Your and my inner spirituality are closely related, including Ahimsa, including the disillusionment, including the self-criticism, including the focus on wholeness and spirituality especially in times of tyranny.
My source of spiritual strength is different, in that I love to read Polybius, Sallust, and Tacitus, and through these historians, one learns how under tyrants one spiritually thrives.
It is especially haunting to read Tacitus and see the human nature of powerful Senators in the face of a Tyrant were in ancient times as fearful and sycophantic as today, and how Senator Tacitus under the cruel Domitian had outwardly to comply but behind the scenes take care of widows and children of great Stoics put to death by Domitian.
We need not wonder today at the disappointing performance of Senators who know better.
It all plays out in the Annals of Tacitus.
Your writing is so beautiful and expressive of high intellect, a love for beauty and the human person, and integrity.
The photo shows a strong, spiritual person, whom I love to call a friend and whom I admire for her core values and integrity.
Thank you, Armando. I am not familiar with Polybius, Sallust, and Tacitus, but i think that universal truths can be said differently by different sources. We learn so much from each other here on Substack, and I appreciate how much you have taught me as a fellow writer and seeker.
Compassion! Like you, as a yoga practitioner and (former) Catholic, the 'rules' suggested are sometimes hard to digest. I like the Yamas and niyamas because they shed a positive spin on living your life. Not easy of course, as we are all human. But like yoga, living life is a practice and how you move with intention and compassion. Didn't Jesus teach compassion and empathy? Caring for others and ourselves-that's how I try to live my life, with compassion and empathy.
We can share a smile, thought, action with others even as a simple, "I'm with you.". As I leave for my shift at the food pantry today, I am afraid to see who doesn't show up today as ICE is here in Chicago doing the deportation work imposed by ONN. It sucks, and I for one think that's not how Jesus, Buddha or anyone with a heart or conscience would act. Ahimsa.
First, HELL YES, Jesus taught compassion and empathy. He was LOVE personified and gave us the golden rule: Treat your neighbor as yourself.
I appreciate your work at the food pantry, and I hope your people are still there today and tomorrow until they get on their feet. ONN targeted democratic states, including Utah, because of the democratic governor to get back at them.
My favorite-the Golden Rule (that’s what makes me so mad at ONN and people who F** can’t be NICE!) Is it really that hard? Back from the food pantry now and was happy to see many of the same faces. Chicago is a Sanctuary City and we have many newcomers from Venezuela and Ecuador. Our Democratic governor and mayor will not stand for ONNs deportations here but still there are fearful people here. It’s awful.
Ilona, this is a beautiful post. Thank you. I wish you a path to those who will not disappoint you particularly in the yoga community. I'm grateful to have connected with you here on Substack. And that photo rocks! 💕
Another great post, Ilona. You and I have briefly touched on our mutual disappointment in the yoga community. The lack of integrity, the gas-lighting, and tolerance of bad behavior from leaders in the community is a microcosm of the macrocosm. Thankfully, for those of us disillusioned with the yoga world, the teachings are real, sustainable, and alive. It still doesn't take away the sting and hurt and, yes, anger that you, I, and so many others who have taught and do our best to live by these teachings feel. Thank you for posting the quote. Your photo is gorgeous, and in my neck of the yoga woods, it's also called Goddess Pose, which you certainly are.
Very well said about yoga being a microcosm of the larger sickness of our society. I agree that the teachings have withstood the test of time, and are just as useful and valid as they were 4,000 years ago. Namaste,my dear yoga friend 🤍
Yes, I think of the teachings as being alive and that people can either nurture them within or misuse them at their will. Nurturing and embodying the teachings is another way to be a peaceful resistor of what we're facing.
Brilliant take, and writing , on the complexity of it all, and thank you for the mini lessons on yoga and sharing your teachings with us. Somehow we will get through this - compassion and supporting one another go a long way.
I was thinking of your post while in Downward Dog...
How beautiful the poses are versus the industry surrounding the poses.
When I was an active poet in the poet "industry," I found that the poems themselves were beautiful places to inhabit, but that the industry of trying to make it as an artist was just as susceptible to any industry-- mixed in with the beauty was nepotistic conferences, favoritism, competition, and dualistic egoic mindsets.
