Published Jul 31, 2014

[Unedited] Seane Corn with Krista Tippett

Seane Corn discusses the powerful intersection of yoga with spirituality and activism, highlighting its potential for personal transformation and social impact. She shares her journey of healing and awakening, using yoga to connect with at-risk communities and advocating for unity and service.
Episode Highlights
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Episode Highlights

  • Activism & Healing

    Seane Corn shares her journey from being a "horrible activist" to finding a more effective path through yoga. Initially, her activism was fueled by unresolved rage, but yoga helped her heal and understand the deeper workings of spirit 1. She emphasizes the transformative power of yoga, not just for herself but for the children she works with, who often come from traumatic backgrounds. These children, she notes, have an incredible ability to intuitively read people, a skill that can be redirected for good 2.

    The truth is that they're love and they just have no ability to express it because of their pain.

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    Yoga, for Seane, is about healing oneself to be present for others without judgment, allowing her to serve with compassion and dignity.

       

    Service & Healing

    Seane Corn's approach to service through yoga is deeply personal and transformative. She recounts her initial attempts to teach yoga to at-risk youth, realizing that the experience was more about her own healing than theirs 3. By sharing her story and connecting on a human level, she found that the act of service was reciprocal, offering her profound personal growth.

    Who got served? It wasn't those kids. It was me.

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    This realization underscores the paradox of service, where the giver often receives more than they offer, highlighting the interconnectedness of healing and service.

       

    Collective Impact

    Seane Corn discusses the broader impact of yoga on society, emphasizing its potential to foster compassion and grounding. She highlights how being grounded in one's body can lead to greater compassion and connection with the world 4. This grounding is crucial in environments driven by stress and fear, such as political arenas, where yoga can offer a centering influence.

    We have to stay grounded. We have to remember our roots in order to fly.

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    By promoting a shift in perspective, yoga can help individuals and communities navigate challenges with greater empathy and understanding 5.