This past week was marked by the International Day of Peace, an idea placed on the calendar by the United Nations. We also passed through the equinox, the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere. The equinox is the day where the earth is at such a tilt that daylight and darkness hours are equal. In the northern hemisphere, we are heading into fall and our days are slowly growing shorter with the opposite being true for my southern hemisphere friends-spring has sprung and you’re heading toward summer.
I used the theme of peace this past week in my classes and its connection to the equinoxes as it’s about finding harmony, equality and balance. As I contemplated the concept of peace, many thoughts began to arise. What does peace mean to me? What does it look like in my life? Through the work that I do and through setting the intention of peace for my life in general, I wonder if I will ever truly see peace in my lifetime. Sadly, I don’t think I will. In fact, nobody has seen peace in their lifetimes as we have been warring with each other for at least a couple of thousand years. In the yoga teachings, a time is said to have existed called the “golden age” where people lived in harmony. However, we have cycled away from those times to what is now called the “Kali Yuga-the dark ages”. It is thought that we have the potential to find another golden age, but only if there’s a rise in the collective consciousness of humans to shift into that direction.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there’s been a huge up-tick in the number of people who participate in yoga. Last I heard, the count was around 20 million in the United States alone. People are looking for a way to connect to greater ease in their lives and yoga is one road to take. In thinking about peace and bringing peace into the wider realm of the world, we need to begin within. How can we find peace in the world if we ourselves are not peaceful? Part of our practice is to make peace with our body; to make peace with our thoughts; to make peace with where we are in life. When we begin to connect to the inherent peacefulness that resides within, something magical begins to happen-it starts to ooze out of us and begins to positively influence our relationships, our connections to people in our larger communities and eventually to all beings everywhere.
We know that one path to this inner peace is the path of meditation. Sitting quietly, observing the present moment from a state of non-judgment and equanimity. Yes…it takes practice on a regular basis. But for me, this commitment isn’t just one to myself and my own essence of life, but hopefully part of a legacy that I will leave as my own footprint once I’ve left this earthly realm. I wish for peace in my own life, but bigger than that, I wish it for my grandchildren’s lives. If I can be part of that growing wave of a positive and peaceful collective, then I will absolutely do it.
My wish is the wish of loving-kindness. May all beings be safe. May all beings be healthy. May all beings be happy. May all beings find ease and live with peace. May we step along our own path of peace, gently kissing the earth with our feet as Thich Nhat Hahn stated. Let’s walk this walk together, supporting each other in connection rather than separation. And may we be part of the ushering in of the golden age.
Om shanti, shanti, shantihi.
