Geeta Jayanti

Happy Geeta Jayanti, yogis! Today marks the 5,159th anniversary of the birth of the Bhagavad Gita - we're celebrating the wisdom of this sacred text, Arjuna's struggle to find truth and purpose, and of course, the teachings of Lord Krishna.

The story takes place on a battlefield, where two sides of a feuding family are preparing for war. Arjuna, our hero, is struggling with whether or not he should fight in this battle against his own family members. Lord Krishna reveals himself to Arjuna to guide him to the right path.

One of the reasons this story is still celebrated and relevant today is because of what it represents about our own human minds, and what it tells us about the importance of living a life of truth and purpose.

Arjuna is us, with all our faults and doubts and bad habits - we stand on the battlefield of life in a faceoff against the parts of ourselves that want to keep us from living our truth.

Krishna, of course, is the higher self, (or the divine, if you prefer that language).

The two warring families are the "good and evil" within us - our greatest virtues and their opposing forces.

The Gita talks a lot about Dharma, ("life's purpose"), but it doesn't tell us how to live ours - it only offers a guide on how to find the right path. By facing challenges in our lives, we discover not only what we're capable of enduring, but also what is most important to us. Dharma is what lies in the clearing at the end of the path.

Whatever your life's purpose may be, we all have a shared Dharma - to live as honestly and fully as possible. To explore and be curious about all that is within us, and outside of us. Yoga is a spiritual practice, and that means lots and lots of curious observation.

I wish you all wisdom and purpose along your path, and hope that you arrive happily in the clearing, fully formed.

💖 kass