“The practices in Arkaya Yoga lead and sensitise us towards self-awareness and actualisation,” writes Yogacharini Maitreyi.
One incident that came to the forefront at the end of 2012 was the brutal gang rape of the 23-year-old in Delhi. Those trying to understand spirituality will definitely question the validity of love and oneness in situations such as these. It was heartening to see so many ache for the brave soul and seek better law enforcement.
It is the responsibility of each individual to cultivate restraint and become more refined. That is what true spirituality is. Not just using choice, well strung words associated with spirituality or being quick-witted. One can learn to refine one’s base tendencies through self- awareness and practices that make us experience the connective web of life.
We observe that not all humans are equal with respect to having this awareness and reverence for other life forms.
Vikriti means imbalance and this can be due to various reasons, including overindulgence. This contributes to demonic acts. When there is extreme vikriti or imbalance, life becomes only a means for self-gratification. Living beings are objectified and the object is used to serve the greed or fulfill the repressed desires of the victimiser.
Hence it should be the endeavour of each individual to release this imbalance and move towards prakrithi (nature) and further refine and move towards true culture or sanskrithi. That is the aim of yoga or any spiritual path.
Sensitisation to other’s needs is required. This pertains not just to the victimiser but to society at large, including the law makers, enforcers and helpers. Apathy and misplaced emotions have become rampant and it further perpetuates crimes. The practices in Arkaya Yoga help one become sensitised to subtle energetic encroachments as well.
We start seeing that we can trespass and abuse others by the quality of our thoughts and the intensity of emotion attached to those thoughts. Having lustful thoughts is a subtler form of abuse and encroachment. How many can say that they have not crossed that line?
We can learn how not to engage with the negative, disharmonious thoughts and feelings or push it under the carpet. We can learn the dance of giving and receiving in harmony. We learn to dance with the divine in us and in others.
We need evolutionaries who will work from inside out. Our collective self awareness, positive intention and efforts in the right direction will make a big difference in shifting things for the better.
If each one of us can wield influence to make ourselves, our homes and communities safer, then the ripples will encompass the whole world.
We can bring in better interventions not just for the victims, but the victimisers as well. Just imagine the number of crimes we can prevent by giving children the tools to deal with their desires and emotions.
Let us reclaim our birthright of safety and dignity.
Let us learn to dance with the divine qualities of goodness and fairness. Let us dance to become our highest selves.