Within Your Reach

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.  

-Clarissa Pinkola Estés


I fully believe that the only way to effect meaningful change in the world is to begin with our selves.

Yet, I still sometimes struggle with the enormity of the world's suffering and how that contrasts with the privilege I enjoy of being able to spend the amount of time that I do practicing and thinking about yoga, and "working on myself."

I know better than to consider this selfish, yet sometimes it feels tinged with self-indulgence, a sense of luxury and entitlement.
Shouldn't I be doing something more timely, more urgent, than contemplating the nature of the Self? 

But then I remember that all of us are entrusted with a small corner of the world to serve in our own unique way.

For some people it takes the form of political activism, or fostering children or animals, or fundraising for worthwhile causes. For others it might be contributing to a harmonious workplace or treating customers with kindness and respect. For others it means helping people experience greater well-being and inner fulfillment through yoga. This last path, of course, hopefully supports whatever else they may do or achieve.

In some ways, I see the work and practice of yoga as a support for all the other work that needs to be done, for all the healing that must happen.

Yoga practice, hopefully, puts us in the position of being able to serve from a place of generosity and fulfillment, rather than egoic need, or fear, or anxiety. And this does feel extremely worthwhile, even necessary.

For no matter what corner of the world is within our reach, all of us on this path are charged with the task of becoming better (i.e. more benevolent, kind, compassionate, and empathetic) people, of aligning our actions with our highest values so that we can bring our best, truest selves to bear on the work we do and the people we serve.