In Yoga, we often use the term “vairagya.” It is often translated as “dispassion” or “non-attachment.” But, sometimes it is confused with “indifference.” So, what does non-attachment mean? Does it mean you are indifferent, you don’t care about anyone or anything? No. If you are completely disinterested, if you take it literally and don’t any interest whatsoever, it is impossible for you to live. Are you not interested in eating your breakfast? The minute we finish the breakfast, we think of what to prepare for lunch. We are interested in eating, in sleeping, enjoying; we are interested in living. If we are disinterested, even the life breath will not come back when it goes out. There is an unconscious interest, or desire to live, so the ribcage expands to create the vacuum that draws in the air. It is not possible to live without any interest whatsoever. Even if you are going to lead such a disinterested life, you would be having an interest in such a life! How can we call it a disinterested life? So we should not take it literally.  Instead, let your interest be selfless. How do you know if you have cultivated vairagya? How would dispassion or non-attachment look in your everyday life? Very simple: Whatever you do, do it completely for the sake of others.  MORE

"All We are Saying is Give Peace a Chance"
By Paul C. Pritchard

Fifty years ago, in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono used their exceptionally high public profiles to bring awareness to the absurdity of war. They were passivists believing that violence is never justifiable. They were just married and the World’s press were hot on their tails. It was paparazzi mayhem. They knew this was a moment in time they could truly utilise for good. They decided to simply have a ‘sit-in’ – a peaceful method of protesting where people simple sit in one place to create awareness, media-attention and peacefully disrupt the system. It was non-violent messaging. In the days before social media and instant viral news threads, this was the only way to reach the world on such a prolific scale. They were in room 702 at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. This was their harmonious private honeymoon time. Instead, they used their honeymoon as a vehicle for peace. They offered up their traditional honeymoon for the greater good. They offered up their intimacy for publicity. And what a magnificent global sensation it was to protest the Vietnam War on the world stage. They spent seven days in bed from 25th to 30th March and invited the world to participate.  MORE

Last week, Thomas Linzey founder of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, visited Yogaville. He met with some community members, during which they reviewed a draft of "Rights of Nature" conservation—the first in Virginia—easements for each of their properties. "Rights of Nature"—securing the rights of ecosystems to naturally exist, flourish, regenerate and evolve—was hardly known just a couple of years ago. It is taking off like wildfire around the globe. This drafted ordinance to protect the Rights of Nature for the James River Natural Community may never be passed by local Buckingham County administrators, but we hope this work will inspire others and we have an extended growing community. When we get a thousand landowners in Virginia (and more globally), we create a storm surge of enlightened attitudes... Rights of Nature is an ancient concept that we must shift to if we are to survive. This morning I retweeted a Green Peace message: "f you are not indigenous you are on occupied land..." This work returns us to a sustainable relationship with our home planet and each other. (Report: Dhivya Berthoud, Yogaville resident, Secretary of Friends of Buckingham, a nonprofit that supports & advocates for environmental issues. Photo: Thomas & Dhivya.)