A Yogic Approach to Lent

So today begins the 40 days of Lent. I wouldn’t define myself as a practicing Christian (though I really dig Jesus’ whole message of LOVE each other) but I wanted to speak for a moment about it. To me, Lent always seemed to be a time where you look at all the “bad” stuff about you and punish yourself for it. Now, I realize that may not be entirely accurate but, to me, the language of Lent seems “you’ve done bad things now pay for it”. This is maybe not the most compassionate way of thinking. Raining down judgments and harshness doesn’t really make people change, it just makes them feel bad.

So, here is my thought on a new and more compassionate way to move through Lent. When he talks about practicing compassionate self-observation, Swami Kripalu mentions how at first, you will probably notice a whole bunch of things you don’t like. It’s easy to get caught up in the pity party of all the negativity you see but, instead, he suggests the cure is simply working on the opposite “virtue”. So, say you notice you have a tendency to be lazy, instead of beating yourself up about being lazy, make an honest effort to be more productive. If you notice you tend to be flaky, make an honest effort to stick to your guns. This is the kind of principle that I offer you to practice for Lent.

Instead of the old thoughts of “You are bad and now you must pay”, we can bring in a softer “Here’s a positive aspect of myself I’d love to grow stronger”. This may also be more helpful than the “hey I’m going to give up chocolate” version of Lent we’ve invented. Now, maybe you do have a real addiction to chocolate that needs to be addressed but, it seems to me to be a bit of a cop out. Giving up a small indulgence can sometime stem from a resistance to deeper change. So, how can we play with these ideas? I made a list!

Here are a few ways you can make true positive changes for Lent!

1) Instead of reprimanding yourself for a part of your personality that you don’t like, figure out what the opposite “virtue” is. Set the intention to make an honest effort to practice that. This simple shift can be an empowering way to better yourself rather than a punishment.

2) Move your focus outward. Volunteer for an organization you are passionate about or even start your own! Make an effort to help people around you for Lent and make the world a better place!

3) Instead of giving up an indulgence such as coffee or chocolate, make an effort to buy more consciously. Do some research and find out what companies are fair trade, eco-friendly, organic, local, etc. Perhaps, do this with some or all of your shopping. Where you spend every cent has an effect on the planet so why not use Lent to positively shift you consumer power! A really great resource is the book/website/app called “The Better World Shopper”. It helps you determine how different companies treat their workers, communities, and our planet.

4) Practice compassion! To everyone! Yourself, your family, your friends, your neighbors, total strangers, people who piss you off…our energy affects the world around us in ways we can hardly imagine so let’s make it good energy! 

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you have any ideas on how you can make a positive shift?