Mindfulness-
On the mat and in our lives
By: Rita-Marie Murphy
September is one of my favorite months of the year. As I desperately cling to the last lingering days of summer I am reminded of all the things that I adore about the season, helping me to appreciate all the warm rays of sunshine, gentle ocean breezes and the leisure time spent frolicking in all of natures wonders. September is also a month of transition, returning to the routine of school and work and adjusting to changing temperatures, shorter days and longer nights. It can be a time of new beginnings and second chances. It is during this month that we also commemorate 9/11, a day that changed the world forever. I was student teaching an 8th grade Social Studies Honors class on the day that the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked, and when a plane full of brave Americans gave their last breath to prevent terrorists from completing their third targeted attack. In addition to being a yoga instructor, I am also a Social Studies teacher and a Yoga Ed. Instructor. Every year on 9/11, I wonder how this anniversary should be commemorated. I realize the significance of the responsibility of being a teacher and when I gaze into those young impressionable eyes I have this gut wrenching sense of honor and patriotism to do my best to teach…but what?
I begin each year with asking my students: "What does it means to be an American?" Not such an easy question. Most students offer answers that state “Freedom,” “Free Speech,” "Freedom of Religion,” “Democracy,” “Super Power,” “Rights,” “Opportunity,” “A place where you are free to be who you are and live your dreams.” I then ask students to identify some common core values that unite us as Americans. As a class, we generate a list. The values that I always add and define are: Justice, Responsibility, Courage, Perseverance, Initiative, Equality, Popular Sovereignty, the concept of the “Common Good,” Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. After we can all agree to the values that all of us, as Americans, can unite around, I define terrorism and explain the events of that day. I tell students of the horrors, the negative energy that thrived all around us, the fear we all felt, the innocent lives that were lost, and the many acts of heroism that thrived in those moments of darkness when warriors of light rose up to fight the forces of evil. I reflect on the ways communities and nations united. I end the class celebrating the ways that individuals donated their time and resources. I explain that firehouses and schools were inundated with supplies of bottle water, juices and food. I remember how hard it was to find an American flag to purchase. Stores were sold out because every citizen wanted to hang the American flag in a sign of strength, solidarity and perseverance. We as Americans joined together in community’s nationwide to say “No!” to terrorism. America would rise again and the light of democracy would always shine bright from our shores. Liberty was our birthright. No one- terrorist, evil dictator, monarch or elected official, could take that away from us. I asked my students to commemorate 9/11 every year by spending some time reflecting on the question- “What does it mean to be an American?” I encouraged them to allow the definition to evolve over time and to remember these values and how we, as Americans, can live our lives demonstrating these characteristics each and every day.
Each year, I reflect long after the lesson is over, on how I can demonstrate these characteristics as an American citizen and as a yogi. My intuitive response is mindfulness. I remind myself to be mindful in my thoughts, remembering that thoughts become things. I encourage myself to fill my thoughts will hope and possibility. I remind myself to be mindful of the words I choose to use, encouraging myself to select words that will build and not break, to use words that will inspire and empower, not destroy. I remind myself to search for the love and light that shines from within every person, situation and encounter and to seek out the love and light that dwells within myself; it is there in each and every one of us. This is my yogic message and the philosophy that guides my life as a yogi. I can transfer this philosophy to my civic mindfulness as well. In fact, as yogis and as Americans, I believe that we have a greater civic duty to shed the light of mindfulness to all those around us. We are all connected.
As Americans, we believe in the concept of popular sovereignty and the notion that we as a people can guide our government in the direction of the common good where all citizens will be treated equally before the laws, where justice rings true, where laws are just and enforced in a nonviolent manner. Ultimately, we believe in the ability of human beings to make progress and to govern themselves. We celebrate heroes like George Washington, whose courage, honor and integrity were legendary. We applaud men like Ghandi who taught that human beings have the unique potential to create the world that they wish to see. We even create fictional role models to guide us and encourage us along the path of democracy. Rosie the Riveter was right, “We can do it!” As long as God continues to bless us with a new day, we will always have the chance to get it right…eventually. But how?
