I wore my "California for Obama" t-shirt to practice on Wednesday and became a bit self conscious during the time before class. I was concerned that it might have been inappropriate for me to impose my political ideology on the other practitioners in the room. As practice started I instantly forgot about the shirt and focused on my breath, but I still wonder, was I making an inappropriate statement sitting on my mat advertising for my candidate?

Obama is sattvic. I don't know if David Brooks has read about Ayurveda, but in an op-ed published today he comes very close to stating outright that Obama is a sattvic person. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17brooks.html?em

Chris - that's a good question you bring you up. I personally think it's OK to wear a political t-shirt to class - but wonder if others have thoughts about this? And Acacia - great article and point about Obama being Sattvic ...very interesting ...

Interestingly, your presidential election will be held on the same day as our General Election in New Zealand. For what it's worth from here . . . Go Obama.

I support Obama for the same reasons M.C. Yogi does--Obama wants to unite, rather than divide and his message is of hope. He asks people to give of themselves for their communities and other people. This is precisely what yoga is all about--peace, love, selfless service.

However, I don't feel I should wear clothing or accessories (political buttons) that indicate who I support. If I were a student, then fine. But as a teacher, no. I speak my truth in general terms and friends and family all know who I support, But I think an instructor needs to stay neutral. I'm hoping that my yoga students, if they've heard and digested any of my messages in class, will also support Obama--without the overt plug on my part.

I wonder if someone wearing a t-shirt in support of McCain would recieve such tolerant support. I went into my yoga studio on a debate night, wanting to get away from the vitrial, only to hear snide taunting towards McCain and Palin. We are out here, conservatives who do yoga.

Politics, like so many other topics, is not appropriate in many situations. I feel that I yoga class is my retreat from the bombardment of the world. Do I really want more bombardment in my meditation space? If you think of topics centering around religion and politics as smelly artifacts, do you want to air this in your meditation space with strangers?

Oh, how I wish I could say more, like "please vote for Obama or your yoga teacher may well move to...Canada?". I teach in MS and I'm afraid I would austricize many of my students if I said anything. So, to be fair professionally, I think the best response is to say "please get informed, by many sources, then vote your conscience. If you are undecided, please come talk to me, because I do have definite views that are consistant, I think, with my yogic beliefs.

Personally, I don't think neither one of the candidates is in line with any yogic ideals. But, more especially Barack Obama, being the most untruthful and adultered one. How can you possibly say that he's sattvic?
It is an insult to Mohandas to be compared with such a selfserving person, that would say anything and use his race to get elected.
It absolutely escapes me....

I like Obama - but as an Iyengar Instructor of 14 years however I do need to look at him very closely - To truly practice practice satya (truthfullness). I need to explore his position on abortion with ditachment. Obama is the senator who is most in favor & supportive of abortion. Lest I forget Patanjali & the fundamental concept of ahimsa (non-violence).
Shanti

I think Obama has a more balanced view of life. He knows the issues that are relevant today more than McCain. He wants to unite people. He has a diverse background. What we need today is more unity and the US needs to change its tarnisched image in some countries, especially in the Middle East and other countries, where there is a lot of misunderstanding and stress. Politics is important. Like what H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living Foundation sais about politicians: More Politicians should become more spiritual so that they can be better servants to the community who put them there. There should be more belongingsness. More politicians should practise yoga, so that they can become in tune with themselves and their environment and people around them. Jai Guru Dev!

I think it depends on where you live; I'm an Obama supporter in a heavily Republican area, and I notice that our yoga studio has only gone so far as to encourage people to vote, since open support for Obama elicits hostility from diehard Republicans -- wearing a T-shirt, button, or having a bumper sticker invites nasty comments and harassment, and it's clear that Republican yogis here have asked the studio owners not to take up sides.

