यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas / tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaḿ kurute / lokas tad anuvartate
BG 3.21 – Whatever the greatest man does; Thus the rest follow. Whatever standard he sets, the world will surely follow.
We are all familiar with the feeling and emotion of Awe, which can generally be described as an emotional response to something vast, overwhelming, or transcendent that challenges one’s understanding of the world. We can be in awe of something, someone or a sequence of events. If challenging our understanding of the world brings about the emotion of awe then yoga would definitely be awe-inducing. Or would it be awe-inspiring? Maybe it feels awe-ful or is it simply awe-some?
Regardless of the play on words or metaphors we can use to describe the feeling of awe in all its forms we can agree that it can used to describe both the good and the bad, pleasurable things as well as the unexplainable ones and if anything, the sense of awe is inclusive of something painful or uncomfortable.
As author and Buddhist Monk Pema Chodron says, “Pain is not a punishment; pleasure is not a reward. Inspiration and wretchedness complement each other. The gloriousness of our inspiration connects us with the sacredness of the world. But when the tables are turned and we feel wretched, that softens us up. It ripens our hearts. It becomes the ground for understanding others.”
Awe does not occur behind the curtain of a perfectly curated life. It happens when we are exposed to the grit, the pain, the harsh ‘realness’ that we sometimes try so hard to avoid. Love or being in love can be described as being in awe of another. It can be because you see (and are seen as) the purest version of someone, it’s not a fake curated social media depiction of someone or even being in awe of a celebrity or someone you don’t actually know, instead you’re in awe because of how this other person lives their life, holds themself (and others) in the space they created and care for. Love, much like Awe softens us up, ripens the heart and helps us understand others.
Being in nature can give us the feeling of being so small. If you’ve ever taken the wrong turn on a bush walk or hike or spent time in mountainous regions it’s very easy to feel not only in awe of Mother Nature but also a sense of insignificance amongst the size and scale of nature as well as the volatile way in which nature can shift, change and even swallow you up. It’s easy to get lost in nature, metaphorically but also literally too!
While the physical sensation of being in nature is usually a positive one, sometimes you are also holding the overwhelming and inspiring feelings of your own place in the world at the same time. Some would say it is totally awful and others would say its totally awesome, the question is do we even get to decide or is it the natural response to any given day of how we are feeling?
One of the foremost experts on the emotional science of Awe is Dacher Keltner and he describes Awe as typically involving a sense of wonder, reverence, and humility in the face of something grand or beyond ordinary comprehension. It can be elicited by experiences such as encountering natural wonders, witnessing small acts of kindness or large symbols of heroism. Anything that takes us outside of our own condition and allows us to see the connection to something larger than ourselves could be considered ‘awe-inspiring’. According to Keltner, experiences of awe have the power to broaden one’s perspective, deepen social connections, and inspire personal growth.
While yoga and the specific emotion of Awe are different, they definitely have things in common. Yoga should be broadening your perspectives; it can deepen social connections and definitely inspires personal growth. It doesn’t take much, sometimes its one class where simply moving and breathing with others creates that social connection. It can be reflecting on various yoga teachings from history and making them relevant for us and our current life situations. The idea of the Bhagavad Gita taking place on a battlefield is very much reflecting the inner conflict of the average human when faced with tough decisions or life dilemmas.
Regardless of your individual interest in yoga and how deep it runs, whether you consider yourself a casual practitioner or a serious student or teacher there is an inherent pursuit of personal growth. What that looks like for you will appear different to me but either way we are both pursuing an awe-inspiring and awe-full response. Sometimes its best to do it together and other times its that solo journey inward of self discovery.
As we broaden our perspectives through yoga, as we connect with one another and inspire our own personal growth and that of others let us make space and invite Awe into our lives, in all of its ways, whenever we can.
– Doug Whittaker