The Basics

Start with the basics. “The Five Points of Yoga” are a foundation for approaching any concern. Proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking/meditation (i.e. proper mental health). It is easy to get overwhelmed, and even grappling with the craziness of life can be addictive. I enjoy complexity, and I like being part of the conversation, but it can feel too much. A crippling sense of trying to get it right, or do the right thing. I often feel frustrated with the world, and the way things work, because I care. Seeing the conspicuous and huge problems. Hans Rosling identified five key problems (before Covid) which concerned him the most - the risks of global pandemic, financial collapse (abstract debt and interconnectedness), world war (weapons of mass destruction), climate change (unintended consequences of long term behaviours you realise too late), and extreme poverty. These are huge issues. Particularly if we are gradually deconstructing the artificial bubbles we live in (and allow us to pretend some problems are solved). Which also means it is more common for us not to understand the expectations we have of each other. Biases and prejudice are short-cuts from long embodied behaviours and agreements. If everybody already knows the dance, fewer people step on each other’s feet. All this can be draining. Yet I don’t want to be someone who doesn’t care. I don’t think detachment is running off to a cave. We need to participate, but I like the idea that participation starts with the basics. Something as simple as remembering to breathe.