Desire gets a bad rap in yoga. Most of the early texts caution against want and craving of all kinds. This is understandable. But wait. How about the need for passion, a passion for justice, a passion for combating racism, and a passion to live the life you were called to live? When we think of passion we might think of lovey-dovey or what the hordes of motivational speakers today brand as “believing in your greatness.” But the word passion means something else altogether. It suggests a willingness to risk your significance, to be different—even reviled—as Christ was for his compassionate stance for the welfare of all beings. It suggests attending to the ways of suffering with tenderness and care. Passion comes out of a wounded heart, ache and sorrow, experiences that deepen humility and embolden faith. A passion is something we need to breathe life into, to stoke daily and to feed.
A Native American elder once asked me, “How are you tending your fire?” Can you find time each day to stoke the coals of love and longing and never let the flame go out? This passion is a strange thing. I do not believe if it can be taught in the classroom or read in a book. Like gem crystals that form deep under ground due to weight, heat and friction, passion grows under pressure and hardship. In light of the global pressures today—the weight of war, global warming and mass human migration—it is time for passion to grow in each of us along with a fierce commitment to live a virtuous life.
So each day, attend to the fire inside. Use your life’s breath to blow on the coals of your passion. Stay devoted to the blaze of longing in your heart, so that it radiates warmth and generosity in the days ahead.
