Stretching to make a difference: What has yoga got to do with climate change?

[Nick Potter]

My friend Carl threw me a curly question (as he is prone to do) earlier this year:
How would you apply what you’ve come to understand through the practice of yoga to our current global situation?

With a “Big Stretch for the Climate” happening for the 350 Day of Action this Saturday, it’s a good time to start a response. It could take a lifetime to really answer this question, so these are just some initial reflections from a very junior yogi.

Starting inside-out
It’s important to begin by mentioning that yoga is not primarily a physical practice. The postures (‘asanas’) are simply a very effective way in. Practicing these postures can have many physical benefits, and feeling good is a totally good reason to start. As a practice deepens though, the movements, openings and moments of stillness can enable us to learn more about our self through observation and sensory experience.

The word ‘yoga’ has many meanings. It is often interpreted to mean ‘yoke’, unify, or join in relationship. It could also be expressed as an experience of wholeness. Constant practice, with a good intent, brings us closer to the experience of being whole.

What has this got to do with climate change? Lots actually, as I don’t see climate change as ‘the problem’ that needs to be fixed. Human-induced climate change is a consequence of how humans are collectively seeing the world, connecting with one another, and acting as if we were just separate parts. Restoring our own ‘inner climates’ to a healthy state (i.e. our inner world of thoughts, emotions and embodied experiences) can help us restore the one climate that we share. That’s because our external actions are directly shaped by what’s going on inside us. How we ‘be’ in the world also affects everyone around us.

Breathing in our atmosphere
Focusing on our breath is an ideal way to begin a yoga practice. It can also give us a taste of the larger whole we are part of. When we focus on our breath it’s hard to avoid the fact that we are all part of the atmosphere. We inhale oxygen. We exhale carbon dioxide. A lot more goes in and out. We share the air with everyone around us, as well as every species that has ever lived, and will live, on Earth. This is basic ecology. We are breathing the old breath of dinosaurs, Elvis, Einstein, Buddha, Flipper… and anyone/anything else you care to name. Where do our boundaries start and end?

If this stretches the mind too far, it’s best to bring attention back to the breath and how it feels as it moves in the body. This develops our ability to focus the mind. It also brings greater awareness of blockages in the body where the breath meets resistance. There will inevitably be obstacles to many postures. With ongoing practice it is possible to observe our reactions to these obstacles; develop greater sensitivity to what is being felt in the body; and move beyond limitations with greater ease. I’ll add more on this later. For now, it’s enough to know that focusing on the breath is a simple, effective (and surprisingly tricky) way to turn attention inwards. As we observe our thoughts, feelings and senses we become more self-aware. The benefits of this spread well beyond the yoga mat.

Thank our lucky stars
The first set of postures in a yoga practice is usually a sun salute. We warm up the body by increasing the circulation of sunlight in our bodies. That is, we get energy flowing. Our energy comes from eating food, which may include plants (that directly convert sunlight into sugar) or animals (that dine on plants). I often forget that sun salutes actually represent this. It’s a useful reminder of how grateful we can be for that blazing ball of energy that animates life.

Thinking about climate change, it’s also easy to see the benefits of developing a closer relationship with the sun. The more distant we become from the sun’s presence, the more potential there seems to be for harm (though sunburn may result from taking that statement too literally). For example, the sun is an abundant source of free energy that can be harnessed directly for generating heat and electricity. Yet humans have recently developed an addiction to dirty old ‘buried sunshine’ (i.e. fossil fuels, which are the concentrated remains of decomposed plants that captured the sun’s energy millions of years ago, as well as the animals that ate those plants). A climate-friendly energy system favours energy from the sun in the present moment. That includes wind and water flows, which are generated through solar energy.

We can also develop a closer relationship with the sun through food. A diet that favours lots of direct sunlight is plentiful in plants with minimal processing. Eating lots of tasty grains, fruit and veges while going easy on the animals can effectively support a healthy body and climate.

Sun salutes can even be taken to a more profound level. Every atom in our body was once forged in the furnace of a long-spent sun. We share the same origins. It’s hard not to have a sense of wonder when we realise that our bodies are made of stardust that is brought back to life with new light. A healthy sense of curiosity and wonder can also play a useful role in enjoying life and creating new solutions to the challenges we face.

Next parts in a sequence
Focusing on the breath and sun salutes are a useful place to start. I’ll delve a little deeper in future posts by looking at the themes of stillness, flow and regeneration.

[Barnaby Smith]

Good on you Nick......beeewwwdiiiful mate. I attended the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium a couple of weeks back in Auckland and that really crystallised for me something thats been brewing inside for a while, an emerging understanding of the connection between 'spiritual fulfilment', 'environmental sustainability' and 'social justice' - a recognition that you cant pick these 3 aspects of our existence on the planet apart really (well you can but its only an artificial, conceptual seperation). Personal growth is an imperative of our time. As Ken Wilber puts it "70% of the worlds population dont even care about GAIA let alone intuit the concept". Whether you agree with that statement or not, increasing awareness of our profound interconnectedness (so we respect each other) and inherent wholeness (so we dont turn to consumption for meaning) offers a way forward that could heal the root of our dis-ease.
I also look forward to the next installments of this exploration....

[Marianne Elliott]

Fantastic exploration of the connections between the yogic lifestyle and the climate. I can't wait to read more.