I find that any industry with a halo (we are dong good, creating good, spreading good) is susceptible to the same corruption and shadows of any human mind. Perhaps sometimes just as bad if not worse because it is "not supposed to be that way."
My mother was a corporate executive powerhouse who took me to her trade shows and had me work in her office from a young age so I was around it. I remember my surprise when I found it in art which was my retreat from growing up in the shadows of Wall Street.
Yes, your comment reminds me what we are called to do in yoga. Do the practice and detach from the fruits of our actions. It's so much simpler to just be in it...yoga, poetry, any creative act, and not be attached the outcome. I'm learning this in multiple ways right now. Commercialization only looks at the end product, but there is no end in yoga.
"Ahimsa is an inside job." Hell yeah! We are being tested. This hero journey is like a birth, from the inside out. It is not as obvious as the call to adventure and then killing some enemy and coming back all changed. This one is an ancestral healing and looking at history and sayin, Woah, we are here. How can I move this forward.
I always love your fierceness and your Aries peaceful warrior spirit!
Thank you, fellow Aries! This is a very slow, painful, and deliberate process we find ourselves within. We are called to witness the pain of the vulnerable and do our acts of mercy within our families and communities. I know we're vibing, Aries-girl.
What a beautiful way of tying your yoga and catholic journey into our current malaise. As one who feels everything, I am overwhelmed, therefore your words are quite helpful. I am constantly disappointed in the behavior of people in power at all levels and have learned to be cautious. I am thankful that I have creative outlets to keep myself grounded.
Oh, this piece, so nuanced, so beautifully articulated, so masterfully representative of the things I have struggled with. I grew up Mormon, and still live in Utah, and (especially) in this current world, I feel a sense of profound betrayal. I have also felt that way with mainstream yoga. It's as if we've both encountered the shadow side of spirituality, where institutions that promise enlightenment can instead lead to disillusionment and betrayal. But I wonder if this isn't simply the nature of any human-created system. Perhaps the true path to spiritual growth lies not in finding perfect institutions, but in cultivating our own inner wisdom and compassion.
This is a really beautiful essay on yoga, spirituality, and how no matter what, we need to stand up and speak out to cruelty of all kinds. Thanks for the teachings and wise voice of Swamini Shraddhananda Saraswati. For me, self-care is daily walking in the forest with my beloved dog and speaking with the Ancestors/inner wisdom, followed by (yes) yoga with beloved dog and two indoor cats who like to do asana and savasana. Supporting local organic markets by buying fruit and vegetables and creating from-scratch meals, a dance my husband and I share daily. Reading amazing books such as Isabel Wilkerson, Javier Zamora, and Ketanji Brown Jackson with my husband and talking about them over espresso as a great blue heron arrives at dawn to perch just outside. Creating a support group for women of all ages who want to become clean and sober and love and care about each other with full hearts, laughing and weeping. Advocating for heritage forests, shorelines, and habitat for wildlife. Thanks for being here, Ilona.
You have created a vibrant picture of the lovely life you and your husband lead, Kirie. I can envision you walking that Pacific NW forest with your companion pup. I love it when our creatures join us in yoga because they like that vibe, too. Your work is a beautiful reflection of who you are. I am honored to know you even if it's only electronically.
You think, live and write so well. I'm not into Yoga. But I am into the spirit of it.
I remember when Google had as its guiding statement something like: "Do no Harm"
It continues to astound me that we don't, as a national community, put that at the top of the list of attributes for our leaders. So much anger. So much applause for hurtful actions.
I keep thinking there is something in the water or our food supplies that is blocking the empathy factor and making so many hate. The richest nation to have ever existed and we can only think about hoarding and depriving.
I don't think Democrats are perfect at all but they don't seem as diabolical or malicious as the Republicans. There's an overt current of evil, and living beside it is so difficult. We must remember that we're not helpless or powerless, and your Substack writing is a force for good.
