Reeling it in with carrah quigley
Like many American yoga teachers, I became fascinated with Yoga philosophy because it engaged so much on the contemplative and actual living level. It taught breath, movement and gave heart advice for a troubled, insecure mind like mine. I knew, however, as a religion major, to be skeptical about anyone or anything saying their scripture or philosophy is a “handbook for life.” I have been disheartened to watch such young and impressionable people being told Yoga is the one and only way to enlightenment or that it contains realistic enlightenment at all. It makes me want to ask the question: Is the quest for enlightenment worth it when it ignores actual reality?
After the death of George Floyd, a public execution, for which George’s only crime was to be black in America, I began to see yoga teachers posting on social media things like, “We need to respond and not react,” “You choose who you are before you’re born,” “That policeman will have his karma one day,” “This is all an illusion, we are waking up to our light,” and my personal favorite, “You are responsible for your suffering.” Did George Floyd choose his fate that day? Was there no responsibility for the police officer or society as a whole?
After centuries of injustice isn’t the only proper response a reaction? Is it up to karma to decide justice or actual people? I’m not sure George Floyd’s daughter would consider reality an illusion when she misses her father. He is no longer alive, there is an indisputable permanence to that. Or would you like to tell her about how she’ll see him again in another form? Is that any kind of truly compassionate consolation?
How dare anyone tell marginalized people that we should unite and get to the bottom of how they created their suffering. This is yoga philosophy gone too far. Yoga philosophy was not invented for modern American lives. It wasn’t even meant for women or children. It’s not eternal, immortal or infallible because nothing is. When taken to the extreme, it can cause tremendous damage, as we are seeing the more selfish and self centered barbs take hold. The idea that reality is an illusion is part of what makes us so disabled when trying to confront our societal problems. Why bother fighting for social justice if it’s all part of the “Maya?”
Yoga was made for people preparing to leave society. It was made for a time in man’s life when he was withdrawing from responsibilities. Yet, we’d like to think Yoga is a starring example of non-violence and equality in all things. There might be many of those examples in the philosophy, but are they made for us to drop everything and take them on fully and completely in modern American living? In this way, I see many American yoga teachers practicing Yoga like they are Fundamentalist Christians. Any pushback or questioning of their “doctrine” and you’re reminded of Ahimsa, the non-violent approach.
In today’s social media, you can’t question or judge the extreme view or for that matter conspiracy theories which seem to have now been labeled as “opinions.” To question Yoga philosophy as a rational means of living lately is tantamount to violence. Ahimsa is a good thing to practice when thinking about moods, tones and words, but when calling out Q followers who think the Corona Virus a hoax, are we not supposed to swiftly and undeniably separate ourselves from such inhumane rhetoric?
Allowing conspiracy theories, social injustice and racism to flourish unheeded is one of the most violent things I can think of. We have to get more comfortable with reacting appropriately. This means calling out selfish ideas of enlightenment and being fierce in curbing over use of platitudes that can further the damage they are trying to eliminate. Personal philosophies should never be held at the expense of the collective. We must be careful that our road to enlightenment isn’t creating the very suffering it’s trying to expel. It’s time to reel it in.