Reflection on the past couple of weeks...

September 16, 2025

Finding Spiritual Resilience

Through Yoga in Challenging Times

The world often feels like it is unraveling before our eyes. Recent events- such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, along with wars, political unrest, and natural disasters- remind us just how fragile and unpredictable life can be. In moments like these, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even hopeless.

Yet, even in the midst of chaos, there is a practice that has carried people for thousands of years: yoga. More than just stretching or physical fitness, yoga offers a path to inner steadiness, clarity, and resilience when the outer world feels uncertain.

Yoga as a Refuge in Troubled Times

Yoga literally means union—the bringing together of body, mind, and spirit. When the news cycle is filled with pain and violence, yoga helps us reconnect with a sense of wholeness and peace that exists beneath the surface. Through breath, movement, and meditation, we begin to anchor ourselves in the present moment, where fear and uncertainty lose some of their grip.

Spiritual resilience doesn’t mean ignoring suffering. Instead, it is the ability to hold space for pain while also cultivating hope, compassion, and clarity. A regular yoga practice allows us to build this resilience from the inside out.

Lessons From the Mat

1. Breath Amidst Chaos –> When the world feels unstable, simple breath practices (like alternate nostril breathing or deep belly breathing) remind us that calm is always available within.

2. Strength Through Stillness –> Poses that ask us to ground deeply, such as Warrior II or Tree Pose, teach us how to remain steady and rooted even when external conditions shake us.

3. Surrender and Release –> Restorative postures encourage us to let go—of grief, of fear, of the things we cannot control. This surrender doesn’t mean weakness; it means choosing peace over resistance to reality.

Yoga as a Path Toward Healing Collective Wounds

Beyond individual resilience, yoga calls us to embody compassion. When practiced with intention, it expands our ability to empathize, to see the shared humanity in others, and to act with kindness. In times of collective adversity—whether from violence, natural disasters, or social divides—this spirit of compassion is what begins to mend the larger wounds of the world.

Were events of the past couple of weeks stressful for you?

• Yes
• No
• Somewhat

While none of us can single-handedly change the world, we can change how we show up within it. By cultivating resilience, compassion, and presence through yoga, we become steadier, kinder, and more able to contribute positively- even when the world feels heavy.

Yoga doesn’t erase grief, anger, or confusion. But it gives us a practice for holding these emotions without being consumed by them. It gives us a way to continue breathing, standing, and moving forward with clarity.

In times of tragedy and uncertainty, returning to the mat is not an escape- it is an act of courage, a way to find light within darkness, and a step toward healing ourselves and the world around us.