I had to go and pick up my 9-year-old son an hour early from school, after his teacher e-mailed me to tell me that he had been crying for an hour after getting involved in a political disagreement with a classmate whose father supports McCain. I grew up in and around San Francisco, and would never have imagined how difficult it would later be to live in an area where people would be openly hostile to my political beliefs. Practicing yoga, though, has helped me, in that when these unpleasant things occur, I've learned to do metta exercises in the attempt to counteract them. It tends to help deflect and de-escalate tense situations. During this election season, I've had to practice intensely.

I think it is inappropriate to advocate for a specific candidate. It alienates people.

It's one thing to advocate for ideas -- peace, justice, freedom. But telling people who to vote for denies their own ability to make judgments on their own or to interpret a candidate's words and actions for themselves.

It concerns me that the yoga has taken this turn. I find that the yogis who advocate bringing politics into yoga are actually rather hostile to the exchange of ideas. Instead of bringing political dialogue into yoga, they really just want to bring their particular brand of politics into yoga. And that assumes that only they see the truth.

When yogis start promoting candidates, they are assuming that they have all perspectives. It shows me that they are not open to the possibility that there are things they do not see or are potentially misinterpreting. It shows me that they actually view the yoga community as a vehicle to carry out their ideas -- as opposed to a vehicle for exchanging ideas.

At its heart, yoga is about self-inquiry. A yoga teacher should encourage a student to look inward, to be inquisitive. A yoga teacher should *not* tell a student what to think or who to vote for.

I had mixed thoughts about political shirts in classes. But then i realised that if i were focused on what i was in the class for i.e. my practice it and i was workign on me whatr others do or wear should make no diffrence.

One of our candidates wants us to unite, the other fight.
I feel it is clear which one of these statements is more in line with a yogic way of life.

This is awesome. Empowering! And I thought I didn't like rap.

Interestingly, when i started to get into yoga/buddhism, it caused me to examine my position as a hard-line democrat. Trying to examine the positions i was brought up with without attachment, i decided my guys (democrats) were, at best, just a little less hypocritical then the other guys (republicans). So i'm now voting libertarian, because in my interpretation of nonharming, we want a society with as little compulsion as possible.

I know there are varying opinions on this, but I don't wear 'political statement' anything because people have such strong feelings on both sides and I don't want to inadvertantly piss someone off, frankly. I do think to some extent it IS an imposition of my feelings about a particular topic on someone else. And if they don't agree with me then I'm probably causing some agitation to them and I don't want that. This is different than if I were to join a discussion about the election, politics, etc.
Reminds me of a time I went to Kripalu and some guy was walking around with a "F**K Bush" t-shirt on. I thought it was really obnoxious and said something to the management. We were there (or are in class or wherever) for some quiet, meditative time.
Personally, I can't stand either candidate. Neither speaks for me.

Wow - thanks for all of these great comments. I love the diversity of opinions here. Personally, I feel mixed about it. There is a part of me that believes that part of being a yogi is taking responsibility for your actions, and that includes political awareness; on the other hand, I am aware that politics can create divisiveness. Even ahimsa becomes a complicated concept because it means not harming -- but not harming who? Oneself? The greater public? Big questions. Please keep the comments coming in!

My father was self-employed and was given some very good advice many years ago. Never vote in the primaries so you don't have to declare yourself. One could easily make half one's students/customers angry. I think a smart business person keeps his/her politics private. Thank God and ballot is still private. We are a first generation family and voting was almost like going to church. It was never missed. I think of the class I teach and the ones I attend as an oasis from the political fracas. I really like it that way.

Shanti, Mary Ellen

I would like to say that I support McCain/Palin all the way. For some reason a lot of people dont seem to realize that we just cant up and "end" the war. Its just not probable. And whats the difference between McCain wanting to finish the war which is actually helping the citizens there and Obama wanting to put the focus of war on Afghanistan (because he thinks thats where we should have been instead of in Iraq) and having close ties to well-known terrorist? Id much rather have a president that wants to fight for my country instead of supporting his terrorist friends. And plus, it is never ending to me wondering why anyone would think someone with no experience is the candidate for running our country in this mess it is right now. