Dear Yogis,

I am sure you have heard the story that demonstrated UBUNTU.  A foreign anthropologist is visiting India.  He sets up an experiment, and places up a bag of fruit under a tree.  He then asks children from a local village to stand behind a line and get ready to fetch the basket when he signals “go”.  The understanding was that the first person to reach the basket would win the basket.    To his great surprise, when he signalled the word “go”, the children held hands and ran to the basket together.

Then under the tree they enjoyed the fruit, together.  When they were asked why they did that, a little girl answered with a question “How can any one of us be happy when the others are sad?”.

Years later Desmond Tutu explained UBUNTU (or, “I am because we are”) as the philosophy behind the girl’s answer.  In this Divine Time, it could be that this philosophy that might ease the collective stress. In the spirit of Ubuntu we could walk towards our common humanity and hopefully pave the way for a more empathetic future.

Talking about the common future and humanity… To all you lovely people who are enjoying Zoom yoga.   All kinds of yoga – nidra, pranayama etc.. not just hatha.  The advertisers have sat up and taken notice. Yoga philosophy is not the basis for an advertising response, however,  as there has been an average increase of about 4,000% in people tuning in to on-line yoga (they may not have been actually doing it) . .there will be an advertising response.

For some time,  I have been videoing aspects of yoga that asks my viewers to re-assess needs and wants.  A message of SIMPLICITY.  I do not expect that advertisers will swamp my site… or my viewers with the “more, more, more” message, and I have not monetised any of my sites.  I ask my viewers to chuck their lycra, the designer mats, the decor blocks etc in favour of comfortable – My message of simplicity is not an advertisers dream.  Think about it.  Do your children really need “Micky Mouse” mats, or can you cut an old mat to fit?  Do we need to share our physique with the class, diamonds in the navel, tattoos on the  rear? Will the latest colour or style change the substance?  What do you want?

When I was teaching large classes of people in recovery, it was always easy to see who actually was recovering.  Not just those who met the physical criteria of “cured”.  People who were actually recovering came to every class (or massage/consultation session) early and sat in the quiet after helping put out the mats  – they didn’t sit on the deck smoking and flirting, or planning the after-class coffees.  They helped others get organised, waited until the class had left before leaving, and made sure the room was as it was when they arrived.  They walked back to the residence quietly.  Yoga changed them and they wanted to know how.  They cared about the experience, not just theirs, but the experience of others.  What do you want?  What do you have? What will you do when you get what you want? Why will you do it?

This can be a time of Peace, Forgiveness and Growth.  It will soon be over (until the next time).  I am taking this time to do advanced herbal therapy study, more philosophy, more of everything I can to help you when you come back to class and to the studio..  YOU are why I do what I do.   I like personal emails,  or you – the whole person –  to be WITH ME in the studio….

To do yoga, it’s your mind that matters.

Keep warm, keep safe, share.

Namaste – JAHNE