Consciousness Will Rise – Whether You Like It or Not
By Kristine Kaoverii Weber | September 3, 2020
Last week one email in particular made me choke on my morning tea, “Get the hell out of here with this pandering nonsense. Most people that do Yoga are enlightened and not racist.”
We released a new course last Wednesday evening (a week ago) called “Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism” and by Thursday morning, my inbox and Facebook feed was full of kind, supportive messages – lots of congratulations, lots of appreciation, lots of comments about courage and dharma.
But the brain is like Teflon for the positive, so that stuff slid off like a couple of fried eggs on Sunday morning while this particular email was nasty velcro. She concluded her rant with “this is completely the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”
If I could see her in person I might innocently inquire: “Really? The stupidest? Have you watched TV lately?”
I’m just about 2 years in to my online yoga teaching career. I’ve done a pretty good job of learning to detach from the Velcro. So, ripping this particular one off was gratifying in a hurts-so-good kind of way.
A few other detractors wrote things like they “don’t believe yoga should be politicized.” And that it made them “feel uncomfortable.”
Okay. This course is not about politics, it’s about ethics.
And I would offer that I don’t believe in, and I’m not comfortable with, Black people being murdered. I don’t believe in, and I’m not comfortable with, the jacked-up-racism-on-steroids homicidal behavior of a 17-year-old vigilante.
But what I do believe is that the tools of yoga, particularly the ethics, can be instrumental in contributing to anti-racism.
My question for the detractors is this: What is yoga for? Is it okay to appropriate something from a formerly colonized culture to help you feel sexy? Build your abs? Relax and escape from the world? Use however else you wish?
Ātmano mokṣārtham jagat hitāya ca. In my opinion, this is what yoga is for – “the liberation of the self and for the well-being of the world.” This sloka comes from the Rg Veda, the oldest of the Indian texts, and was taught by Ramakrishna in the late 19th century and later became the motto of the Ramakrishna mission.
The western adaptation of yoga as a spa-like experience is a problem often accompanied by spiritual bypassing and white privilege.
“Spiritual bypassing,” a term coined by the transpersonal psychologist, John Welwood, is the “tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks”.
BTW his wife, Jennifer Welwood is also a brilliant psychotherapist and poet – my favorite line from her poem Unconditional is:
“Each condition I flee from pursues me, Each condition I welcome transforms me.”
I would suggest that when we stop fleeing from the issue of racism and instead welcome it, there is great potential for transformation.
John coined the term “spiritual bypassing” to help his Bay Area clients in the New Agey 80s overcome some of the white privileged tinged-thinking (which continues to proliferate today) that uses spirituality as a tool for deep denial.
But this is not an adequate or even remotely useful strategy for achieving inner peace and happiness and it does nothing to address intractable social problems.
Fast forward to the clusterf@#k that is 2020 and spiritual bypassing shows up not just as an individual issue, but as a cultural way to whitewash the difficult conversations that we so desperately need to have.
When the world is on fire, yogis have some powerful tools to bring rain. Not by retreating and pretending the bad stuff will go away if we stick our heads in the sand, but by engaging meaningfully and thoughtfully in personal and social problem solving. We are called to draw on the inner strength we harvest from our personal practice and then step out into the world to make positive change happen.
So, let’s talk cosmology for a moment.
Various strains of Indian thought have taught that consciousness unfolds from the limitless void, concretizes into matter, and then weaves itself into sentient beings in order to grow and evolve until it merges back into the cosmic ocean of Oneness. The job of the yoga practitioner is to further along this process in order to get to the truth, the essence, the unchanging reality.
Occasionally, this happens alone in a Himalayan cave, but for the most part we are muddling through this together, so why not take this life journey for our own liberation and for the well-being of the world?
If you are feeling scared or pessimistic or skeptical – those are perfectly normal responses to the crazy mess that is this moment in history. What gives me great hope and comfort is remembering the yoga teachings that consciousness rises, regardless of whether or not you believe in it, or are comfortable with it.
There is a flow that is much bigger than you or I. It happens without our permission. You can see it in the flowers bursting through the sidewalk cracks, in the fungus that is cleaning up the Chernobyl radiation, in the fact that your kids are much more woke than you are.
But you do have a choice. You can either jump into the current of consciousness and help paddle it along, and feel how that current expands you and carries you and everyone else toward the ocean of contentment, serenity and bliss. Or you can be a part of the backlash and fight against the current. You are welcome to fight against the rising tsunami of consciousness. Good luck with that.
Consciousness WILL rise, that’s its destiny. And it doesn’t care whether you like it or not.
You can find out more about our new course, Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism here.
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Just finished the Ahimsa video. Trying to sit with it before moving forward but it’s so good I don’t want to wait! Haha
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for this thoughtful sharing of what you dealt with this week. It reminds me of what many many deal with each and every day.
I never comment but today’s the day.
Thank you thank you thank you for writing this. You did it w Precision. passion. Perfectly. (& how hard is that ?!? 🙂
My comment is, with love, Yes to you Beautiful Kaoverii 💛
Thank you Patty – miss you and hope you are doing well. xoxo
Beautiful written!
