Political threat to yoga

[Guest guest]

The warning in another post about New Jersey's legislative attack on yoga shows why engaging politically is part of the responsibility of a householder, which we are as practitioners of kundalini yoga. Politics stems from the Greek root "poli", which connotes the organizing of society for peace and prosperity. And society is made of householders - the kashtriyas (warriors, merchants and farmers) in the days of the Sikhs. Most yogis believe Obama's election will enhance both peace and prosperity, while some of us are less trusting of the ability to keep government limited to protecting our Rights. Differing views are healthy.We can't hide from politics, as distasteful as the whole system is and as loathsome as its actors are. Yogis are under attack in New

Jersey, and it's only a matter of time until major yoga operators in your state decide to collude with politicians to screw the competition (you). That's what regulations are - a disgusting scheme by the powerful to raise "barriers to entry", so new players can't afford or figure out how to compete with the larger incumbents. Entrepreneurs are very often, in this regulatory process, prevented from offering consumers more choice, higher quality and less cost. I know this, because as a lobbyist for almost 20 years, our payments come not from little businesses, but rather from the biggest businesses. All of us - lobbyists, businesses, bureaucrats, and the politicians sitting on the committees overseeing the market in question - collude to screw the consumer of choice and quality, all in the name of "consumer protection". And now this process is being unleashed on peaceful, loving yogis. No one remembers the classic way

to protect consumers - though a market process that rewards "reputation" and punishes force or fraud with restitution.So, yogis, we can't hide, but rather we must engage. However, we can lobby in a conscious way - raising our light so we're neutral lighthouses. We can educate our lawmakers and government regulators, as well as the press (one can't underestimate the impact of a good press story in a major media organ) and any other community leaders. The more we're engaged in all things public, the more likely that whatever the government imposes on us will be less harmful than it otherwise could have been. If the proposal is actually harmful, of course, we need to bury the politicians with emails, faxes, visits, and, yes, even a little money - legal, that is, in the form of contributions. Nothing enlightens the eyes of a politician like a little green; or, if no money is available, inkind contributions like

volunteering on a campaign, helping with a service project important to the campaign.Good luck New Jersey yogis, and the rest of us should help them so we can prepare for the inevitable next onslaught.Blessings,Amar Atma