Why you need to stretch your mind & body to build peace.
By Nathalie Bittar
Nathalie runs Blue Nile Lotus, the first yoga studio in Sudan. Along with Samara Andrade and Emily Pantalone, she will be presenting yoga workshops and classes at Build Peace 2016, which takes place September 9–11 at ETH Zürich, in Switzerland. For more, see our conference programs.
If yoga brings to mind images of super flexible individuals whose bodies mold into crazy acrobatic shapes, of ashrams and gurus, and of spiritual traditions that involve lots of Om-ing and incense, it may be that going to a yoga class requires a little courage. And yet, in the center of Khartoum, Sudan, a small studio opened its doors for first timers to come and practice yoga. Because of the absurdity of having a yoga studio in Sudan, many came to try yoga and surprisingly kept coming.
The majority of people who came to the Blue Nile Lotus yoga studio were foreigners working for the United Nations or NGOs searching for an afternoon activity and for a community of like-minded individuals. Over time, peacebuilders, activists and development workers returned to class and the community grew considerably. Why was it that people continued to come? They were getting a good workout and were meeting interesting people, but there was more. The majority of students who left Khartoum after their posting continued their yoga practice abroad and a large number of students have since completed a yoga teacher training certification. What were the peacebuilders, activists and development workers finding in the practice of yoga that helped them in their day to day lives and in their work?
Most of the peace builders who came to Sudan spoke little or no Arabic. They understood the political discourse but the cultural norms were new to them. They came because of a desire to help and be of service. Although they came with university degrees, past experiences and the backing of large organizations like the UN, integrating into a completely foreign culture and society required skills that are rarely formally taught. For instance, how to relate to someone who speaks a different language, looks unlike you and has a different religion? How to tap into our common humanity and connect with the ‘locals’ who you are meeting for the first time? As a peace builder, how do you notice when you close up because of a fear that you have been misunderstood? In those situations, can you re-calibrate, open up and fortify the connection to create a genuine collaboration with the locals?
At the core of these situations reside human relationships. The relationship with self and with others. Here is where I feel yoga supports the work that peacebuilders, activist and development workers do. Yoga requires self-study, it requires that you witness yourself so that you can come to understand yourself more intimately and in turn others.
In yoga we start with self-care and work with the body. The movements in the yoga practice are specifically designed to encourage stretching so that space is created in the vertebral column, between the joints and bones in the body. Most students will feel a sense of spaciousness at the end of class whether they touched their toes or not.
With the body relaxed and open, the practice of concentration is introduced. Concentration refers to training the mind in letting go of the chatter, conversations and competing priorities. During a yoga class you concentrate on one thing, usually the breath, and through this focus you reduce the noise in the mind creating space in your stream of thoughts. With the ability to focus, one can analyze a situation or an emotion with less obscurations and with more clarity. Training the muscle of concentration allows us to uncover a range of emotions and thoughts like anger, fear, vulnerability, addictions in addition to patience, generosity, a sense of fearlessness or true acceptance. Whatever the emotion is we see it, and in witnessing we allow it to breathe. In this way we come to know ourselves more honestly and in turn we begin to be sensitive and tolerant to these emotions when we recognize them in friends, family and co-workers.
Today as divisions between religions and races are intensifying, practices that allow us to tap into our humanity and see the connections are instrumental. Without these practices the definition of the ‘other religion’ or the ‘other nationality’ solidifies over time and justifies divisive and harmful behaviors that will take years to heal.
As individuals who wish to manifest peace, we need the opportunity for self-reflection so that our intentions are in alignment with our actions. In a yoga class, an hour is dedicated to helping each one tap into their sense of stillness and clarity to cultivate the ground for self-reflection. Yoga is not the only practice that facilitates this experience. For instance, if you are able to play football, remain focused on your breath or the ball as you run up and down the playing field and then sit at the end of the game and examine your mind, then football is also a perfect choice for honest self-reflection.
Similar to the yoga studio in Khartoum, the Build Peace conference is an unexpected place to practice yoga or to try yoga for the first time. At the same time, it is the perfect space to explore a new practice that reconnects us to our personal inner experience of peace and hear and discuss with co-workers about their experiences. We invite you to join us to gain insights that help you to not just think about, but actually feel peaceful, clear and compassionate so that these qualities emanate from you as you engage with the world.
During Build Peace, join us at the:
- Yoga & Trauma workshop: Friday September 9th from 16:00–18:00
- Health & Wellness for Peacebuilders workshop: Saturday September 10th from 14:00–16:00
- Morning yoga classes: Saturday September 10th & Sunday September 11th from 7:30–8:30
