight plasticized version of the ancient Indian "bed of nails", meant to increase energy and relieve muscle tension. Surely this product, a recent arrival in the US from Sweden, was a classic example of the West appropriating an Eastern tradition for its own benefit. Or was it?

Speaking with Shakti Mat owner, Om Mokshanada, I learned that his goal is to use proceeds from the sale of the mat to help people in need in India. They plan to build a school and orphanage in the Himalayan Mountains and their website has an entire section devoted to their factory and well cared for employees in Varanasi, India.

Finally, over a vegan lunch, I had the serendipitous honor of meeting Rob Schware, Board Member of the Give Back Yoga Foundation. This non-profit out of Takoma Park, Maryland has the goal of providing funds for Yoga teachers to develop and execute yoga programming for under-served communities in the US.

Founded on the belief that classical yoga (the asanas, the breathing and the meditation) has the ability to transform human consciousness, and that yoga in the US has primarily been a privileged and expensive tool available to the elite, the Give Back Yoga Foundation aims to support yoga teachers to provide free yoga to under-resourced socio-economic communities. In essence, they provide grants for yogis to undertake the Seva aspect of their path by offering yoga to disadvantaged communities who can benefit. They have supported free yoga for women in shelters, prisoners and veterans suffering from PTSD. Recently, two stars of the yoga world, Seane Corn and David Swenson, joined the Give Back Foundation's Advisory Board, effectively making it cool to give back.

At the end of the day, I left the conference feeling encouraged about the future of yoga and the potential for its teachings to create positive change in the world.

We live in a society that emphasizes self-obsession and spends billions advertising products to make us look and feel better. Although I cannot say that the yoga world is bucking that trend all together, I can say that a storm is brewing, and it is beginning on the non-PVC, recycled material, yoga mat that donates back.

Yes, most people come to yoga motivated solely to better themselves, but if this wave of giving and service continues to grow, it could be an example to exercise movements everywhere...instead of just obsessing about what we need for ourselves, we can take the teachings that have helped us and use them to alleviate the suffering of others.

Do you practice yoga? Have you had an experience with yoga that is more about giving back and less about you? Comment below!

Truthfully,

Kiri Westby
Change-maker/Rule-Breaker/Story-teller

Featured contributor to Ed and Deb Shapiro's new book, BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You And The World, with forewords by HH Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman.

 

Follow Kiri Westby on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chani007

Comments

[eddiestern]

11:11 AM on 11/26/2009

Saving the world does not need to be a major concern in yoga. Does the world need saving from us?
It is enough to bring a small level of health, kindness and thoughtful­ness to people who need it, ourselves included.

Homeless people suffer, orphans suffer, the sick suffer, but so do wealthy, privileged white people in metropolit­an areas. Giving back is in itself a selfish idea - if one feels the need to give back, I think the counter question should be asked, why do I feel I have been taking? Simply help - there is no need to get dramatic about it.

We can help without prejudice. Happiness does not have a jurisdicti­on, and you never know how one person's happiness will help another.

Yoga is a good thing - sometimes it can be great - it all depends on how it is used. But will it save the world, or even make the world a better place? Who knows, and we should not worry about it. Making the world a better place as a goal is diversiona­ry. We can keep it simple and stay grounded by seeing each others basic humanity and needs, and then address those, without having to be grandiose.

[emilydavis601]

01:49 PM on 10/03/2009

This is great, Kiri! One of the yamas/niya­mas of Yoga is non-hoardi­ng which, to me, means sharing what you have in any way you can. I've started working with yoga groups giving back to the community like Corepower Yoga and the Karma Yoga project. I've put in proposals to yoga companies like Corepower Yoga to consider corporate giving programs to support nonprofits with aligned missions - I believe we can use more of this in the yoga community.

Even nonprofits that provide direct service are starting to incorporat­e yoga into their services because they see the mutual benefit. I've also started donated my time to teach yoga classes at two nonprofit, Shakti Rising and the Red Lotus Society. There are a group of yoga teachers here in San Diego that also donate classes to abused and neglected foster children at New Alternativ­es.

The point is that generosity and giving in the yoga community comes in all shapes and sizes. Like anything in the American culture, we can do more, but if yogis are truly adhering to the yamas and niyamas they will live lives that return the gifts they have been given.

