Namaste!
During the last month we've encountered many yogis, including several of us here at iHanuman, getting actively involved in the upcoming presidential election. From volunteering at non-partisan voter registration drives to community canvassing for our preferred candidates, we get to experience the incredible opportunities for growth as well as the many pitfalls of trying to join spiritual aspirations and ideals with personally invested political activism.
We have had a wide array of powerful teaching moments that we are sure echo throughout the yoga community: trying to meditate after watching a presidential debate; waking up to find yard signs stolen; encountering so many people who's voting rights have been taking away and the frustration over the intentionally complicated hoops to get them restored; the traps of negativity and seeing those with other political allegiances as somehow fundamentally different than us. To yogis, all of our experiences become, as Ram Dass says, "grist for the mill," providing powerful lessons about santosha (contentment), ahimsa (non-injury in thought, word, and deed), and remaining rooted in our peace while working actively to correct injustices and make the world a better place.
In this week's feature we share an interview with Bo Lozoff, co-founder of the Prison Ashram Project and Human Kindness Foundation, who went from political radical in the 1960's to a spiritual teacher who, for the last 35 years, has focused his service on the millions in our nation's prisons. This challenging and often heart-breaking environment has given Bo a wide perspective on spiritual life, demanding that it be centered on true self-realization and finding that it often calls us into a deeper engagement with the world. We hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman.
The iHanuman Family
- New Feature: Interview with Bo Lozoff, Founder of the Prison Ashram Project and the Human Kindness Foundation