by Tao Oliveto

By now, we’ve all heard about the many benefits of a consistent yoga practice - calmer mind, healthier organs, detoxification, better digestion and sleep, balanced nervous and hormonal system, muscle flexibility and strength, stronger core, back and joints. And I can tell you from both my practice and teaching experience, that all this can be realized through regular practice of a reputable system of yoga.

But, can yoga really make life easier? Well, yes and no. Obviously, all of the above things can make you fell a heckuva lot better than the average, non-yoga person. Still, yoga cannot make the outside problems and harsh realities of life vanish. So, while yoga does not make life easier, it does make you easier with life. “Through a regular yoga practice, we become less hindered by our past and less invested in our fantasies”, says Donna Farhi, one of America’s most respected yoga teachers and author. Practice gives you direct access to an inner place of grounding and presence which can allow us to stop feeling overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions stirred up by daily events and relationships. In this space of stillness, we can find more acceptance and listen to the messages and wisdom that come from the mind and heart working together.

Now that we have our sh** together, what about the world “out there”? It is difficult not to experience periods of hopelessness in the midst of the world’s suffering and uncertainty. Yet, be hopeful we must, as well as find the things that we can do to be part of world change in both small and large ways. Ultimately, more people finding hope and peace will have an effect on the world. So, just how do we get there? Here’s some ideas:

1. Have hope about the future even while accepting uncertainty. Share that hope in some way each day. Discover valid reasons why we can expect good things to happen and tell others.

2. Develop your awareness. Live with continually increasing openness and sensitivity towards others, the earth, animals and yourself.

3. Do a lifestyle check. What are the consequences of the way you live and consume natural resources? What could you, your workplace, your business, be doing differently?

4. Contribute to a cause outside yourself. We have a big job ahead of us and it will take everyone to get it done. Resist the temptation to sit back and wait. Become pro-active in your life and community.

5. Stay informed (but not always from television news). Turn to less sensational news sources, read and talk to others.

5. Send out positive, life-changing energy. Choose a mantra or a prayer of your own and repeat it to yourself several times a day.

6. Smile and breathe.It’s o.k. to find a happy, peaceful place inside yourself. Go there to heal and restore when you need to. Laugh, entertain each other and have some fun. The people around you will benefit and you will be able to accomplish more.

7. Keep practicing yoga daily. It makes all the above possible.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Several years ago, I received one of many phone call inquiries regarding my yoga class schedule. After a short, informational conversation, this person, whom I had never met, said he felt compelled to pass something on to me that had been shared with him at an important time in his life. Being forever curious and interested in spontaneous and mysterious opportunities, I accepted the invitation to listen. This is what he told me…

There are 8 things you need to be happy -

Certainty

Uncertainty

A loving connection to others

To contribute beyond yourself

A feeling of uniqueness

A feeling of importance

A compelling future

A personal relationship with Nature

I was, at this particular time, in the midst of making decisions about my life and future and what he told me later became a guiding force in all of it.

Although I never spoke with him again, I’ve always remembered what I learned in that call and, on occasion, have shared it with others. I now see that happiness is a large undertaking, requiring us to be wholly engaged and involved in the big picture of life - the joys and the sorrows - and to find the meaning in everything. I believe that these things will not only make us happy, but in doing so, can help us change the world.

“As in both yoga and life, the edge is not the point where you quit - it’s where everything happens.” Tao Oliveto

“Salvation is not what you get - it’s what you do.” Jerry Stifelman

Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Speaking of holiday gifts, handmade/homemade says so much more than, “I went to the mall and bought this for you.” Knitting is the newest of yogic-type activities and is spreading into all social and age groups as a way to slow down, develop a skill and make something. Of course, knitting yarns of old have all the same problems as other modern textiles - cottons and wools and polyesters are full of pesticides and further toxifying in the dying process. I have a distinct and disturbing memory of the rancid smell of the skeins of yarn from my childhood - now I know what it was.

Knitters, don’t despair. It’s now easy to find a wide variety of eco-yarns, many of them also Fair Trade certified. What is an organic yarn? Cotton varieties must meet established USDA standards, grown without pesticides or toxic fertilizers. Wool yarn must not only be processed without toxic chemicals, but come from sheep fed and raised under organic standards as well.

With any problem, comes many more solutions. Eco-Yarns are now being made from many sustainable sources, including hemp, recycled silk, bamboo and Banana Palm fibre. The natural dyes cast beautiful, earthy colors and I was surprised to find so many styles and colors available at this online store, Alleco.com.

Here are other features and benefits:

Vegan friendly & low impact - No animal cruelty or wasted resources

Exceptional lustre & drape - Hangs and hugs the body beautifully

Natural fibre cottage industry yarn - Comfortable and individual (not mass-produced)

Fibre Reactive Dyed - Minimal water used for maximum colourfastness

Hand dyed skeins - No two skeins will be exactly the same

Of course, any eco-conscious knitmaster will want the right needles. Laughing Hens.com gives you sustainably sourced and unique selections.

There’s not much more meaningful in a gift than something you’ve made by hand with both the planet and your loved one in mind. Enjoy.

“The way we live is destructive to the body; there is no respect towards its needs and demands. We destroy, little by little, that precious, complex, vital vessel of life we received at birth. All religions encourage self-sacrifice, but when we are ill we pray to God to heal us. How inconsistent we are! To be simple, to appreciate what has been given to us, and to take care of our body, is an act of humility.

To die is alright, we all have to die sooner or later, but what we must do is not allow the body to degenerate while living. Do not kill the instinct of the body…do not look at your body like a stranger.

