I sincerely believe that America is in the midst of a major spiritual crisis. We are culturally ill, and it is literally killing us. I recently read a study in Time magazine which found that more than 50% of Americans watch 20 hours of television a week—or more. I believe that the root of this illness is disconnection. Disconnection from ourselves, from our families, from our fellow humans, from our fellow living beings, and from our planet. Yoga, which is the Sanskrit word for union or yoke, is literally the opposite of this disconnection. The practice of yoga is the practice of tapping in to your most authentic self—in a non-judgmental and loving way.

My educational and professional background have centered on social justice. I’ve lobbied, spoken to the press, protested, and so on and so forth. But I feel that very few of these activities address the disconnection that I see as the root cause of social injustice in the world. As Krishnamurti wisely says in the quote I above, legislation and other policy-oriented reforms do little to change people inside. This is why yoga—as an effective vehicle for healing, self-understanding and self-exploration—is so important to me. Yoga has not only been an integral component of my own journey for healing and self-knowledge, I believe it can be an integral part of many people’s emotional and spiritual growth.