Sunday 2 April 2017

Cup your hands


It never fails to move me, when I think about how completely united the acts of giving and receiving are – or at least, they can be. I remember as a kid hearing the solemn phrase, "it is better to give than to receive," which carried the idea that one might be a brat for wanting to receive things, and that one should give things very nobly, as a matter of valor. In fact, there can be a deep and moving joy to giving and receiving, and in my experience, the key to finding that joy is realizing that giving and receiving are both the same. When we give a gift to someone who is touched and happy with the gift, isn't it the best thing? And when we receive a gift from someone who has really thought about us and loved us in that way, isn't it wonderful? I remember after some years of yoga practice, realizing that the hands are in the same position for both gestures. That realization made me laugh and feel full of wonder.
The reason I raise this with you today is because I was saddened to hear the news of a 17-year old Iranian boy who was very badly attacked yesterday in London. He is now in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Yesterday I had been thinking about how grateful I am for my community here in London; when I moved back here from New York after seven years, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but old friends and a new yoga community have been springing up around me. I am very, very lucky. So then I heard this news, about this young boy, and the fact he is here in England as an asylum seeker. Can you imagine?
I feel strongly that I wish to support him and his family, and others like him. There is a JustGiving page set up to help. If you would like to give something, you can find it here: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/17yr-old-asylum-seeker-subject-to-brutal-attack
It is a very simple act, to give in this way, and I believe the heart calls for it. Sending love to you all.  

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