Jeff Brown is a great thinker and philosopher who has written some good work on the topic of spirituality and the essence of being human. It is with that respect that I write my response to one of his recent online publications.
In this content Jeff states that the world has been “fooled for centuries” in regard to traditional Yoga practices. His reasoning is missing a deep aspect that I would like to discuss in this post.
Let’s explore the person who Jeff is describing. Someone who:
- Is uncomfortable in the world
- Has pain in their heart
- Had past trauma
- Had unresolved issues
- Had emotional toxicity
- Had fear in life
- Had pain
- Had grief
- Had social issues
- Had resentment
- Sought freedom
What’s missing from this list is: Courage
These people had normal, human issues and one day they were introduced to a practice that promised a better life experience. A practice that demanded arduous physical and mental work, but one that would be rewarded with great peace and wisdom. They accepted Yoga into their lives because they recognized that they had issues. Those who were successful in their practice were rewarded with peace and acceptance. To say that they fled their issues is missing the point.
The women and men who have surrendered their lives to inner contemplation
In Yoga there are two people: those who know who they truly are and those who do not. Those who see themselves as individuals separate from the whole suffer with all of the above qualities until they realize the truth of their identity.
To me this is simple. Jeff names half of the reasoning behind Yogic practices, and disregards the other half.
Writing this is starting to feel silly, as if I’m just stating the obvious. But with Jeff’s reach and well regarded voice I feel like it calls for a response.
We can all relate with these struggles, they’re actually nothing special. So, what do we do when