Faith Going Forward

Dear Friends and Family,

Like most people, I believe in the basic goodness of human-kind. Sometimes it’s tough to make that statement; especially during a week when 9 year-olds were gunned down in Nashville.

It’s a time when climate and the economy are unpredictable. When I, and others, distrust so many institutions and structures of power. When ex-Presidents are indicted for pay offs to porn stars. And, when I spend a Friday evening communicating with ChatBots instead of my husband. Clearly there is a lot of confusion and suffering in the world.

This week my teacher Genny Kapuler talked about sraddha, a Sanskrit word that is usually translated as faith. Like many Sanskrit terms, etymology tells a much deeper story. Prem Sadasivananda, who tutors me in Sanskrit every week, suggests that sraddha is a mental attitude that helps us realize truth as our very essence. Sra is a cognate of heart, courage and credo. Dha, indicates a support or something that holds. So, sraddha can be understood as a support for the heart. It is a virtue to be meditated upon; often personified as a female deity in Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Verse 1.20 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali posits that samadhi, or the state of yoga, is attained through depth of sraddha which gives a sustained practice vigor. This passion enables concentration and eventually discrimination of right knowledge.

In order to cultivate faith, even in difficult times, I practice with, learn from and teach others who also struggle to hold room for both the bewilderment and hopefulness of every day events. While we tell ourselves that yoga strengthens our bodies through postures like Warrior II, we best serve ourselves by simultaneously practicing kindness, patience and compassion. These qualities, combined with a well-aligned mountain pose are the sturdiest supports of the heart.

With lots of love,

Brette