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In the mid-Sixties, many people believed that we
were on the verge of an exciting and glorious new
age in human evolution. The popular song, “Aquarius,”
captured the spirit, proclaiming that we would soon
enjoy the fruits of “harmony and understanding...
sympathy and peace ... mystic crystal revelations
and the mind's true liberation.” Many of
us naively expected the human race to smoothly and
quickly cultivate the earth into a new Eden. During
the late Seventies, however, it seemed that this emerging
paradise might succumb to a blight of old values -
buds and unripe fruit gobbled up by the "me generation."
Or worse, it might be totally consumed by the raging
fires of modern times - such as nuclear holocaust,
pollution, over-population and material shortages.
Optimists believed we were experiencing growing pains,
but the cynical wondered if there really was a new
age. Today, the question of a new age (or perhaps
we should say "new values" and bring the
concept down to earth where it belongs) is more important
than ever, for without some major changes in the next
decade, we may not have the luxury of speculating
about the 1990's. With this in mind, we asked a number
of leaders in the spiritual/growth movement what we
could expect in the 1980's, and what influence their
particular teachings might have on the world. Trying
to pin them down, we asked whether the new age would
blossom, wither, or remain the same. We think that
you will be stimulated, challenged, and perhaps amused
by these thought provoking respons.
--Yoga Journal January 1980
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Joel Kramer
Some historical moments are more critical than others.
Transitional periods are such times. We live in a
culture and a world that are in transition. What transition
actually means is transformation, for as old ways
of being crumble, we, individually and as a species,
must forge new meanings into life. We are at a cusp
point in our evolution - dangling between the pleasures
of adolescence and the urgency of adulthood. Maturation
comes when the spectrum of awareness broadens, becoming
more inclusive. Yoga is an age-old process of transformation
that can be creatively adapted to the needs of the
times. It helps break through the habits of mind and
body that bind us, opening up new ways of relating
to each other and the world. It also brings sensitivity,
response-ability (in its literal sense), and the flexibility
that allows us to assimilate change. In the coming
years, we need to further develop these capacities
to meet the challenges of the times. Yoga, at its
core, is looking within to understand the timeless
question, “Who am I?”As
you delve into the deepest regions of your being,
the knowledge that comes is not merely about you,
the individual, but includes the understanding of
your self as part of the total fabric of life and
as an active participant in the process of evolution.
The expanding of consciousness that is the essence
of evolution, actually gives us the capacity for depth
of communication. Yoga is essentially opening up to
deep communication within yourself, which leads to
transformation. When the parts of the whole open up
to each other - breaking the boundaries of separateness
- real communication, which is communion, occurs.
This allows you to touch the existential reality of
others and share deeply in the movement of life.
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