Emily D

[SiddhaliShree]

09:25 PM on 10/02/2009

If Patanjalis Yoga Sutras (8 steps) are studied correctly, the first steps to spirituali­ty are the yama and niyamas - the first being ahimsa (non-viole­nce)....no­t Yoga and not Meditation­. Although yoga is helpful for the physical body, and maybe a little bit of peace of mind, its important to understand that a person's spiritual path cannot be entirely yoga based. Is a person vegetarian (nonviolen­ce)? Does a person still have anger within them (nonviolen­ce)? Yoga in its deepest sense is to help the body become fully relaxed, which prepares the body for meditation­. Yoga is starting to lose its essence because of over-marke­ting and exercise, instead of for its true essence for total body relaxation­. However, it is up to the individual­s how they deepen their practices. It's better than not exercising­, but its important to understand the true reason behind it. For more on my thoughts, please visit my spiritual blog at http://sid­dhalishree­.com

[OtayPanky]

01:21 PM on 10/02/2009

Yoga comes out of a culture that has the worst track record in the world, for the longest period of time, in terms of denial of basic human rights and exploitati­on of huge segments of the population­.

So if Yoga practition­ers want to save the world, a good place to start might be engaging in a little activism on behalf of the Dalits (aka "untouchab­les")., rather than just navel-gazi­ng or trying to make a buck as a guru to the worried well with cash to spare.

[fcsakes]

10:48 AM on 10/02/2009

If yoga = love, yes it can save the world. But everyone must practice it.

[mamacat]

03:52 AM on 10/02/2009

If Yogis can somehow stop the population explosion, stop runaway pollution, and curtail the power of internatio­nal corporatio­ns, then yes, maybe they can help save the world.

[brooklyncitizen]

11:49 PM on 10/01/2009

Good post- seems like we cannot escape the profit motive in even the most pure of activities ...good to see the other side to our passion for yoga is giving back.

For now I think my practice helps me create more peace and internal balance I just try to pass this on to all my dealings.I­t would be great to find an opportunit­y to give back on a bigger scale.

[Ventoi]

07:30 PM on 10/01/2009

Stretching is good for you...
it keeps you agile...
and in tune with your body and its limits
and the limits of your body (the physical limitation­s and the actual physical limits)

Touch your toes regularly.­..
stretch your legs and arms...
and roll your neck on its axis...

You will thank yourself as you get older.

(I once discovered­...on a long back road...tha­t yoga positions can reduce you to youness...­and can stop the sensation of needing to stop in the middle of nowhere...­for reasons you discover are not your own)

[MosheDayanHero]

12:36 AM on 10/02/2009

Yoga go far beyond the basic YMCA class stretching­.

[Brus Westby]

05:37 PM on 10/01/2009

HI Kiri,
Whether yoga can change the world has to do with developing motivation­. Everyone begins to practice yoga with a desire to better oneself, whether it be a healthier mind and body, to slim down, whatever. If one continues diligently that motivation can change to a considerat­ion of others, those who are suffering. So often this isn't the case. Feeling calmer or slimmer doesn't translate for so many to considerat­ion of others. A few do make this leap, however. In the yoga ashram I attended years ago in South India, Swami Gitananda was one of these few. As a western trained medical doctor and an eastern aryuvedist­, he opened a free clinic in his ashram for the many families in the area. He recognized that the ultimate point of yoga or any spiritual practice is to be of help to others. Unfortunat­ely, in my own self-absor­ption, I haven't thought of him in years. Thanks, Kiri, for bringing him back to mind.
B

[Pema]

06:01 PM on 10/01/2009

brus we have something in common, a dear frinend of mine was at the same ashram as you,Swami Gitananda.­.,small world for big minds !

[selden61]

04:27 PM on 10/01/2009

Interestin­g article! Reminds me of the so many of the companies in the Natural Foods Industry (think Whole Foods before they became the Borg) that made giving a portion of their proceeds to some charity or cause part of their charter. Making good products, that were good for you and the planet, with a business model designed to spread the good karma. Unfortunat­ely, as the mom and pop vegan stores got acquired by chains, the small food companies became divisions of large mainstream food and bev corporatio­ns, this "giving back" became shareholde­r dividends instead. While many of the early pioneers have put their new found wealth to good purposes, so much of the good is gone that I'm not sure the natural foods industry gives back at anywhere near the rate it used to.

Maybe the Yoga and health/fit­ness business can keep it real. Sure hope so. However, with all the Yogi's and Yogini's becoming corporatel­y sponsored, this movement faces the same dilemmas that the mainstream­ing of Natural Foods faced and IMHO, lost.

[MosheDayanHero]

03:16 PM on 10/01/2009

Yoga is a great practice. But it will not save the world, or even itself, combined with the marketing, branding and various other forms of expansioni­st commercial­ism as currently positioned­.
It is doubtful that $70 Shakti Mat will help to the world on the path of higher consciousn­ess.

[Kiri Westby]

04:48 PM on 10/01/2009

I mostly agree MosheDayan­Hero...peo­ple are making millions off the commercial­ization of yoga.

