Being truthful, satya

Mitigating harm, ahimsa

I spoke with L this week, a client who runs a research lab in Minneapolis. Her team is afraid to travel to work. L is Brazilian, young, and super cool, so students are coming her for guidance and stability. She doesn’t feel like she has either. My meditation sangha is also in Minneapolis. Most events have been moved to Zoom.

I feel like I’m back in the pandemic. There’s anxiety and a certain but uncertain sense of being unsafe. How do I keep navigating normal life with so much instability and fear?

Fear and anxiety will take us down. So we have to counter these to maintain stability and our inner guidance.

First, get honest about how you’re doing. The yogic ethic satya translates to as it is, which right now might be scattered, worried, pissed, or feeling helpless.

Second, dial in whatever resources you need to mitigate the harm from that. Ahimsa is the foundational practice of yoga, and we have to start with ourselves.

For me, that means going to bed a little earlier, watching easy TV, focusing on work with a little more discipline, looking at the news less, and attending more online sangha events. I’m creating extra supportive events for our community, so stay tuned. I do need to move more in the winter cold—one area where I can do better.

OK, your turn. Get honest about how you’re doing and use your resources to manage that.