I read a study years ago - a brain study comparing Dem to Reps. What struck me was that Rep's had - was it smaller amygdalas? It was a part of the brain that governs/creates empathy, caring for others in general. As a lifelong Dem, even before I could vote, I did note that difference and I still do today. I'm never going to bash any Dem for how she or he acts. We don't need to judge each other. We need to stand together and keep going. I desperately yearned for eight years led by a brilliant woman and wise sweet man, a better society and world for all. Instead we got a nightmare. If we're going to survive, we need each other now.
Yes, we need each other for sure. I also heard of a study years ago, and it said that Republicans are not as receptive to change, and also value traditional lifestyles much more. It's interesting, but I still think MAGAs are in a cult, and that we can't reach them until they can finally see for themselves. That's the problem with a cult-outsiders have no power of influence.
Ilona...I learned more about yoga than I ever knew and also more about you, who I admire even more. I mirror so much of your internal struggles with compassion for those who seem gleeful in the face of ONN. It's an internal struggle I face daily, and sometimes it just feels like there's a dark cloud over my head I can't get rid of. I'm going to subscribe to the newsletter you suggested. Perhaps knowing what actions I can take will help me feel less helpless under the onslaught.
Yes, your action matters, even if it is something small. It will also make you feel a bit more at peace. Regarding the dark cloud, maybe start imagining it over those who find happiness in other's misery.
Ilona, thank you for this article today. I needed to read it as I was trying to deal with some internet trolls. It used to happen sporadically on LinkedIn. Now it's happening more and more on Substack.
Yes, I saw you wrote about the internet trolls. They're bothering me, too. As soon as I block and report one, another pops up. We have a game here in the USA called Wack-a-mole. Have you heard of it?
Ilona Goanos: Whew!
This is beautiful and phenomenal.
Your and my inner spirituality are closely related, including Ahimsa, including the disillusionment, including the self-criticism, including the focus on wholeness and spirituality especially in times of tyranny.
My source of spiritual strength is different, in that I love to read Polybius, Sallust, and Tacitus, and through these historians, one learns how under tyrants one spiritually thrives.
It is especially haunting to read Tacitus and see the human nature of powerful Senators in the face of a Tyrant were in ancient times as fearful and sycophantic as today, and how Senator Tacitus under the cruel Domitian had outwardly to comply but behind the scenes take care of widows and children of great Stoics put to death by Domitian.
We need not wonder today at the disappointing performance of Senators who know better.
It all plays out in the Annals of Tacitus.
Your writing is so beautiful and expressive of high intellect, a love for beauty and the human person, and integrity.
The photo shows a strong, spiritual person, whom I love to call a friend and whom I admire for her core values and integrity.
Thank you, Armando. I am not familiar with Polybius, Sallust, and Tacitus, but i think that universal truths can be said differently by different sources. We learn so much from each other here on Substack, and I appreciate how much you have taught me as a fellow writer and seeker.
Compassion! Like you, as a yoga practitioner and (former) Catholic, the 'rules' suggested are sometimes hard to digest. I like the Yamas and niyamas because they shed a positive spin on living your life. Not easy of course, as we are all human. But like yoga, living life is a practice and how you move with intention and compassion. Didn't Jesus teach compassion and empathy? Caring for others and ourselves-that's how I try to live my life, with compassion and empathy.
We can share a smile, thought, action with others even as a simple, "I'm with you.". As I leave for my shift at the food pantry today, I am afraid to see who doesn't show up today as ICE is here in Chicago doing the deportation work imposed by ONN. It sucks, and I for one think that's not how Jesus, Buddha or anyone with a heart or conscience would act. Ahimsa.
First, HELL YES, Jesus taught compassion and empathy. He was LOVE personified and gave us the golden rule: Treat your neighbor as yourself.
I appreciate your work at the food pantry, and I hope your people are still there today and tomorrow until they get on their feet. ONN targeted democratic states, including Utah, because of the democratic governor to get back at them.
My favorite-the Golden Rule (that’s what makes me so mad at ONN and people who F** can’t be NICE!) Is it really that hard? Back from the food pantry now and was happy to see many of the same faces. Chicago is a Sanctuary City and we have many newcomers from Venezuela and Ecuador. Our Democratic governor and mayor will not stand for ONNs deportations here but still there are fearful people here. It’s awful.
