January/February: What a Wonderful World
YS II.46 स्थिरसुखम् आसनम्
Sthira Sukham Asanam
The connection to the earth should be steady and joyful.
“I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom, for me and you.”
popularized by Louis Armstrong.
Asana is seat to the Earth. It’s where every posture begins. It’s how we discover who we are. Breath connects us. And even though, there is an immediate satisfaction to the practice, the wisdom of this connection and its implication requires patience. Patience is how we always return. Whether it’s countless times within a single class, or countless times within a lifetime. Patience is how we endure over time, and it is also what allows us to be here now.
Patience, as cultivated through yoga, is not only an inward practice but a way of interacting with the world, especially with the Earth beneath us. Yoga teaches us to slow down and listen to our bodies, our breath, and the land that supports us - that is us. This understanding of patience becomes a bridge to a deeper, more compassionate relationship with the Earth. Often heard in class is, “The reward for patience is patience.” Patience isn’t something we wait for—it is something we cultivate in each breath, in every movement. Similarly, the Tao Te Ching reminds us, patience is one of the great human treasures, (one of three - the others being simplicity and compassion) and a treasure that nurtures both our hearts and our relationship to the world around us. Patience with friends and enemies means accepting things as they are and aligning with the natural unfolding of events. It’s a treasure because we stop fighting to see the natural love that’s been there all along in our hearts.
In Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we begin to understand that true patience is not passive waiting, but an active, grounded presence. The feet press into the Earth, the spine rises, and the breath flows in rhythm with the natural world. In this stillness, we realize that the Earth is not just a resource for us to use, but a partner that supports, nourishes, and sustains us. This shift in perspective—from the ego’s view of seeing a disposable Earth in terms of its usefulness to us - to a symbiotic and nurturing connection that we call mutually beneficial, is a powerful realization. Increasingly acting in a way that nurtures the planet, we feel more natural, this is the highest yoga. Now we aren’t pretending to be mountains, we are the mountain.
Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) teaches patience as adaptability. Balance requires small adjustments, a constant recalibration, much like how the Earth constantly adjusts to the cycles of life. In this posture, we come to see the Earth not merely as a tool for our benefit but as a living, breathing entity with which we are in constant relationship. Just as a tree bends in the wind, we learn to sway with life’s changes, rooted in the understanding that our connection to the Earth is reciprocal. The Earth gives us life, and in return, we offer our presence, care, and respect.
The pranamaya kosha, the energetic body governed by breath, also plays a key role in how we relate to the Earth. In Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), movement and breath flow together, creating a rhythm that mirrors the Earth’s cycles. When we breathe in harmony with the Earth, patience and energy flow naturally, reminding us that we are not separate from the land—we are part of it. This harmonious relationship requires compassion and respect, and in turn, it brings a deep sense of peace and connection.
In Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold), patience becomes surrender—allowing the Earth to hold us, while we soften and release. This posture reflects the compassion we show the Earth when we stop exploiting it and begin to nurture it in return. Just as we allow ourselves to be supported by the ground, we can support the Earth through conscious, mindful choices in how we live. We see how our actions effect the whole, as Gandhi says, to “Live simply so that others may simply live”; human others, four-legged others, scaly others, feathered others.
Satsang Yoga Charleston is a place where this mutual relationship with the Earth is not only explored but actively cultivated. Here, we learn that yoga isn’t just about one’s own individual gain, but about expanding our awareness of the world around us. The practice nurtures patience, compassion, and respect for the Earth, creating a space where we come to realize that the Earth is not something to be used but something with which we are in a constant, living partnership.
The simple truth is if we exploit it, we exploit ourselves. But most importantly if we nurture it - then we think to ourselves,
“Oh what wonderful world. Ooh Yes!
In Yoga we dwell,
Jeffrey
January 2026