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Building Community,
One Soul at a Time by Alan L. Pritz In 1984, I left the Twin Cities to pursue a calling. That journey led me to a community situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California where I spent the next six months completing a Yoga-Teacher training program. It was a wonderful experience, one in which I was immersed in the spiritual teaching of Paramhansa Yogananda, and, where I found the camaraderie of like-minded individuals both plentiful and nourishing. Mind you, not everyone I encountered was a disciple on that yogic path, but they were uniformly interested in deepening their inner lives and found that focused community environment was a positive means to achieve it. Why was this period so fulfilling? One reason was purely social. Friends were abundant. Not being a Minnesota native, I'd found it extremely challenging over the years to break through the regional social barriers in Minneapolis/St. Paul, which often exempt those from other parts of the country. The other, and most important reason, was that I discovered first hand how the collective energy of a community can be very healing, inspiring and sustaining in a world otherwise teeming with chaos. Positive group dynamics reinforce the kind of friendly, safe interactions we all long for, and promote a very real sense of connectedness -- to each other and Something Higher, which is intrinsically enriching. Despite the blessings of such an experience, I found my sense of community was larger than that of an isolated mountain ashram. I wanted to take the quality of life I'd experienced and replicate it in other areas. As I soon discovered, this was not an easy task. Except for intentional organizations like the Armed Forces or monastic enclaves, most places operate without an integrated, over-arching sense of purpose. Sadly, many people pursue normal daily activities without much concern for their neighbors or neighborhood -- a scenario Mother Teresa saw prevail in the United States. Despite our materially wealthy culture, we simultaneously suffer from the spiritual poverty of social disconnection. How can this situation be remedied? Perhaps because I'm an extrovert, or possibly because I value meditation so highly, I've come to regard it as a "one-stop shop," a method that spurs individual growth, promotes social healing and enhances community development. That's a mighty large claim, and one that could easily be dismissed as naïve and untenable. Fortunately a large volume of studies are sponsored by the TM (Transcendental Meditation) organization -- more than 500 scientific studies from 200 independent universities and institutions in 33 countries published in more than 100 leading scientific journals -- which supports my claim. This isn't meant to promote any one school of meditation, but merely to point out a proven statistic: "...When just 1 percent of the population is meditating, the overall quality of life improves, demonstrated and measured by a reduction in the symptoms of social stress such as delinquency, traffic accidents, and illness as well as a reduction in political conflicts," writes Ken Kalb in Lightshift 2000 -- The Book. "Since 1979, published researched has concluded that when a group of meditators located anywhere in the world is sufficiently large, that is, approaching the square root of 1 percent of the world population (7,000), international relations improve and regional conflicts decrease worldwide! There are fewer violent deaths due to homicides, suicides and traffic fatalities, a reduction in unemployment and inflation, and a general improvement in the overall quality of life." Such information is dynamically enticing, but what can be done with it? The answer I chose involved reaching back in time to integrate the quest I pursued in 1984: I opened a meditation-focused yoga center. Clearly it's my passion as well as profession, yet it has also been my sincere way of helping others who, like me, have felt periods of social emptiness and spiritual isolation. When folks gather to commune with the One Spirit through chanting and meditating (yogic practices viable for all faiths) without the unseemly pressure of proselytizing, they become revitalized in their own spiritual journey. Like brightly lit candles, they give light and warmth to others, silently and subtly sharing the positive energy of uplifted inner states. No doubt such experiences ripple out and enhance community in a number of hidden and obvious ways. Of course, this is only one way to rebuild community connections. But it is a very beneficial and profound way. And while it may seem like a small-scale solution, it has the potential for broad impact. As more people learn to balance outer duties with inner realization, their lives become highly effective models that can wield significant influence in society for the highest good. Alan L. Pritz runs the Center for Inner Awakening, a meditation-focused yoga center in Minneapolis located at 4202 E. 34th St. Drawing from the spiritual teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, the Center provides ongoing chanting and meditation sessions, spiritual hatha yoga classes, and diverse trainings that promote inner growth and help foster friendly, supportive community. For more information see, www.CSpiritAwake.com, or call Alan at (612) 721-4100. Copyright © 2005 Alan L. Pritz. All rights reserved. |
