Saving the World, Part Deux: Start Within

Stop.

Be still. 

Look within. 

Stop thinking about recycling, oil spills or plastic bags for a minute… (hey, I was thinking that, too!)

Time to get a little philosophical, people.  

If you’re going to help save the world, you have to start with yourself.

When was the last time you spent a significant amount of time with yourself?  Just you and your thoughts, no distractions:  no iPod, no BlackBerry, no kids, no TV, no computer… More importantly, no wheels turning about what you ‘should’ be doing, or planning for the next activity.  

Try your workout or your commute without your iPod once in a while. Stop doing for a minute and just be. Slow down. Be in the present. Think about you. Try yoga, or meditation. Or just write your feelings in a journal.  “Soul searching” is just that, and it’s good for you. 

Now don’t tune out and think I’ve gone all new-agey, or I want you to sing Kumbaya with me.  I don’t claim to be an expert – there are enough self-help books out there to fill the Grand Canyon if you want ‘em.  But it is a fundamental truth:  if you don’t make yourself happy, nothing else will. (No lover, new car, piece of jewelry, handbag, or pair of shoes will do it)

It all begins with you.  If you’re centered and feeling good everything else falls into place. Being happy with yourself allows you to wish others happiness and ultimately recognize the importance of making sure the planet (and the beings on it) thrives. 

I don’t mean we should be self-indulgent and self-centered in a self-ish way.  To be happy you have to know yourself. As Buddhist scholar Pema Chodron puts it: 

"We might think that knowing ourselves is a very ego-centered thing, but by beginning to look clearly and honestly at ourselves, we begin to dissolve the walls that separate us from others.

To know yourself is to forget yourself. This is to say that when we make friends with ourselves we no longer have to be so self-involved. It's a curious twist: making friends with ourselves is a way of not being so self-involved anymore.

When we are not so self-involved, we begin to realize that the world is speaking to us all of the time. Every plant, every tree, every animal, every person, every car, every airplane is speaking to us, teaching us, awakening us."

Getting to that point can be a tall order for many of us, since society is always telling us how to be and what to want, and shoving distractions in our faces at every turn.  It took me a long time to realize that you have to Love Yourself First.  Not the self that you wish you were (skinnier, smarter, whatever) but the person you are NOW.

Loving yourself also helps you to feel empathy for others. A recent study found that ‘Generation Y,’ or whatever today’s college-age group is called, has barely  half the level of empathy we did 20 or more years ago…  Little wonder, since we live in over-stimulated, reality TV-dominated, instant-gratification, money-strapped times.  Without empathy, one has less concern for others’ feelings, and welfare. That study explains a lot about the sense of apathy and lack of civility which seems to permeate our society lately.  We seem to be much less conscientious. All the more reason to get back in touch with our ‘true selves.’ 

I've been practicing yoga for about seven years now. I still have a long way to go before I can cross my legs behind my head (it’s not really a goal of mine!) or do a handstand, and I may never get there. But I have learned a lot about myself, through the practice and teachings of yoga. Yoga is about physical and mental connection. (and spiritual, too)

A man named Patanjali, who lived in what is now India in the 2^nd century B.C., is said to be the ‘father’ of yoga.  Pre-dating Christ, he came up with a set of teachings on how to be a good human. Yoga is not a religion, but has long been a way of life, and these Yoga Sutras are at the core of it. There are hundreds of principles in the Sutras, which could be called the ‘moral code’ of yoga. They are guidelines to living a life of inner peace and living harmoniously with others.

Below are Patanjali's five ‘Yamas,' part one of the eight ‘limbs’ of ashtanga yoga.  But they apply to everyone, not just ‘yogis.’   

• Ahimsa:  Non-violence. This means non-violence in feelings, thoughts, words and actions (including toward yourself).  Maintain compassion for yourself and others. Be kind, and treat all things with care. 

• Satya:  Truth/Honesty.  Be truthful in thoughts, words, deeds. Be true to yourself. Integrity. But, have compassion to know when not to speak a truth if it will hurt someone else's feelings (Ahimsa)

• Asteya: ‘Non-stealing’. In addition to not taking what is not yours, it also means do not take more than you need. Do not neglect yourself and rob yourself of potential.  Be conscientious.

• Bramacharya:  ‘Non-Lust’.  Sometimes translated as celibacy it means act in moderation, have self-discipline, show fidelity (avoid meaningless sexual encounters). Live life in balance; control your impulses to better control your life.

• Aparigraha:  ‘Non-greed.’  Do not be greedy in terms of material things, but also do not be jealous, envious, impatient. Let go of material stuff, since it just gets in the way of enlightenment. Live simply.

[Note the similarities with the ‘10 Commandments.’ There is a lot of evidence to suggest that Christ was actually influenced by Buddhist and Hindu philosophies during the years not accounted for in the Bible.’]

These basic tenets of human interaction are so relevant, even after more than two centuries. 2200 years ago, humans were grappling with the same crap we deal with now!  But if we can find the courage and commitment to work on ourselves – then the world will be better off in the long run. And maybe 2200 years from now things will be different?

"How are we supposed to focus inward when everything around us is always ON and clamoring for attention?" you ask?  

Stop and just sit. Contemplate the wind moving the leaves, or the shifting shapes of the clouds. Stop judging others. Take a good look at yourself.  Be grateful.  It will help you appreciate others, and the wonders of everyday. 

“We need to be the change we wish to see in the world…” (Ghandi said that)

Remember, real happiness can only be found within.  If you truly love yourself, you can love the world.  And if you love the world, you want to save it!  

Now go put that plastic bottle in the 

recycling bin!  (Please…)

Good links: 

Ode Magazine post about 'reclaiming our true selves'

The Happiness Project

Special thanks to Lewis Rothlein, Shari Bolduc-Masters, Erica Boucher, and all of my yoga teachers past and present.  

All photos by me, except the post-it note.