Greetings Reader -

Yoga and politics might seem like strange bedfellows. In yoga, we embrace vairagya, or non-attachment, often interpreted as detachment from material things, people, and even ideas. We also emphasize the importance of tyāga, renunciation, and of seeing everyone and everything with equal vision.

From this perspective, yoga can appear apolitical, and politics can seem un-yogic. We might conclude that yogis should remain detached, even to the point of not participating in anything remotely political.

But that’s not what yoga wisdom says.

Ignoring political discourse is appropriate for a sannyasi or a monk, people who have renounced involvement in worldly affairs for the sake of fully absorbing themselves in the world of spiritual knowledge.

But for most of us, our path to transcendence takes us through the world, not around or away from it.

Fortunately, yoga provides us with tools to guide our engagement in worldly affairs.

Yoga wisdom texts encourage us to look at political disputes from a distance in order to see the big picture; to be able to see the values driving both liberal and conservative positions. This, in itself, is a liberal aspect of yoga because yoga, as a practice of expanding consciousness, encourages openness to diverse experiences—a fundamentally liberal value.

But yogic values are not always liberal. Some values that arise from yoga philosophy lean conservative, such as brahmacarya, responsible control of sexual energy, and sauca, which includes the observance of sobriety.

Other yogic principles, like ahimsa, non-violence, naturally align with more liberal ideas about social justice, environmentalism, economic policy, and healthcare.

Some might argue that self-realization and sharing spiritual knowledge should take priority over engaging in everyday politics. I’d argue that it's not that simple.

Yoga philosophy tells us that the material world exists in a spiritual context. And spiritual movements exist in a political context. As compassionate yogis, we care about every living being on the planet, and would like to see material conditions that are as favorable to everyone’s spiritual life as possible.

To that end, we should understand how spirituality and worldly involvement can complement each other. Our spiritual and material lives are meant to be integrated, not separated into two distinct realms of experience.

Here are a few verses from the Bhagavad-gita that show how yoga turns what seem like ordinary worldly actions into spiritual practices.

In these passages, Krishna, speaking from the position of the Supreme Divinity, is trying to convince his friend, Arjuna, not to turn his back on the world but to participate in the resolution of a political conflict by fighting in defense of dharma, spiritual values.

And Krishna’s argument carries some weight when he uses himself as an example by saying, in effect, “I show up to defend dharma as a matter of duty. And I’m God so I'm not really obligated to do anything. So if I show up, then where do you get off thinking that you can just go off to the forest and do your meditation practice instead of showing up to defend dharma?”

For most modern yogis, staying on the battlefield and doing our part to push the world in a spiritual direction is a prescribed duty; leaving it up to someone else to decide what the political context of our spiritual initiatives will be is not:

Of course, all this philosophy is easier said than done, especially when it comes to putting these ideas into practice in the real world. It can be tough to stay detached and maintain equal vision when emotions run high, especially in the realm of politics.

To help bridge that gap, here are a couple of exercises you can try to bring these concepts to life:

• Think about a political issue or debate that deeply concerns you. Sit quietly and reflect on your feelings and your attachment to a particular outcome. Then, ask yourself: "How would I approach this issue if I didn't need my preferred result to happen? Could I still contribute positively, without being attached to the outcome?" Consider how detaching from specific political outcomes might influence your sense of peace and your ability to engage with political issues more calmly and, perhaps, more effectively. How can you practice being involved in the political process while remaining unattached to the results, as Krishna advises in the Bhagavad-gita? Do you think it's possible?
• Choose someone you know whose views you strongly disagree with. Now, sit quietly and imagine them as fellow spiritual beings, with their own journeys and struggles. Reflect on what fears, values, or experiences might shape their opinions. Ask yourself: "If I saw them as a fellow spiritual being who, like me, is doing their best to navigate their way through the material world, how would that change the way I think about them or engage in a dialogue with them?" Write down how adopting this perspective of equal vision could influence your interactions and reduce the tension you feel in political conversations. How can you honor everyone on a spiritual level, even when you don't agree with their politics and may be doing everything in your power to ensure that their preferred candidates for political office are defeated?

If you try these exercises, feel free to share any insights or revelations you had. And if you don’t agree or have a different point of view, I’d love to hear that, too — your perspective is always welcome.

Wishing you all good fortune,

- Hari-K

P.S. - If you want to learn more about how your yoga practice can transform you into a force for peace, justice, and prosperity for all, I invite you to enroll in Principles of Spiritual Leadership, the next class in my Monthly Wisdom Workshop series. Details here.