How To Take Your Yoga Off of The Mat On Election Day

Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us and the world will be as one.
-John Lennon

Election Day always makes me super anxious. I get upset by all of the negative Facebook status updates, I get stressed out when people disagree to the point of anger or hatred, and it saddens me to watch people lose--even if I don't agree with their politics. So, although I know it's exciting and invigorating, and a little healthy or heated debate can be fun for all, today I ask you to remember that we're all in this together--no matter what happens--and that negativity or anger doesn't get us any closer to where we all want to be in life. 

There are also some great things going on today in order to bring about unity, one of my favorites being the Election Day Yoga initiative launched by Lululemon, which is bringing completely free yoga to all of the studios in the DC area today, including Tranquil Space (both of my classes are free tonight, so stop by to see me after you vote!). Their slogan, "On this day of great divide, yoga unites," is both inspring and very true, in my humble opinion. In fact, the word yoga actually comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj," which means "to yoke," or to unite or  join, so I think that there's nothing better than practicing yoga on a day that highlights so many of our differences.

What other ways can you work to unite with those around you today, no matter what their political preference? Here are my tips...

How to Take Your Yoga Off of The Mat On Election Day

1. Vote. 
Show your gratitude for all of the blessings in your life by casting a ballot. As Americans, we are SO lucky to be able to take part in the government and be heard, and it's important to speak your truth by taking part in this process. In selecting a candidate that most closely aligns with your belief system, you're given the opportunity to share your values with others in your community in a very tangible way. Don't miss out on a chance to do this!

2. Take some time for a little svadhyaya, or self-study. 
How are you contributing to the world on this day of great divide? How can you change your attitude so that you resonate love and acceptance, and so that every one of your interactions becomes a positive one? How can you express your values more clearly in the future? How can you become stronger so that the negative press (or angry  Facebook status updates...) doesn't upset you? This day is a great chance to do a little self-reflection. 

3. Get in touch with your inner samtosha, or sense of contentment. 
Meditate, practice yoga, drink chamomile tea, breathe deeply, go on a run--do whatever it is that helps you revel in the present moment and accept the world, your current situation, and the people around you as they are. Try your best not to allow what's going on outside of your body to disrupt your inner peace. Easier said than done, I know...

4. Practice ahimsa, or nonviolence/nonharming. 
This doesn't mean just physical violence (although that is obviously something that you want to avoid!), but also negative thoughts towards yourself or towards others. Notice when negativity, anger, or frustration starts bubbling up inside you and try to take a step back and see the big picture. If someone says something that really upsets you, try to send them positive energy instead of anger (I know some of you will roll your eyes at this, hehe!). If you consiously try to practice ahimsa internally, your actions and attitude will also resonate love and compassion. We need more of that in the world today. 

5. Embrace brahmacharya, or moderation. 
How does this apply to Election Day? One word:  (The) Media. Don't let it consume you. It's SO easy to be completely hooked to the TV, to your computer, to your phone, to Twitter and Facebook, tor o the latest polls, but try not to be. Give yourself breaks, take a walk, turn it off for a while, and don't get sucked into the vortex that they're creating in order to keep you to tuned in all day long. Practicing moderation when it comes to The Media's coverage of the election will help to keep your body in a less revved-up, less stressed-out state, which is better for us all.

Simple enough, right?

One of my favorite Election Day quotes EVER came from a Facebook friend's status update on Election Day in 2008, and although I (sadly) can't remember who to attribute it to, here's what it said:

"On this day of great divide, I hope that we can all agree on one thing: 
that Nickleback is the worst band ever."

How funny is that? It's also great advice. Lets find something that we can all agree on, and bond over our similarities, not our differences...

To close, I just had to share my two favorite images that I came across when searching for pictures that expressed "unity." Neither of them have anything to do with the election, but that's kind of why I like them :) Both of these pics came up under this search term:

Image via Etsy.com

Image via ruffledblog.com

Now is that unity, or what? So fabulous ;) I can't decide which image I like more...

Don't forget to yoga the vote today!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine