“You are loved.” “We are one.” – Two simple phrases that echoed this past Saturday morning at the Lolë Yoga and Meditation event that was held in Montreal’s Old Port. Almost 5000 people were in attendance; both men, and women, of all ages, colours, and walks of life, coming together to dedicate their yoga practice in a unified spirit of peace and gratitude.
Despite the morning having started off as rainy, by the time the event was due to start, the clouds had dispersed to reveal blue skies and a sun whose rays began to bask each and every participant as they settled onto their identical yellow mats. Peace; the word that resonated throughout the morning as we were encouraged to hold our “peace fingers” up as we flowed from one pose to the next. We dotted our practice by strong affirmations that “We are one.” We engaged in poses that required us to hold onto the shoulders of the people next to us for balance and stability. My heart was warmed by the sheer possibility, and ensuing reality, of so many people coming together in the name of a common practice, a common message, and common purpose.
What touched me the most was a simple exercise that we participated in during the meditative portion of the practice; a simple exercise that ended up speaking volumes. We paired up, three separate times, with three different people. We were to try and look at our partner in their eyes, for 30 seconds, without shifting our gaze. Subsequently, we were to validate out loud to our partner that they are loved. “You are loved.” From my perspective, one could tell that at first everyone was very quiet; the odd nervous giggle was heard from one moment to the next. However, what followed, was exquisitely beautiful. Participants not only looking at each other in the eyes, but smiling at each other with their eyes. The affirmation “you are loved” being followed by hugs among strangers. We were not just looking at each other, we were truly seeing each other. How beautiful it is to be seen, to hear that we are loved, to receive a simple validation of our presence and existence.
In great juxtaposition, the same evening, I saw a stream of posts and tweets about the tragic and disheartening happenings in Charlottesville. It was a striking reality to see that within the same day I could bare witness to such stark opposites, love and hate, peace and violence, “We are one” and “You are other”.
What I pray for, my dearest readers, is for more of us in this world to use our eyes to really see each other, our voices to affirm and validate each other’s worth, our minds to choose understanding over ignorance, our hearts to echo love and peace.
I end with a quote and call to action by poet and activist Cleo Wade “And may the appalling hate of others fuel you to step more deeply into your work as a warrior of love, justice, and freedom in the fight against oppression and bigotry.”
My dearest readers, let us be warriors of love, justice and freedom.
positively profession-elle 