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Principles and Practices for Progressive Spiritual Activism
March 6, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - March 7, 2020 @ 3:00 pm EST
$80
Yoga is both a process of turning inward and a process of engaging with the world. As such, yoga offers us a set of principles for both personal and social action. The defense of dharma– truth, justice, and harmony with nature – is entirely in keeping with the tradition of yoga.
Spiritualizing our activism elevates our response to injustice to a level that harmonizes the fight for righteousness with the spiritual conception of equality upon which the American conception of justice is actually based. It also links the advancement of progressive values to the advancement of spiritual consciousness.
A satsang is a gathering of seekers of the truth who come together to discuss the nature of the truth and the means by which one makes progress in spiritual life. In this satsang I’ll offer thoughts and ideas, based on the teachings of traditional yoga wisdom texts, about why spiritualizing our response to adharma– injustice and disharmony – is so important, how the values of yoga philosophy provide a solid foundation for progressive social action, and what we can do to imbue our actions with spiritual power.
We’ll also address a false dichotomy that creates obstacles for spiritualizing our activism and participate in brainstorming about how we can spiritualize both individual and a specific collective social activism project. Participants will acquire new insights into the nature spiritual activism, learn how their spiritual practice can energize their participation in progressive activism, and feel inspired to take their activism to a higher spiritual level.
SCHEDULE:
Friday
6:00 – 8:00 pm Satsang & kirtan (devotional singing)
Saturday
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Workshop 1: The Bhagavad Gita & Bhakti Yoga
1:30 – 3:00 pm Workshop 2: Spiritual Activism
INVESTMENT: $80 for all 3; or $30 per session