Election day is not the only day that we as citizens can use our power to guide our government and create the world we wish to live in. Election day occurs once a year. We, as Americans, can use our role as consumers to vote each and every time we spend a dollar. We, as American yogis, can lead by example and educate at every opportunity. If we can utilize our spending power to choose companies that are mindful of their carbon footprint, of the resources they use and how they use them, of the way they treat their employees, their customers, and the communities in which they operate, we can change the world. Call me naive, ingenuous and childlike. This may not be the solution to every problem, foreign or domestic. However, remember that Jesus once said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.”- Matthew 18:3. Be reminded of the message of the Buddha in his final farewell, “Be ye lamps unto yourselves…” One step, one dollar spent in the right direction, could create the energy we need to change our world for the better and see the blessings of democracy bestowed throughout the world. We can do it.
As consumers we can be more mindful to choose to purchase products from companies who are conscious of the carbon footprint that they leave behind. We can chose to support companies that give back to their communities and use resources that are eco-friendly in a safe and responsible way. We can educate ourselves about economic policies such as NAFTA and CAFTA and urge our elected officials to revisit these policies, as they offered empty promises to the people of Latin America and the Caribbean and have led to the destruction of natural eco-systems and economic disaster to other American countries. Essentially, Latin American and Caribbean nations were promised assistance in becoming first world nations, they were told there would be more jobs and improved conditions. What ultimately happened is that North American companies were offered tax incentives to build in under developed communities, where they deforested the area, used the natural resources and paid employees lower wages than they would in North America. Companies often move to the next area with better tax incentives, leaving their eco devastation and moving jobs elsewhere. These are the real reasons behind the roots of migration. People who live in Latin American love their countries and do not want to leave. They come to America because there are jobs here, not in their homeland. We could stop illegal immigration if we really wanted to if we revisited NAFTA and CAFTA. Not only have these policies devastated eco-systems and economic systems, it also led to obesity in countries like Mexico. There is a lack of potable water. Poverty means the only thing families can afford is soda instead of bottled water, processed foods instead of fresh fruits and vegetables. Mexico used to produce 11 different varieties of corn. Now, as per NAFTA and CAFTA, the U.S.A. produces corn and sells the lowest grade corn back to Mexico. The corn sold back is the grade they traditionally used to feed their livestock. For more information, check out Witness For Peace, a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization committed to nonviolence, led by faith and conscience. WFP’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean. (www.witnessforpeace.org)
As mindful consumers, we can chose companies like Cozy Orange and Sweet Riot. Cozy Orange creates eco-friendly yoga apparel and their mission extends beyond the mat and into our global communities. Cozy Orange is committed to making a lasting impact in the war against poverty by donating a portion of proceeds to developing economies in third world countries. Sweet Riot is a company that produces chocolate and promotes social responsibility. The company believes that we can change the world. Sweet Riot strives to weave social responsibility throughout their company in how they create their product, how they treat their people and in the business partnerships that they make. Do your own research. Read Newsweek. Learn which companies are the “Greenest.” Chose your products accordingly. Be mindful, not just in how you show up on the mat, but how you present yourself to the world with the words you use and the actions you take. Economically, consider your choices. Use the blessings of technology to use your smart phone to do a Google search. Take the time to invest in companies that invest in their communities and follow the principles that you believe in. Sweet riot is right. We can riot to change the world. We can be peaceful and nonviolent and recognize that strength is not always about physicality, it is also about our mental abilities to think critically and analytically. We have the power to change the world, and we can do it one dollar at a time. Spend well warriors of light. Invest responsibly. Shed light to those in the darkness. Donate your money and your time to causes that you believe in. We, human beings, have the unique ability to persevere and to make progress. Within us we have the power to create the world we wish to see. Ghandi was right, so was Rosy. “We can do it!”
