Yoga of Sustainability (The Individual and The Collective)

Before moving forward with developing the idea of Yoga of Sustainability: The Healing Power of Synchronicity, it’s important to talk about how sustainability can be approached from two different perspectives.

We must work to sustain our individual human lives, and work to sustain the human collective.

We’ve labeled the work of sustaining the human collective as “environmental sustainability” because of the universal understanding that protecting the environment equals the continuation of human life. We’ve labeled individual human sustainability as “self-care” because of the unspoken agreement that no matter what’s happening, our individual health and wellness takes priority. Many of us sacrifice our individual sustainability in exchange for work that brings us money and resources to survive. Though, that’s a bigger discussion that I’ll save for another time.

Both perspectives overlap - there is overwhelming evidence that the way we treat ourselves directly translates to how we treat the environment. The state of the environment then has a direct impact on our personal health and wellness. Sustainability is a two-way street, as well as a circular system. And while these perspectives overlap, they couldn’t be more different.

Behaving from the perspective of individual sustainability is exceptionally different then behaving from the perspective of sustaining the human collective.

We understand the environment as separate from ourselves and where all life sustaining resources originate. We also understand sustainability as the relationship we have with the environment. When we approach sustainability from the perspective of the individual, we could think, “Well, I didn’t ask to be on this planet, why do I need to protect it? Why do my behaviors even matter?” When we approach sustainability from the perspective of a collective mindset, we could think, “Wow, if I don’t support the environment then future generations won’t be able to survive. It’s extremely important for us to live sustainably.”

Approaching the concept of sustainability has a domino effect on our behavioral response to the whole issue.

What are my thoughts? I think there’s power in defining these two approaches, and fully understanding the concepts and how they differ. From here we can start to see the areas where there is potential imbalance, and where there is potential for change.

We must strike a balance between both approaches. If we approach sustainability too narcissistically then we open ourselves up to other complex imbalances. And if we look at sustainability too much from the position of the collective, we also open ourselves up to other complex imbalances. There must be an even harmonious balance between the individual and the collective perspectives on sustainability.

Yoga means to join; Sustainability strives for harmony and longevity. We must build an intimate relationship with ourselves and sustainability to move towards a better world, a better life, and to experience Yoga of Sustainability and it’s healing power of synchronicity.