Showing Up In This World
How Can Yoga Help Us Show Up for a More Just and Compassionate World?
In a world often marked by division, injustice, and unrest, many of us seek ways to show up with integrity, courage, and compassion. Yoga, far beyond its physical postures, offers a profound framework for living with awareness and purpose. In its purest form, yoga invites us to transform from within—so that we may also transform the world around us.
The true purpose of yoga is to cultivate inner peace. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (2.66): "One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no peace." This peace isn’t passive or indifferent. It’s the steady clarity that allows us to meet the world’s suffering with loving action.
The ethical teachings of yoga begin with the yamas—guidelines for how we relate to others. The first is Ahimsa, or non-violence. This isn’t just the absence of physical harm. It calls us to resist injustice, to speak out against harm, and to cultivate a life rooted in compassion and care. Practicing Ahimsa on and off the mat means examining our actions, language, and choices—asking, Who is harmed by this? Who is left out? Ahimsa provides the foundation for social justice. Without it, we cannot create a world that is truly safe and equitable for all.
The second yama, Satya, means truthfulness and integrity. In today’s world, honesty—especially about systems of oppression and our own complicity within them—is essential. Satya invites us to speak the truth with compassion and to live in alignment with our deepest values. Living truthfully means we do not look away from injustice. Instead, we call it out. We listen. We act.
Yoga teaches that the true self is shared among all beings. We are not separate. When we recognize this, our actions shift. We see others not just for their behavior or beliefs, but for their essence. This awareness fosters empathy and invites us to move through the world with greater humility and care. To see the divine in all beings is to dismantle the illusions of superiority, otherness, or separation that fuel injustice.
To engage in the work of social transformation, we need inner resilience. Mindfulness practices like pranayama (breathwork) and meditation help us stay grounded, present, and open-hearted—even when we feel overwhelmed.
One practice I find especially helpful is metta, or loving-kindness meditation. It gently but profoundly cultivates compassion, empathy, and a sense of connectedness. You can find many versions of this simple meditation or create your own. Here’s the one I use:
May I/You be happy
May I/You be healthy
May I/You be safe
May I/You be at peace
I always begin with myself, then extend these wishes outward—first to loved ones, then acquaintances, then those I find difficult, then entire communities and finally to all beings everywhere.
This practice reminds me that everyone—regardless of background, belief, or behavior—wants to feel safe, to be free from suffering, and to live in peace. Just 10 min of a loving kindness meditation can have profound emotional, mental and physical benefits. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-it/201409/18-science-backed-reasons-try-loving-kindness-meditationa
Yoga asks us not just to “do no harm,” but to actively participate in the healing of our world. By practicing self-awareness, compassion, and ethical living, we become better equipped to show up—for ourselves, for one another, and for justice.