yoga & politics: bad leaders, spiritual bypassing, & good activism as a yogi

So much of the wellness world has become busy work to keep up from focusing on the bigger problems in the world. But our own selfish pursuits don’t bring happiness anyways. So can we take more accountability for what’s happening around us? 

In a season of world politics and wars that feels like spiritual wintertime, let’s talk about ignorance and neutrality vs standing up, jumping to conclusions vs thinking for yourself, and how we can stay informed while not losing our power and sanity. 

Who is the bad leader? Is it them, “up there?” Is it you? Is it me? Let’s find out. Today’s episode is a combination of poetic interpretations of the current state of events and its effect on our state of being. 

My substack piece mentioned “What’s going on up there”

Piece by Jeff Foster “Behind the Curtain”

Video about meditation mentioned

Find Shawna on instagram: ⁠@shawnakru ⁠

⁠Shawna’s website⁠

Try OfferingTree for free⁠ ⁠with my link here⁠⁠ (My sponsor) 

⁠Yoga Teacher Roundtable free community events & mailing list⁠

Time stamps: 

00:00 intro

03:30 the mental whirlwind of being in a season of winter

06:00 who this episode is for

07:30 my turn to answer: can yoga change the world?

9:30 OfferingTree

11:00 my story: burnt out on news

15:58 we create what we consume, but that doesn’t mean..

17:23 what does this have to do with yoga?

22:00 2 steps for better democracy 

25:20 beliefs are tea steeping in your water

26:30 desire to “belong” to a group

28:00 being a real activist means

31:30 the 3rd option

36:00 when is it enough?

40:00 survival mode does not gift the privilege of contemplating 

43:50 news 

48:50 bad leaders characteristics 

50:00 just trying to get through the week

51:20 Jeff Foster “I saw behind the curtain”

56:00 spiritual bypassing

59:30 “it’s all divine plan” 

1:00:00 take accountability, you are not a hamster

1:05:00 how to make real change