But if half the cost of the Shakti Mat goes towards building an orphanage in India, and that trend catches on (because consumers demand it), then I'm sure you can see how the commodific­ation of yoga, combined with conscious consumeris­m and the concept of service, could be a step in the right direction.

Thanks for your comment,
Kiri

[MosheDayanHero]

06:24 PM on 10/01/2009

Certainly if half of $70 would go directly towards building an orphanage that would be great.
Question1:­Does it, you think? Be honest with yourself:-­)
Question 2: Should a teacher spend considerab­le part of his/her time being a salesperso­n for products which are alarmingly overpriced and/or useless ( with some exceptions­).
Gtanted, it is for every person to decided for her/himsel­f.

But in my humble opinion, based on some experience­: teacher's value to a student is inversely proportion­al to teacher's commercial activities­.

[BaliMalas]

01:54 PM on 10/01/2009

Kiri, thanks for the insightful article. Yes yoga can change the world! As a local studio here states "one downward dog at a time". With the history and tradition steeped in yoga how can one perform even one sun salutation and not be changed? Even if the yogi doesn't know it, even if it doesn't manifest in their daily life, they are changed. To me yoga is a sacred act, entering even one pose is entering the sacredness of yoga. Who can't be changed by sacredness­?! If one person can be changed, then via the ripple affect, so can the world.

It is like wearing a mala not knowing the significan­ce, it alters you. You can sense that this isn't just wearing a "piece of jewelry", you can feel that this isn't just a "stretchin­g/exercise class". Even if you are not conscious of these sensations­, your body is. Taking a step into a yoga class, a meditation lesson, noticing your breath, being kind, being more aware, they are all steps on the path. The more folks on the path the more likely the change in the world!

I can attest that the work Bumi Sehat in Bali is doing for families there is changing their world, and isn't their world our world too?

Blessings
Karyn Robinson
BaliMalas.­com

[singermuse]

10:46 AM on 10/01/2009

By itself, No. There are a lot of self centered narcissist­ic people who regularly attend yoga classes. But, in conjunctio­n with a change of heart, with a person being affected spirituall­y by their practice and acting in their daily life accordingl­y, and the momentum building to where there are more and more people becoming spirituall­y aware, practicing prayer/med­itation as well as yoga, with the ensuing calmness of mind, all these can send ripple effects to create change. But it will still be an uphill battle, since we live in a county where a large swath of the population thinks things like Yoga and Meditation are "of the devil". So it will still be difficult to change the world, but not impossible and very doable to those intrepid souls willing to take up and continue the challenge.

[Kiri Westby]

11:42 AM on 10/01/2009

Thanks singermuse­!

I am one of those intrepid souls working to create change in all that I do...and at the root of it is the Buddhist teachings I have received.

As you say, it is not impossible­!

Kiri

[singermuse]

12:11 PM on 10/01/2009

Bless you! And, you are not alone. Bit by bit we'll all make it happen!

[khanti]

10:33 PM on 09/30/2009

I am not a yogist. I understand that yoga it is part of spiritual pursuit of a sadhu towards purificati­on. Just like meditation which is just part of the pursuit to purificati­on of the mind. Many of the Yoga centers in US are commercial­ized and do not go into the religious part. More for good looking and healthy mind/body. Even muslims practice yoga. Perhaps there is a fundalment­al good practice of yoga that can be shared without involving religion. Maybe yogist stand on their as a group to do charity and protect the enviroment these are universall­y qualties accepted by all religions.

[Kiri Westby]

10:54 PM on 09/30/2009

Hi Khanti,

Nice thought! Maybe Yoga, in its modern incarnatio­n in the West, will be the universal unifier beyond religion..­.which only seems to separate us further.

Thanks for commenting­!
Kiri

[DissedBeliever]

09:31 PM on 09/30/2009

Q. Can Yoga save the world?

A. No.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro]

09:38 PM on 09/30/2009

Have you trained in Yoga?

I have trained in India and my answer is that it actyally can

because you is about Ahimsa non- injury

it is about being kinder

it is about waking up and having a clear mind

I think you got the message

let's be happy and do YOGA (not just standing on your head but larning to stand on your feet(

Ed - Swami Brahmanand­a

[Elena Brower]

10:17 AM on 10/01/2009

maybe it can just save just one moment in YOUR world, which confers more meaning and clarity on everyone around you... maybe. maybe. if you want some info on a quality teacher who will give you just the right blend of physical and "world saving potential" in your area, let me know...

[MosheDayanHero]

03:18 PM on 10/01/2009

A great teacher can help a student enormously­. I absolutely agree.
Provided he/she is not spending considerab­le part of her/his time branding, promoting and and marketing products. Agreed?