Loved your rationale for why you are doing a course on ethics and racism.You are a force for good and many of us benefit from your teachings.I
Keep that Teflon going for everything, the good and the bad!
Yeah, that’s right Blu, Teflon is the way to go with the result of all our actions.
Thank you Sarah!
Love this… Thank you for offering the deeper work. And… Haters gonna hate, or spiritually bypass as the case may be, at the slightest hint of discomfort apparently 😉
so true. thanks Jen.
Thank you! I’m a middle-aged white woman. I don’t have to worry about getting shot every time I go outside. And while others who look like me may be “tired of” hearing about racism, my husband and kids are REALLY sick of experiencing it.
It’s the ultimate in privilege to turn a blind eye to what’s happening and, worse, to make heroes out of teenaged murderers.
We have to have the uncomfortable conversations. We have to listen to our BIPOC brothers and sisters.
so very true Alyssa. And I’m so sorry for what your husband and kids go through, it must be heart wrenching. take good care.
Touché!
Thankyou for sharing Kristine. Your truth is simple,band clear, and is all we should ever hold and share.
Thanks so much Tracey!
❤️❤️❤️
I will sign up, this has inspired me 🙂
Great, I hope you enjoy it.
Brilliantly written and I agree x
Well written. Bravo for shining the light! It will happen and people like you (us) will be paddling together to help keep moving the tidal flow in the right direction. Namaste. Courage, hope and peace to all in America at this time. 🙏🏻
Thank you Allison!
Thank you Francesca!
Love this, Kaoverii! Thank you for sharing your wise insight!
Thanks so much Rose❤️
Really beautifully written. I wish you all the best in the USA. My heart aches with all the hate and racism.
Thank you!
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Vivienne – your sentiments from across the globe are very much appreciated! ❤️
Amen, sister! I have been thinking about this a lot and have realized that for many yoga is something they DO; for me, yoga is something that I LIVE — or try to! Thank you for articulating this so beautifully — consciousness will rise, ready or not! (And winter is coming;) )
Thank you Diane. ❤️
I LOVE this! I just wrote a blog about spiritual bypassing myself – not nearly as beautifully written as yours. I can’t wait to take Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism…just as soon as I finish The Science of Slow!
Thanks Susan!❤️ Keep blogging, it’s so important right now!
Thanks for stepping up Kristine and helping to get this huge issue out here/there. To me it just makes sense that our practice is about healing on and off the mat. Inspirational again, and crystal clear, I like that.
Thanks Chris – I so appreciate you!
Yes! Exactly this! Thank you for going there and putting into words what so many of us are feeling. You are an inspiration to me.
Thanks Dana. ❤️
Beautiful! Just beautiful!
Thank you 🙏🏽! More of this please❤️
Thanks Elfreda!
Love your style and love how you put things – matter of fact, take no bullsh*t. Very inspiring
and yes, I can relate to the use of spirituality as an agent to avoid. I like “leaning in” now!
Thanks Kathy! I miss you and hope you are doing well! xoxo
Spot on and always so inspiring and insightful. Thank you for your work, for sharing, and for standing up. Yoga is so much more than stretching our muscles it’s stretching our mind and expanding our spirit.
Thank you Arlene – I agree!
Thank you, Kristine. I appreciate your writing and your work.
Peace and blessings,
Amy
Thank you so very much for this! This speaks volumes to each of us. Noone among us is immune to cultural influences and sometimes the unconscious ones are the ones that surface in devastating ways. May I share a link to this on social media? Namaste-focusing, Robin
thank you Robin. And yes of course, please share! Thank you so much!
I love your comment about when the world is on fire, yogis have some powerful tools to bring the rain! Love it! Love it! Love it!
Thanks Nicole!
looking forward to diving into the course!!! it is needed.. it is necessary… we must be uncomfortable to find a new place of comfort…
Yes Kimberly, I agree.
If I were in my traditional Black church I would exclaim, “Preeach!” But truly Kristine, you do so much more than preach. There’s an expression that says, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one.” You are a living, breathing, beautiful sermon! Blog-by-blog, I’ve seen you take the perilous risks of standing on and embodying your convictions of The Truth (of Creation). I have much admiration and appreciation for you.
Thank you Charlotte, that is really inspiring and I’m very humbled and grateful.
What an insightful and inspiring column! I’ve signed up for your yoga ethics to transform racism class and I’m so grateful to be able to expand my heart and mind in an effort to try to make this world a better place in my own small way. If every single one of us would strive towards improving the world, think of the powerful shift towards universal consciousness and earthly understanding there would be.
Warm Regards!
Jill H
CMT (as of 2005) & brand new yoga instructor (as of pandemic quarantine at home 2020!)
I love this last sentence.
“Consciousness WILL rise, that ’s its destiny. And it does n’t care whether you like it or not.”
What’s written here is the truth that is common to all issues.
I fully agree. Thank you always, Christine!