 Swami Sivananda
9/25/2004The ability to care for others is not an intellectual or calculated exercise. It is a spontaneous abundance of heart. When you get in contact with that inspired self, caring is simply an unconscious way of being.
Arguments about the true nature of humans have raged for centuries. Are people capable of pure altruism? Or are acts of helping, kindness and generosity always based on necessity or fear or expectation of reward?
But if a person is by nature hedonistic, why will they help another? Why do something not in their own self-interest? Cynics assign an ulterior motive to all pro-social behavior; some even go so far as to view altruism as a sign of neurosis, a refusal to cope with the realities of life.
The human infant, unlike the young of many species, literally cannot survive without care. Babies who are not held and properly nurtured often die; of those who survive, many become autistic or turn criminal later in life.
In pursuit of the life well lived many people have ridden rough-shod over their own better nature. They have all but trampled their need to care and be cared for. Yet caring for each other—and for ourselves—is an integral part of what we need to feel at peace with ourselves and the world we live in. By neglecting and trivializing our caring nature, we are betraying our own best interests.
Caring for and about others is caring for ourselves. Caring for others accrues great benefits to us. It increases our self-esteem, attracts the care and concern of others, improves the environment, and enhances the quality of life.
The decision to care requires assertiveness and a sense of self-worth that many people just don’t have.
Fear, then—of rejection, of being misunderstood, of being laughed at or thought foolish, of being taken advantage of—inhibits caring actions. People refrain from doing anything rash or spontaneous. The risks seem formidable. So they play it cool and keep up their aristocratic, above-it-all facade.
The Caring Capacity has been weakened by disuse, lack of reinforcement, and misunderstanding of its potential for growth. Putting it back in working order is a matter of recognizing caring feelings and improving skills.
Caring has impact. We feel productive and worthy of others’ care and attention. We see ourselves in a positive light.
People are naturally attracted to those who care. They have an alluring energy and radiance.
This writing represents the spirit and practice at Yandara Yoga Institute’s Yoga Teacher Trainings, Baja, Mexico.
Compiled and edited by Craig and Patti Perkins, Co-directors
Yandara Yoga Institute
Yoga Teacher Training
A.P. 116
Todos Santos, Baja. Calif. South.
Mexico 23305
Web: www.yandara.com
eMail: yoga@yandara.com
USA: 1-877 490 9883
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