Yoga and ecology: what link?

One of the many things that this epic crisis is teaching us is that our lifestyle is unsustainable for the planet : we have so exploited it and depleted it of resources that the system could implode.

In recent years, the bells that invite a slowdown in unrestrained development always sound louder: the aim is to save us from the environmental catastrophe and restore what we have blindly compromised.

Broadening the gaze, on a cultural level, green philosophies are increasingly rooted in Western populations, or rather those that invite us to rediscover and reconfirm our relationship with Nature, also through market choices (favoring products over others) and style. of life (eating certain foods, choosing specific holiday destinations, traveling by bicycle and many others).

Within this current of thought, which we find all in all shareable due to its extremism, yoga occupies a very special place.

Yoga, an ecological discipline

When we say that yoga is an ecological discipline we mean it in a broad and metaphorical sense; we refer primarily to its highly purifying practice, both physically and mentally .

In detail:

Starting from the most practical aspects, yoga can be practiced every time, without the need for any special tools or structures. The courses, in the vast majority of cases, are offered at prices that are all in all accessible (if compared, for example, to the gym or pool season ticket) and, at least in the big cities, free events are not rare; It is an activity that does not require extra clothing and can take place ... even under a tree!
The whole yoga philosophy is imbued with a profound bond with Nature : man is a part of it and constantly yearns for it. The asanas themselves are images of trees, plants, animals and invite us to appropriate the symbolism they carry with them; offer the opportunity for a simple rediscovery of the possibilities of the body and its wonders in a primordial way, without the distractions of any structured, technical or choreographed activity.
Yoga is not only a physical discipline, but also worries about our mind intrinsically linked to the well-being of the entire psycho-physical ecosystem: an aspiration of the discipline is precisely the cleaning of mental space from the waste of our everyday life, polluting even on a human level . We constantly need to purify ourselves from the stress of the day, from small and large anger to work, from the frustrations of private life: if we use the pleasure of a shower to cleanse the body, we must have recourse to another mind ... For example, to a regenerating yogic shower!
Yoga often leaves the mat and becomes a lifestyle : it is not uncommon to embrace a leaner, frugal and simple approach to existence. We limit unbridled consumerism and obsession with appearances in the name of a discovery (or rediscovery) of deeper, authentic and essential values . In general this turn compared to the usual scale of values shifts the preferences towards more sustainable and ecological choices to the benefit of our health and that of the environment around us.

Rediscover our connection with Nature, also through yoga

Yoga lends itself enormously to being an ecological discipline because the harmony between inside and outside is an integral part of philosophy.

The return to the essential, to the marrow, constitutes another aspect in absolute countertendency with respect to the wastes that characterize consumerism and destroy the environment that surrounds us. We are made of the same material as Nature and we are in very close connection with it: rediscovering this contact represents first of all an opportunity for personal and spiritual evolution, but, globally, it is certainly one of the solutions to save our beloved planet.