CALL FOR PEACE

Call for Peace, condemning violence
As yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, yoga and yoga therapy
associations, why are we not questioning strongly our lack of contribution for peace
condemning the ongoing violence and destruction that has been happening for years?
Ahimsa (non-violence in sanskrit), the first yama, one of most the fundamental
principles of yoga by Patanjali. It is about choosing not to harm others or us. Practicing
ahimsa leads us to kindness and compassion for self and others.
Shanti (peace in sanskrit) is probably the most chanted word in yoga. It refers to an
inner state of mind. Do we honestly reflect on it while we chant it in the last years? Do
we mean it or do we chant only performatively?
As yoga practitioners we are taught to practice ahimsa (non-violence) and build our
inner peace (shanti).
As yoga teachers we teach ways to establish and promote ahimsa (non-violence) and
shanti (peace).
As yoga therapists, the professionals who apply the principles and practices of yoga to
promote health and well-being, we work on eliminating, reducing, and/or managing
symptoms that cause suffering; improving function; helping to prevent the occurrence or
recurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and
well-being.
How do we individually, as yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, traumainformed specialists but also as societies and associations project the yoga principles
onto the ongoing violence and extermination of people?
The great elephant in the global room is the ongoing violence and injustice. The world
needs therapy, needs peace and justice to heal its wounds. And healing begins when
we face and name any injustice.
Violence and injustice, the ultimate atrocities, are destructive for physical and mental
health and wellbeing for everybody to different degrees. Violence and war are not
promoting peace, are neither sustainable nor promote sustainable development.
War has two victims, one dead or injured and one dehumanized. Violence and war are
more destructive from one side and more demoralizing from the other side.
After tens of thousands of children, women, elderly, civilians, doctors, paramedics,
journalists have been killed and seriously injured, the silence for peace for
condemning the massacres from yoga associations and yoga teachers is deafening. As
we are not silent (and we should not be) for the LGBTQ communities, for Black Lives
Matter, for gender equality, for populations that have been historically discriminated, we
should together strongly call for peace condemning any violence and violation of human
rights and international laws.
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor
(South African bishop Desmond Tutu).
More and more people, historians, doctors, international associations from all sides and
parts of the world condemn current wars and violence against civilians, the ultimate
atrocity, while the majority of us are silent hearing only the sound of our breath
instead of our conscience, our values, our yoga principles.
Working on our inner peace is not enough, working on peace, being and promoting is.
And peace is built with peace, condemning war, addressing historical truth, ending
systemic oppression, and healing collective trauma (Gabor Mate).
It is time for Action, Call for Peace and Justice
Embodying yoga principles
Projecting who we are
Protecting and promoting human rights and international law.
Share and be vocal if you agree.