living with yoga: Letter to a school teacher

Greetings! What a fun day we had on the field trip to Luensman Overlook. Thanks you for including me in the day. I wanted to also include you in a popular conversation topic of ours. The topic involves religion.

As you know, I am a yoga teacher and from the snatches of conversation you have had with my child you also know that we are not a typical Christian household. In fact, we are not Christian at all- based on the current description of organized church centered God as external source of enlightenment and spirituality.

However, we are extremely religious. In fact, I might be so bold as to say we honor and practice our religion with more enthusiasm and ritual than most Christians. To begin with, did you know that the word religion comes from the Latin root “religio” and that means “to reconnect”. The word’s original use was to illustrate how we need practices to reconnect us to the Earth—to its energies and balances that daily life take us away from. The Earth’s earliest religions were based on this principle and help guide practice and ritual. Early, pre-Christian religions existed for thousands of years before Christ was born. In fact, if one was to study Christianity in detail much of its practice comes from these earlier religions. Even the Christmas holiday comes from Yule, the Easter holiday comes from Oastara, etc.

In early religions, the earth is viewed in essence as a reflection of heaven, run by the same laws—not by the laws of man. These laws affected not only the spinning of the distant planets, but the activities of the birds in the forest and the fish in the sea. According to the Tao Te Ching, the more man interferes with the natural balance produced and governed by the universal laws, the further away the harmony retreated into the distance. With this in mind, one can easily see how this opens up an entire area from which spiritual practice, guidance and teachings are to be taught.

Spirituality is the light that lets us recognize truth. Without it we are in the dark. Trust is having faith in what we cannot see. Faith is believing what we cannot touch. Religion is having rituals in your life that cultivate and support Trust and Faith. Religion is not based on whether a person believes in another person’s God. Religion is much more internally guiding than that.

I urge you to be more sensitive when discussing the religion of others that is different than yours. Casting a hierarchy of religions and placing Christianity at the top is dangerous and confusing to children. In the words of Chief Seattle:

“One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious

to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.”

So, in keeping with our religion—celebrate the Summer Solstice today- the longest day of the year. Celebrate the Earth’s abundance and fullness. It is a time of purification and ritual and of teaching. As a teacher, I wish to share this information with you.

May you be happy,