3 Steps to Avoid the End Times

Hey Yogis, how about we take a trip together? A trip back thousands of years to the ancient Vedic culture, to a time when forces of good and evil clashed in desperate conflict, darkness prevailed, humanity quaked in fear, and the whole world convulsed with suffering.

It was a world gone mad — gluttonous greed and a ferocious, feral impulse to destroy drove battlefields teeming with heroes and villains, devas and asuras, humans and animals to bloodthirsty, raging chaos.

This is the epic tale of the Bhagavad Gita, echoed in the Ramayana, the Devi Mahatmya, and other chronicles of that era. It is also the story of you and me, and the very world we live in today.

“In this cauldron fashioned from delusion… time cooks all beings.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

If Yoga encourages us to do anything, it is to pay attention, to sharpen our attention. If you are paying attention, with honesty, you will notice forces of darkness at play. Fear, greed, control, intolerance and turbulence are on the rise.

Whether we believe the prophecies of doom or not, 2012 will be a year of change and uncertainty. There will be more divisive rhetoric in the U.S. as Presidential elections unfold, more instability in the Middle East as power struggles continue and economic jostling is everywhere as old systems fail and new inclusive ones remain inchoate.

What’s more — our planet needs our help. Our entire planet needs our help. This is the planet that has always taken care of us. How do we now take care of it?  It’s as if all that once reliably nourished and provided for us is now needing that nourishment and protection from us.  We look to our leaders for answers and find them lacking. Whether it is nature or the government, spiritual traditions or economic systems, we can no longer rely upon once-enduring pillars of human life to sustain us, nor even endure.

“The syllable gu means shadows. The syllable ru, he who disperses them. Because of the power to disperse darkness, the guru is thus named.” ~ Advayataraka Upanishad

In the Bhagavad Gita, the great guru, Lord Krishna, counsels Arjuna, the warrior prince, to actively, skillfully participate in the triumph of light over darkness. By recognizing his true Dharma, reclaiming his power, and standing in his Yoga, Arjuna restores goodness and peace to the world. Heeding the wisdom of his Guru, “Destroy, therefore, with the sword of wisdom the doubt born of ignorance that lies in thy heart. Be one in self-harmony, in Yoga, and arise, great warrior, arise!,” Arjuna leads humanity back to  a state of peace, equilibrium and prosperity.

Now is the time for our awakening. Now is a time when it is incumbent upon all of us to seek the inner “gu-ru,” call forth the courage of our own Arjuna to arise, awaken, stand in Yoga, and with skill in action become more and more, with every breath, in every moment, a force for good, a beacon of light, a well of compassion, a vehicle of understanding in a world that once again seems to have gone mad.

“Not by refraining from action does man attain freedom from action. Not by mere renunciation does he attain supreme perfection.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

If you are called to Yoga, you are called to this awakening, and called to be a part of this  collective force for good, to stand in your light and breathe deep its power.  It doesn’t mean to be angry or rowdy or noisily opposed, but rather to ground into your own inner silence, your own inner peace, your own inner quiet but powerful truth, and live that presence in the world, to be that present for others.

It doesn’t mean you need to occupy Wall Street, although if that is your choice, fine. It means you need to Occupy Yourself — claim your own authority, dig into your unique self, embrace your  individuality, feel yourself perfect and free just as you are. Anchor into your heart, allow loving-kindness, radical self-acceptance and the courage born of compassion for all living beings to guide you to your great awakening.

Will you join us this year in strengthening the forces of light? Here are three simple practices to help you Be the Light WE ALL Seek in the World:

1. Turn Off the TV
: Reclaim your mind. Restore your own authority. Dwell more in silence and possibility.

2. Turn On the Light: Whether it is five minutes or two hours a day, be steadfast with your Sadhana. Remind yourself every morning and every evening that you are growing the Light, that you are an important part of this movement towards Freedom.

3. Step Out of the Box: 
Feel the Joy of Freedom, the freedom of your authentic pure being. Dance, laugh, smile at strangers and engage in revolutionary acts of generosity.

“No step is lost on this path… even a little progress is freedom from fear.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

As you go forth, you may find that there are forces that don’t want you to do Yoga. But you will do it anyway. There may be forces that want to steal your Light. You will grow it anyway.  There will be those who challenge and doubt you. You will stand in Yoga anyway. You may feel incited to anger or feel abandoned and disappointed, but you will ground into a quiet inner authority that no one can debate, deceive or defile. As you dig deeper into your own silent mystery, trusting what emerges there, you will feel peace even as you walk among those trembling with fear.

Do this and you will experience in your heart an entire cosmos, radiant with sparkling light, coming alive in you. You will know then, that even if the wildest predictions about 2012 are true, existence was born in the belly of a star and the worst that could happen is that we would return to our home in the sky.

In the field of awakened being awaits a circle of divine friends. The time to join them is now. Arise, beloved Yogi, Awaken to your True Self and Arise!

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Laura Plumb is the co-founder, with her husband Bhava Ram, of the Deep Yoga School of Healing Arts in San Diego, where she practices and teaches Ayurveda, Yoga and Jyotish. She blogs about Ayurveda, food and wellness at food-alovestory.com. You can connect with her at deepyoga.com