Thank you for bearing witness for them. 🤍
If everyone did one small act of kindness…..💜 namaste
Ilona, this is a beautiful post. Thank you. I wish you a path to those who will not disappoint you particularly in the yoga community. I'm grateful to have connected with you here on Substack. And that photo rocks! 💕
Thanks, girl! I am happy to have connected with you as well.
Another great post, Ilona. You and I have briefly touched on our mutual disappointment in the yoga community. The lack of integrity, the gas-lighting, and tolerance of bad behavior from leaders in the community is a microcosm of the macrocosm. Thankfully, for those of us disillusioned with the yoga world, the teachings are real, sustainable, and alive. It still doesn't take away the sting and hurt and, yes, anger that you, I, and so many others who have taught and do our best to live by these teachings feel. Thank you for posting the quote. Your photo is gorgeous, and in my neck of the yoga woods, it's also called Goddess Pose, which you certainly are.
Very well said about yoga being a microcosm of the larger sickness of our society. I agree that the teachings have withstood the test of time, and are just as useful and valid as they were 4,000 years ago. Namaste,my dear yoga friend 🤍
Yes, I think of the teachings as being alive and that people can either nurture them within or misuse them at their will. Nurturing and embodying the teachings is another way to be a peaceful resistor of what we're facing.
Excellent issue and thank you for suggesting newsletter that includes ways to take actions towards better
Jessica is the bomb. She even gives you a script you can read when speaking to your state's leadership.
Brilliant take, and writing , on the complexity of it all, and thank you for the mini lessons on yoga and sharing your teachings with us. Somehow we will get through this - compassion and supporting one another go a long way.
One day at a time, we will get through it.
I was thinking of your post while in Downward Dog...
How beautiful the poses are versus the industry surrounding the poses.
When I was an active poet in the poet "industry," I found that the poems themselves were beautiful places to inhabit, but that the industry of trying to make it as an artist was just as susceptible to any industry-- mixed in with the beauty was nepotistic conferences, favoritism, competition, and dualistic egoic mindsets.
I find that any industry with a halo (we are dong good, creating good, spreading good) is susceptible to the same corruption and shadows of any human mind. Perhaps sometimes just as bad if not worse because it is "not supposed to be that way."
My mother was a corporate executive powerhouse who took me to her trade shows and had me work in her office from a young age so I was around it. I remember my surprise when I found it in art which was my retreat from growing up in the shadows of Wall Street.
You catch my drift?
Yes, your comment reminds me what we are called to do in yoga. Do the practice and detach from the fruits of our actions. It's so much simpler to just be in it...yoga, poetry, any creative act, and not be attached the outcome. I'm learning this in multiple ways right now. Commercialization only looks at the end product, but there is no end in yoga.
I love that… there is no end in yoga. Yes!!!
"Ahimsa is an inside job." Hell yeah! We are being tested. This hero journey is like a birth, from the inside out. It is not as obvious as the call to adventure and then killing some enemy and coming back all changed. This one is an ancestral healing and looking at history and sayin, Woah, we are here. How can I move this forward.
I always love your fierceness and your Aries peaceful warrior spirit!
Thank you, fellow Aries! This is a very slow, painful, and deliberate process we find ourselves within. We are called to witness the pain of the vulnerable and do our acts of mercy within our families and communities. I know we're vibing, Aries-girl.
What a beautiful way of tying your yoga and catholic journey into our current malaise. As one who feels everything, I am overwhelmed, therefore your words are quite helpful. I am constantly disappointed in the behavior of people in power at all levels and have learned to be cautious. I am thankful that I have creative outlets to keep myself grounded.
Creativity is grounding! Profound words, from the wise Michelle. Thank you :)
Oh, this piece, so nuanced, so beautifully articulated, so masterfully representative of the things I have struggled with. I grew up Mormon, and still live in Utah, and (especially) in this current world, I feel a sense of profound betrayal. I have also felt that way with mainstream yoga. It's as if we've both encountered the shadow side of spirituality, where institutions that promise enlightenment can instead lead to disillusionment and betrayal. But I wonder if this isn't simply the nature of any human-created system. Perhaps the true path to spiritual growth lies not in finding perfect institutions, but in cultivating our own inner wisdom and compassion.
