In yoga philosophy we have the image of a guru, someone or something that leads one from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge, according to my (limited) understanding. Lately I’ve been asking myself if the coronavirus pandemic is acting as a guru. The case could be made that it has shed light on several areas that we were ignorant or in denial about prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 brought to light the inflexibility of our economic system and the tenuous thread that (barely) holds together our healthcare system, and has turned one billion candlepower of spotlight on America’s racial inequalities. But is this the knowledge that the guru is intending for us to discover? I don’t t
Excerpt from CANCER + YOGA by Lorien Neargarder, copywrite 2019: Study after study provides evidence that a regular yoga practice offers psycho-social support, relief from fatigue and sleep issues as well as a reduction in chronic pain. When we study our thoughts, emotions and behavior in our yoga practices, we begin to see patterns that contribute to our suffering. After a cancer diagnosis, many of us feel the need to address these patterns as we become more viscerally aware of our limited time in these bodies. We ignore the ego’s harsh voice and take chances with new relationships and/or cultivate existing ones, including the relationship we have with ourselves. Suddenly, taking care of ou
