PUSHTI: March 2024, Blue Zone Yoga
“Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.”
– Tao Te Ching, Ch 76
“May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young.”
– Forever Young, Bob Dylan
According to Wikipedia, “Blue Zones are regions in the world where people are claimed to live longer than average.” It’s not just longevity, but more importantly, longevity with its roots in quality of living. Some of these regions are recognized in areas of Japan, Italy, Costa Rica, and Greece. And perhaps, Satsang Yoga Charleston.
Decide how you want to age.
The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice. – Tao Te Ching, Ch. 78
A typical ‘All Levels’ class at the Shala (what we call the ‘studio,’ Sanskrit for house) can have an average age as high as 65, with an age span between 25 and 80. We have people practicing asana that include arm balances, forearm stands, backbends, and headstands – in a rigorous-paced flow – with an increased strength and flexibility that is not only far beyond people their own age, but well beyond most people who are decades younger. Not uncommon is a class that can include three generations of a single family. If there is a metric that could measure the value of yoga, one would be hard-pressed to find one as powerful as that. We have students practicing daily since we first offered classes in 2005 who strike awe and inspiration in newcomers. We are a community that is literally rewriting the rules on how to age in our modern society. Our baseline is increased mobility, happiness, and quality of life, with a decrease in weight, medication, and physical and psychological trauma. Simply put, our “normal” is what the Sages and Masters have been teaching us about for centuries through source texts such as Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Are these people different from you? Never, in our experience, but they may differ in one distinct way. That’s the good news because that is the easiest thing to change. They have continuity. No matter what condition, if you keep returning, a shift is inevitable – and it is always better than imagined.
Simplicity.
Yoga is a simple practice for complicated people. All one need do to receive these benefits is show up. Every class we remind each other to breathe, be aware, be still, be present – more being, less doing. Soften around your difficulty. If there are tears, let there be tears. If there is sickness, let there be sickness. Love is the teacher. And we are held unconditionally. Knowledge is so overrated, but let’s be reverent and practice intelligently. Make yourself available to the mystery. Listen to the music. Let yourself fall apart. Don’t miss the miracle. And repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This is referred to as mastery.
I learned from Ram Dass
that in Eastern wisdom traditions, to be called “old” is one of the highest compliments one can receive. It is because not only do you have experience, but you have wisdom – which is of the greatest value for a society to evolve. With glee, I often refer to our wise, elder practitioners as “old.” Some have even come to expect it and have embraced it as the compliment for which it was intended. We joke, we laugh, we play – and we don’t take it personally. I guess it is that kind of paradigm shift that occurs in blue zones.
In Yoga we dwell,
Jeffrey
March 2024