By George Carter
When someone asks, "What is peace?" it's one of those questions that can be answered either thoughtfully (which tends to be lengthy) or by rote (which tends to be shorter). A similar question we encounter is, "What is Yoga?"
Well, my answer to both is along the lines of, "It's where you find it, not where someone tells you it is." That is to say, it's largely a personal answer. As for this Essay, the object is to express what 'peace' is to me. Maybe this will help you find it for yourself.
I would say that a global concept of peace is well described in a speech given by John F. Kennedy at American University's commencement in 1963. I remember it well from my youth, and it still rings true today...
"...What kind of peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to hope, and build a better life for their children - not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace in all time... I realize the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war, and frequently the words of the pursuers fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task... World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor, it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement... So let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved.
And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal...'When a man's ways please the Lord,' the Scriptures tell us, 'he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.' And is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of human rights: the right to live out our lives without fear of devastation; the right to breathe air as nature provided it; the right of future generations to a healthy existence?..."
Now, I suppose this pretty well covers peace in the global or geopolitical sense, but what about for us as individuals? How can we unify or tie this all together? I've always preferred a return to principles ("back to basics") type approach to most questions as a way to keep it simple.
What I mean to say is that Yoga can tie it all together and is a great way to find peace in your life. So, for me 'peace' as an individual boils down to stillness of mind. When we are able to tame our wild, active minds and experience stillness within we have found and experienced peace. We can all do it but it sure takes a lot of practice. Stillness of mind is our goal in our Yoga practice and it's hard to find, especially for us folks in the west. That's why B.K.S. Iyengar calls Savasana the most difficult pose in all of Yoga to perform correctly. Let's all remember that and be sure we respect Savasana as the counter pose to our day's practice. Namaskar
Copyright 2007 George Carter. All rights reserved.
George Carter has been teaching and seeking to help others with special needs and is committed to helping others to improve their lives through Yoga principles. He continues his daily personal practice and studies regularly with Bob Metzler and his teaching practice is heavily influenced by the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. He is also editor for L7 Lifestyles newsletter for Lotus7 Yoga and Pilates located in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Sign up for more yoga and pilates articles at http://www.lotus7yoga.com
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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 9:49 AM
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