On Speaking Goose
Now is the time to save the humans.
I saw a baby goose running like hell through the parking lot yesterday.
Far behind were two frantic feathered parents in pursuit. The momma and poppa ran as fast as possible, but the gap between them and the baby was lengthening.
I was savoring my Sunday walk, so my dog, Polly, and I stood there and watched.
The gosling had a growing lead and was scampering at lightning speed. One of the parents flapped its wings and flew only a few feet to narrow the distance between them.
"Jeez, bird, all you have to do is fly ahead instead of running," I thought.
I mean, isn't that what wings are for?
A weekend biker saw the chase and decided to join the parents' team. His bicycle cut off the baby's path, causing Junior to veer off and lose speed.
The parents were now directly behind the baby, reuniting their little family.
I wondered why the parents endured the chase instead of just flying ahead to stop the baby?
I realize I don't speak goose, nor am I goose. It makes no sense for me to second-guess Mother Nature. I assume they were doing what all good goose parents do—letting their gosling blow off steam.
Since I'm in savoring mode, I realize I'm not good at understanding humans either.
I find the continuous spate of gun violence in the United States abhorrent. I'm angry and upset at mass shooters and supporters of the ownership of assault weapons.
I can't reconcile humans allowing other humans to be live bait. How can we all be the same human species if we care so little for one another? Most especially for our youngest ones.
You're probably thinking, this newsletter sure took a turn!
Don't worry because everything ALWAYS comes back to yoga. Especially to one of its fundamental precepts of "ahimsa."
Ahimsa means non-harm or non-injury.
Ahimsa is the ethical principle of not causing harm to other living things.
Ahimsa is one of the reasons that some yoga practitioners and Hindus are vegetarians. They don't believe in killing animals for sustenance. Likewise, ahimsa means avoiding physical violence against one another.
We practice ahimsa when we take special care to use kind words to speak to one another. Slander and gossip are not ahimsa.
Ahimsa is also evident when we buy organic food and use the best quality ingredients in cooking. We avoid ingesting toxic substances and use grooming products that are safe.
We start with ahimsa towards ourselves for the understanding to take root. When we develop this type of self-compassion, we are more likely to treat others in the same manner.
We use meditation to notice when we use derogatory language to speak to ourselves.
We use asana, or the physical practice of yoga, to attune to our tendency to go too far and hurt our bodies.
I hope you will savor and digest the concept of ahimsa, especially for yourself.
Here’s one more thing to remember: ahimsa is not passive.
We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines anymore. Take action for common sense gun legislation. Call your senators (find yours here) and your house reps (find yours here).
If you don’t know what to say, I have scripts if you need them. Simply respond to this email and I’ll send them to you.
SAVE THE HUMANS FROM OURSELVES!
What I’m Doing
I'm taking this summer off from teaching yoga to regroup and practice self-compassion. I can't say what I'm doing next with my yoga teaching, because I don't know.
In the meantime, I hope you continue to read the newsletter!
What I’m Reading
This past week, I read The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. It's a thriller, and I enjoyed it! I don't know if I buy the ending though. If you read it, let me know your thoughts.