Terrorists Should Do Yoga
If only terrorists would do yoga then we’d have world peace
I know — you’re rolling your eyes, thinking, “what is this granola hippie thinking, really?” But hear me out.
Yoga has been a proven mindful, physical, and emotional strengthener while also being a negativity diminisher. With yoga comes stress relief, a more mindful way of living, people seem to eat better, are more joyful, happier, healthier and want to extend those feelings of happiness and love unto others.
During the practice of yoga there is mindfulness, there is concentrated, focused breathing, which we call drishti. This is a calm, focused gaze ahead. It helps the individual to focus more on the body work of yoga. Connecting breath with movement. There is ‘tapas’ or the heat you build up as you move through the vinyasas, or flow from pose to pose.
When you are done with the days practice, the instructor typically encourages everyone to shine his or her light out in the world and to help make this world a better place. We end with ‘namaste’, which means the divine in me loves and accepts the divine light in you, more or less. Before, during, and after a yoga practice we offer greetings and blessings to one another. We leave feeling fulfilled, needed, wanted, and good.
Now, if only we could get the terrorists, and the politicians to do yoga. They too would be asked to be mindful of breath, asked to relax, and asked to go with the flow. Perhaps if we all did yoga we would achieve a greater worldwide happiness, and then we could have world peace.
Sounds shocking? But it doesn’t have to be this hard.
It was recently described to me that terrorist killings and the fighting in the Middle East is more like killing one another over whose imaginary friend is the best. To some degree, it’s true.
Those who seek to harm others or cause destruction unto others is angry, has lost his or her way in the world, and is compelled to harm or kill others to justify their cause, their beliefs. It’s all a big cosmic joke, in fact. I don’t mean that lightly.
At the root of terrorism are several potential factors that have pushed someone or a terrorist group up the “staircase to terrorism” as the evidence suggests. Whether it is poverty, revenge, trying to assume powerfulness, among other factors, individuals create terror in others to justify themselves, their beliefs, and their demands.
If only terrorists would stop, pause, and think, then they would realize the hurt and destruction they are creating. If only the terrorists would do yoga, which brings about tranquility, mindfulness, acceptance, understanding, and tolerance, perhaps there would be less angst in the world. There could be less hatred and anger.
Maybe if the terrorists would realize that we are all humans being, that we all have struggles and fears, and pain that maybe they could be a little nicer toward their fellow man or be an understanding human who is also ‘being’ in this world.
Yoga is currently offered to Africans in Kenya, to prisoners, to veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to victims of domestic violence. Surely, terrorists need to learn to breathe deeply, open their heart in ‘camel’, and find solace in ‘savasana’. There is a deeper understanding of oneself and the world we are in while engaging in the practice of yoga.
If only the terrorists and politicians too, and world leaders, and everyone for that matter, would take at least 30 minutes out of their day. They would be able to create a little space for yoga, to detoxify the mind and the body. The world could be a more tolerant, resilient, and respectful place in which we can all live. By extension, then we could all just continue on our life’s journey as humans…being.
Namaste