On the mat and in our lives
By: Rita-Marie Murphy
September is one of my favorite months of the year. As I desperately cling to the last lingering days of summer I am reminded of all the things that I adore about the season, helping me to appreciate all the warm rays of sunshine, gentle ocean breezes and the leisure time spent frolicking in all of natures wonders. September is also a month of transition, returning to the routine of school and work and adjusting to changing temperatures, shorter days and longer nights. It can be a time of new beginnings and second chances. It is during this month that we also commemorate 9/11, a day that changed the world forever. I was student teaching an 8th grade Social Studies Honors class on the day that the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked, and when a plane full of brave Americans gave their last breath to prevent terrorists from completing their third targeted attack. In addition to being a yoga instructor, I am also a Social Studies teacher and a Yoga Ed. Instructor. Every year on 9/11, I wonder how this anniversary should be commemorated. I realize the significance of the responsibility of being a teacher and when I gaze into those young impressionable eyes I have this gut wrenching sense of honor and patriotism to do my best to teach…but what?
I begin each year with asking my students: "What does it means to be an American?" Not such an easy question. Most students offer answers that state “Freedom,” “Free Speech,” "Freedom of Religion,” “Democracy,” “Super Power,” “Rights,” “Opportunity,” “A place where you are free to be who you are and live your dreams.” I then ask students to identify some common core values that unite us as Americans. As a class, we generate a list. The values that I always add and define are: Justice, Responsibility, Courage, Perseverance, Initiative, Equality, Popular Sovereignty, the concept of the “Common Good,” Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. After we can all agree to the values that all of us, as Americans, can unite around, I define terrorism and explain the events of that day. I tell students of the horrors, the negative energy that thrived all around us, the fear we all felt, the innocent lives that were lost, and the many acts of heroism that thrived in those moments of darkness when warriors of light rose up to fight the forces of evil. I reflect on the ways communities and nations united. I end the class celebrating the ways that individuals donated their time and resources. I explain that firehouses and schools were inundated with supplies of bottle water, juices and food. I remember how hard it was to find an American flag to purchase. Stores were sold out because every citizen wanted to hang the American flag in a sign of strength, solidarity and perseverance. We as Americans joined together in community’s nationwide to say “No!” to terrorism. America would rise again and the light of democracy would always shine bright from our shores. Liberty was our birthright. No one- terrorist, evil dictator, monarch or elected official, could take that away from us. I asked my students to commemorate 9/11 every year by spending some time reflecting on the question- “What does it mean to be an American?” I encouraged them to allow the definition to evolve over time and to remember these values and how we, as Americans, can live our lives demonstrating these characteristics each and every day.
Each year, I reflect long after the lesson is over, on how I can demonstrate these characteristics as an American citizen and as a yogi. My intuitive response is mindfulness. I remind myself to be mindful in my thoughts, remembering that thoughts become things. I encourage myself to fill my thoughts will hope and possibility. I remind myself to be mindful of the words I choose to use, encouraging myself to select words that will build and not break, to use words that will inspire and empower, not destroy. I remind myself to search for the love and light that shines from within every person, situation and encounter and to seek out the love and light that dwells within myself; it is there in each and every one of us. This is my yogic message and the philosophy that guides my life as a yogi. I can transfer this philosophy to my civic mindfulness as well. In fact, as yogis and as Americans, I believe that we have a greater civic duty to shed the light of mindfulness to all those around us. We are all connected.
As Americans, we believe in the concept of popular sovereignty and the notion that we as a people can guide our government in the direction of the common good where all citizens will be treated equally before the laws, where justice rings true, where laws are just and enforced in a nonviolent manner. Ultimately, we believe in the ability of human beings to make progress and to govern themselves. We celebrate heroes like George Washington, whose courage, honor and integrity were legendary. We applaud men like Ghandi who taught that human beings have the unique potential to create the world that they wish to see. We even create fictional role models to guide us and encourage us along the path of democracy. Rosie the Riveter was right, “We can do it!” As long as God continues to bless us with a new day, we will always have the chance to get it right…eventually. But how?
