#### Vaccines and Masks as Forms of Non-Violence (Ahimsa) I regularly search the internet for yoga retreats, though I rarely actually attend any outside of small afternoon or weekend ones in my area. For one it's a big investment to travel. A longer, more intense, retreat requires taking time off of work and a financial commitment. Also, there aren't many teachers that really resonate with me for various reasons. Recently I received an email about a retreat in Costa Rica (it's always Costa Rica) and as usual thought it might be nice to get away and unplug. I click on the link and look into the details and the most affordable (cheapest) accommodations were over two grand and included such luxuries as a canvas tent, with a queen size air mattress and a fan. I appreciate teachers working to make a profession out of this thing need to get paid, but something about that doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, most of the other options were sold out, and it takes place over the week of Thanksgiving, so it wasn't really an option for me. And if you add in airfare and transportation from the airport it adds up to an amount of money that is not in reach of most people I know and their disposable income. But I'm probably not the target audience. But all that isn't really what got my attention and inspired me to take up my writing time to put down some thoughts. In the FAQ portion of the page there was a question covering travel, vaccines, and money. It's good to ensure people know they need to book their own travel to and from the resort, and that U.S. dollars are accepted there. It's even good to inform everyone that it's not necessary to get additional vaccines for things like Malaria (which is surprising to me that that isn't suggested, but I'm no expert on that area of the world). But that is not what inspired me either. What inspired me (fired me up, got me thinking, whatever) was the note at the end of the answer to this FAQ. "You are NOT required to have a Covid Vaccine to come to this retreat." The all caps NOT is in original, not me emphasizing for effect. Now I know I'm on the very cautious side of the spectrum of responses to Covid, and that most people aren't really taking any precautions at this point. People who've gotten the vaccine probably figure most people have been vaccinated, or are of similar persuasion to the older gentleman who recently shared that he thinks Covid is just something "we're gonna have to live with" after asking if I was masking because of Covid. So I know I feel stronger about this topic than most, that I am not in the majority of people who are, like, so over it, and that my reaction may have a little too much reactivity and emotion as part of it. But let me explain. #### Active Non-Violence Non-violence is not only a Yogic idea, it's core to many teachings and philosophies, like Buddhism, as well. In yoga non-violence is the first Yama. The Yamas are often explained as restraints we conscious employ. This is a good point I think, as most of the time when I'm practicing non-violence it's an inner effort to keep from saying or doing something mean or selfish. An interesting thing about a vaccine, or masking indoors, is that these are proactive actions we can take to reduce potential violence. Now I can feel the breeze coming off the many heads shaking vigorously at that last sentence, but one of the most disarming and disheartening aspect of a virus is that we don't get to choose whether we get sick or not. If we are in a place where there is a heavy concentration of Covid particles in the air we are most likely going to catch it and we have no voice in how light or severe our case will be. There is no choice. There is no choice if we have it and don't know, because we aren't feeling any symptoms, and end up spreading it to others. This can happen without our consent and without our knowledge. So getting vaccinated is a form of gaining power and making an active choice to not be a vehicle for violence. Masking is yet another form of actively excluding ourselves from unknowingly being violent actors in the world. I see the lack of this understanding everywhere as everyone has seemed to move on and that is what it is; humans being human. I don't expect to see this attitude in yogis who should have a decent, if not firm, understanding of cause and effect. It's great to let people be themselves, to let everyone express the truth as it is presented in their experience, but it's a twisted version of that intention to say that something is all-caps NOT required. Freedom, from a yogic perspective, has discernment or right understanding (Viveka) at its core. It sometimes requires hard truths and standing up for principles that may not always be clear or popular. It certainly does not include text shouting something. --- Created on: 2023-08-15 [[Home]]