I've come to the same conclusion. There is no perfect institution, and we should be mindful of our propensity for wanting to belong.
This is a really beautiful essay on yoga, spirituality, and how no matter what, we need to stand up and speak out to cruelty of all kinds. Thanks for the teachings and wise voice of Swamini Shraddhananda Saraswati. For me, self-care is daily walking in the forest with my beloved dog and speaking with the Ancestors/inner wisdom, followed by (yes) yoga with beloved dog and two indoor cats who like to do asana and savasana. Supporting local organic markets by buying fruit and vegetables and creating from-scratch meals, a dance my husband and I share daily. Reading amazing books such as Isabel Wilkerson, Javier Zamora, and Ketanji Brown Jackson with my husband and talking about them over espresso as a great blue heron arrives at dawn to perch just outside. Creating a support group for women of all ages who want to become clean and sober and love and care about each other with full hearts, laughing and weeping. Advocating for heritage forests, shorelines, and habitat for wildlife. Thanks for being here, Ilona.
You have created a vibrant picture of the lovely life you and your husband lead, Kirie. I can envision you walking that Pacific NW forest with your companion pup. I love it when our creatures join us in yoga because they like that vibe, too. Your work is a beautiful reflection of who you are. I am honored to know you even if it's only electronically.
You think, live and write so well. I'm not into Yoga. But I am into the spirit of it.
I remember when Google had as its guiding statement something like: "Do no Harm"
It continues to astound me that we don't, as a national community, put that at the top of the list of attributes for our leaders. So much anger. So much applause for hurtful actions.
I keep thinking there is something in the water or our food supplies that is blocking the empathy factor and making so many hate. The richest nation to have ever existed and we can only think about hoarding and depriving.
I don't think Democrats are perfect at all but they don't seem as diabolical or malicious as the Republicans. There's an overt current of evil, and living beside it is so difficult. We must remember that we're not helpless or powerless, and your Substack writing is a force for good.
I read a study years ago - a brain study comparing Dem to Reps. What struck me was that Rep's had - was it smaller amygdalas? It was a part of the brain that governs/creates empathy, caring for others in general. As a lifelong Dem, even before I could vote, I did note that difference and I still do today. I'm never going to bash any Dem for how she or he acts. We don't need to judge each other. We need to stand together and keep going. I desperately yearned for eight years led by a brilliant woman and wise sweet man, a better society and world for all. Instead we got a nightmare. If we're going to survive, we need each other now.
Yes, we need each other for sure. I also heard of a study years ago, and it said that Republicans are not as receptive to change, and also value traditional lifestyles much more. It's interesting, but I still think MAGAs are in a cult, and that we can't reach them until they can finally see for themselves. That's the problem with a cult-outsiders have no power of influence.
Thank you, Ilona. Wise words.
Happy to see you're back with us, Cherie.
Ilona...I learned more about yoga than I ever knew and also more about you, who I admire even more. I mirror so much of your internal struggles with compassion for those who seem gleeful in the face of ONN. It's an internal struggle I face daily, and sometimes it just feels like there's a dark cloud over my head I can't get rid of. I'm going to subscribe to the newsletter you suggested. Perhaps knowing what actions I can take will help me feel less helpless under the onslaught.
Yes, your action matters, even if it is something small. It will also make you feel a bit more at peace. Regarding the dark cloud, maybe start imagining it over those who find happiness in other's misery.
Human frailty weakened further by the greed for wealth and power destroys that which is holy.
That encapsulates how I feel, and I couldn't have said that any better, Frederick.
Ilona, thank you for this article today. I needed to read it as I was trying to deal with some internet trolls. It used to happen sporadically on LinkedIn. Now it's happening more and more on Substack.
Yes, I saw you wrote about the internet trolls. They're bothering me, too. As soon as I block and report one, another pops up. We have a game here in the USA called Wack-a-mole. Have you heard of it?
No. Is it something where you wack a head that pops out of hole? If it’s this is what I feel like doing.
Yes, you whack them as they pop up with a mallet. The game never ends. 🤣