Chaos, Order and Yoga

By Tarik Dervish

People are terrified by chaos. I don't blame them. It is so unsettling to know that just beyond the very thin veneer of order there is a powerful force that can destroy everything we've built in an instant and without mercy. Climate change brings uncertainty ever closer to our door. A flood, a fire, a quake, a war can wipe out a lifetime of nurturing in a matter of minutes.

Destruction is painful because we know that rebuilding is hard work but it can also be an opportunity to build something better than before so that it serves us better ultimately. Yoga teaches us that everything is temporary but we don't really believe it until something happens to us and our lives are turned upside down.

The Hindu deity Shiva represents the destructive force, Vishnu, the force that maintains balance and order and Brahma the creative force of the new. All three represent the fundamental trinity of life which none of us can ultimately avoid.

Yoga is like a refuge from the uncertainty of worldly life. When you have nowhere to go, where do you turn? You turn within. It is one of the most repeated lessons in classical yogic texts. The world 'out there' is capricious and one can never be absolutely sure of what will happen next. Yoga provides a constant because it trains us to commune with our very souls and teaches us to know when to hold on and when to let go. To know when to accept that everything is as it should be and when to fight for something better. The Gita teaches us that sometimes it is right to take up arms and fight for what is right and other times to remain passive. It takes yogic wisdom to understand what is 'right action'.

Yoga practice is more important than ever before. Don't let it slip. Don't allow that refuge to erode through neglect or distraction. Keep your eye on the ball.

form-idea.com London, 1st September 2021.

Tarik's website : yogawell.co.uk