In the beginning you have to make room for yoga in your daily life, and give it the place it deserves. But after some time yoga itself will pull you up by the hair and make you do it…yoga will be accepted by the body when it is done without resistance. By doing yoga in the proper way, we should be able to maintain [the body's] purity until the end.”

From Awakening the Spine, by Vanda Scaravelli, yoga teacher and author. The book was written when Vanda was near age 80 and still teaching and practicing yoga.

As you know by now, I deeply believe that a yoga practice can change the way you are in the world, but keep in mind that there are many methods of growing within and outside the self . I think of them as Sister-paths. Become curious and disciplined in your quest for knowledge and truth and you will find what speaks to you. Enjoy more from Greg on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner below. Changingly Yours, Tao

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC
Besides the many meditations that Dr. Steiner indicated, he emphasized the importance of the six basic exercises or attributes. These six exercises were developed to strengthen and balance our thinking, feeling and willing and to awaken and cultivate the higher being within ourselves. The exercises contribute to the development of higher organs of spiritual perception and to the creation of a sturdy bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. The six exercises consist of the following:

1) Mastery of Thought Formation
2) Mastery over Impulses of the Will
3) Equanimity in Regard to Happiness and Sorrow
4) Positivity in Forming Judgments
5) Open-Mindedness (A Lack of Preconceptions)
6) Inner Balance (The Harmonious Blending of All Five Exercises)

These exercises coupled with prayer and various meditations will place you on the path to higher spiritual knowledge and to a more balanced and harmonious physical and spiritual life.

A few inspiring thoughts, by Dr. Steiner, to mediate upon:

“In thinking, I experience myself united with the stream of cosmic existence.”

“Time must be taken to observe things as though we were inside the things themselves with our thinking. We should submerge ourselves in the things and enter into their inner thought activity.”

“In thy thinking, cosmic thoughts are living; lose thyself in cosmic thoughts. In thy feeling, cosmic forces are weaving; feel thyself through cosmic forces. In thy willing, cosmic beings are working; create thyself through beings of will.”

To obtain more information and knowledge about the six exercises, meditation and the work of Rudolf Steiner, I recommend the following books by Dr. Steiner:

Theosophy

How To Know the Higher Worlds

And the following book by Christopher Bamford:
Start Now: A book of soul and spiritual exercises

Earth Dance 2007 is a simultaneous music and dance event happening all over the world on Saturday, September 15th. Communities large and small will be gathering to dance, sing and play music for peace. 350 events will take place in 60 countries. At 4pm PST, millions of people will unite in a prayer for peace and join voices in a synchronized global OM, a vibrational sound of the Earth.

Earth Dance 2007 is not a celebrity-driven event, but an initiative to unite the intention and strength of all philosophically aligned organizations throughout the world to build a sustainable culture of peace for all humanity and the Earth. The theme/focus this year is “Healing the Earth’s water with sound and intention”.

We all know the power and influence of music and sound. Let’s put it to good use for peace on the planet.

I’ll be getting down, in my little town, hooping my heart out, this Saturday. Where will you be? For more information or ways to get involved, go to EarthDance.org.

by Tao Oliveto and Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC

(For part one of this post, go here.)

SG: “Yoga can cure all problems, except those caused by yoga” - I’m not quite sure I get this. So you’re saying that if yoga, or other forms of spiritual exploration, lead to an overly introverted outlook (inlook?), then the solution would lie outside of yoga - i.e. political action, protest, direct boots-on-the-ground environmental work?

In a sense, I do get the need for balance - if you concentrate only on the political, or technological, or any other (for want of a better word) ‘practical’ aspect of positive change, there is a danger you build abn entirely new set of problems. Equally, if you stay focussed only on the personal, the spiritual and the emotional, there is a real danger of fooling yourself into thinking you’re making a difference. Whenever I hear that personal change is where it’s at, or ‘all you need is love’, or any other such sentiments, I’m reminded of a quote from George Monbiot’s book Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning:

“…a Buddhist once told me when I questioned his purchase of unethical products. ‘It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it with love.’ I am sure he knew as well as I did that our state of mind makes no difference either to the exploitation of workers or to the composition of the atmosphere. Thinking like ethical people, dressing like ethical people, decorating our homes like ethical people, decorating our homes like ethical people makes not a damn of difference unless we also behave like ethical people.”

So, I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If attending Burning Man, or following any other exploration of ones beliefs, emotions and spirituality leads to a greater awareness AND a greater ability or willingness to act, then I’m all for it. If it leads to a desire to buy more incense and fly to Goa more often, then I guess I’ll give it a miss. My jury is out (and they’re probably chanting ‘Omm Shiva’ in the backyard…)

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TAO: Actually, what that quote reveals is the fact that anything can be used to an extreme and become something else entirely - religion, diet, work, even what we think of as love. A yogi who practices with too much ego, ambition or even aggressiveness, will possibly will probably have those things show up in life. Yet, a spirit-seeking practice which is half-heartedly - without commitment, could show up as apathy or weakness in other ways.

I do not believe that “love” is enough unless we have the corresponding awareness and balance that allows “Right Action”. I may decide to fill up a wading pool for my kids (or in my case, dogs) every other day in hot weather - because I love them - despite the drought conditions. Out of love, I may buy gifts for people, without considering social and environmental responsibility.

There is no one or right way to find this truth - we will all follow our own path if we look for it. Perhaps all you need is be willing to ask the questions first and be willing to do the work that appears. As Kahlil Gibran says in The Prophet,

Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” For the soul walks on all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.