Light on Light Magazine - International Day of Yoga 2022 Special Edition

Returning to Harmony

by Sister Jayanti Harmony is natural to us. It is the original state of humanity, where our way of relating and interacting with one another and with all forms of life is naturally harmonious. Deep inside we know this – it is as if we remember it – and this is why we long for harmony and work so hard to find or create it. If there were no conscious or unconscious memory of that experience, there would be no sense of something missing, something awry, in our world at this time. If harmony is our natural way of being, then why is it not currently the norm?

Today’s world is an increasingly divided one. There is division and fragmentation within families and communities, between genders and generations, and between ideologies, faiths and nations. A sense of ‘them and us’ inevitably leads to comparison, competition and, often, conflict and undermines our deeper feelings of belonging, love and compassion. At the same time, we are seeing a soaring rise in health problems – mental and physical – across the globe, at all levels of society, which would seem to indicate some form of disharmony within us as individuals.

Within every human tradition there is the concept of paradise, utopia or a golden age – a world of peace, love and happiness, a time when human beings lived their lives in harmony with each other and with nature. What has happened that we’ve come so far from where we were? And, more importantly, how can we help ourselves to return to our natural state of being?

The tendency has been to try and find external solutions - by changing systems, changing policies, injecting more money, more technology and more information. Yet, despite all of this, we appear to be going in reverse rather than moving forward. Perhaps it is time to look at a different perspective entirely: to look at what’s going on inside ourselves and to see how it’s connected to the world outside - both on a personal level and a global level. Spirituality tells me that, when I sort things out within myself and come to a state of harmony inside, I am more likely to contribute to harmony outside on all levels - with people and with our physical environment. ‘Charity begins at home’ - with the self.

The experience of harmony Harmony is, first and foremost, about being at peace with one’s own self. It is that inner state in which our thoughts, our conscience and our expression – our words and actions – are all in alignment. This brings feelings of deep comfort and security and, at the same time, flexibility and flow. When we experience peace and harmony within ourselves, our decisions and actions are motivated by contentment and love. We have the strength and clarity to be able to behave in a way that is according to our deepest values – which brings the greatest happiness. Inner harmony enables us to bring meaning and truth to even the smallest matters. We give our full attention and bring the best of ourselves to whatever we are engaged in at the present moment. Like someone playing in an orchestra or playing a team sport, we are alert and focused on what we have to do as well as what is happening around us.

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