Election day is not the only day that we as citizens can use our power to guide our government and create the world we wish to live in. Election day occurs once a year. We, as Americans, can use our role as consumers to vote each and every time we spend a dollar. We, as American yogis, can lead by example and educate at every opportunity. If we can utilize our spending power to choose companies that are mindful of their carbon footprint, of the resources they use and how they use them, of the way they treat their employees, their customers, and the communities in which they operate, we can change the world. Call me naive, ingenuous and childlike. This may not be the solution to every problem, foreign or domestic. However, remember that Jesus once said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.”- Matthew 18:3. Be reminded of the message of the Buddha in his final farewell, “Be ye lamps unto yourselves…” One step, one dollar spent in the right direction, could create the energy we need to change our world for the better and see the blessings of democracy bestowed throughout the world. We can do it.
As consumers we can be more mindful to choose to purchase products from companies who are conscious of the carbon footprint that they leave behind. We can chose to support companies that give back to their communities and use resources that are eco-friendly in a safe and responsible way. We can educate ourselves about economic policies such as NAFTA and CAFTA and urge our elected officials to revisit these policies, as they offered empty promises to the people of Latin America and the Caribbean and have led to the destruction of natural eco-systems and economic disaster to other American countries. Essentially, Latin American and Caribbean nations were promised assistance in becoming first world nations, they were told there would be more jobs and improved conditions. What ultimately happened is that North American companies were offered tax incentives to build in under developed communities, where they deforested the area, used the natural resources and paid employees lower wages than they would in North America. Companies often move to the next area with better tax incentives, leaving their eco devastation and moving jobs elsewhere. These are the real reasons behind the roots of migration. People who live in Latin American love their countries and do not want to leave. They come to America because there are jobs here, not in their homeland. We could stop illegal immigration if we really wanted to if we revisited NAFTA and CAFTA. Not only have these policies devastated eco-systems and economic systems, it also led to obesity in countries like Mexico. There is a lack of potable water. Poverty means the only thing families can afford is soda instead of bottled water, processed foods instead of fresh fruits and vegetables. Mexico used to produce 11 different varieties of corn. Now, as per NAFTA and CAFTA, the U.S.A. produces corn and sells the lowest grade corn back to Mexico. The corn sold back is the grade they traditionally used to feed their livestock. For more information, check out Witness For Peace, a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization committed to nonviolence, led by faith and conscience. WFP’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean. (www.witnessforpeace.org)
As mindful consumers, we can chose companies like Cozy Orange and Sweet Riot. Cozy Orange creates eco-friendly yoga apparel and their mission extends beyond the mat and into our global communities. Cozy Orange is committed to making a lasting impact in the war against poverty by donating a portion of proceeds to developing economies in third world countries. Sweet Riot is a company that produces chocolate and promotes social responsibility. The company believes that we can change the world. Sweet Riot strives to weave social responsibility throughout their company in how they create their product, how they treat their people and in the business partnerships that they make. Do your own research. Read Newsweek. Learn which companies are the “Greenest.” Chose your products accordingly. Be mindful, not just in how you show up on the mat, but how you present yourself to the world with the words you use and the actions you take. Economically, consider your choices. Use the blessings of technology to use your smart phone to do a Google search. Take the time to invest in companies that invest in their communities and follow the principles that you believe in. Sweet riot is right. We can riot to change the world. We can be peaceful and nonviolent and recognize that strength is not always about physicality, it is also about our mental abilities to think critically and analytically. We have the power to change the world, and we can do it one dollar at a time. Spend well warriors of light. Invest responsibly. Shed light to those in the darkness. Donate your money and your time to causes that you believe in. We, human beings, have the unique ability to persevere and to make progress. Within us we have the power to create the world we wish to see. Ghandi was right, so was Rosy. “We can do it!”
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