Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu is a Sanskrit manta that means “may all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some small way to that happiness and freedom for all.”
We show up to class each week and walk through the studio door and it becomes immediately apparent that though we have been sold (in the west) the idea that our practice is a solo operation, we see that community is truly where we find the strength to continue on our path. Yes, we have our own mats, our own space to move and yoga is a deeply personal practice; but we are missing the main ingredient when we refuse to acknowledge that freedom for ourselves cannot come at the cost of freedom for others. Because, at the end of the day, isn’t freedom exactly what we are looking for? Freedom from behavioral patterns that constrain us, thoughts that box us in, and the belief that we are small and undeserving of joy and belonging. We yearn for the freedom to seek a happiness of our own making.
Yoga reveals to us that we are, at our core, divine beings. To honor this light within ourselves, we are asked to honor it in all living things. There is no experience that you’ve had, no pain, loss, joy, or revelation that hasn’t been shared throughout humanity. If this is the case, then how can we acknowledge our own divinity and not see it in our friends and our neighbors?
We belong to each other. There is no way forward if we aren’t moving together. The mantra Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu brings us out of the “me” mindset and shines light on the “we;” it gives us the opportunity to acknowledge our place in the community (both locally and globally) and to contemplate how our words and actions reverberate into the world.
When things feel overwhelming (and boy do they ever at times), pause, breathe, and use this mantra to send your blessings out into a world that needs all the help it can get right now. When you do, notice the shift it causes; that is you showing up and standing up for the freedom of all living beings. Let that be where you start and hold strong, we are in this together.
Looking to do more for those on the ground? Check out Mutual Aid groups like MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee), or MFF (Minnesota Freedom Fund) that provides bail for protesters. Or donate to local places like Dios Habla Hoy a church in Minneapolis that is feeding families who don’t feel safe leaving their homes.
Lots of love,
Kate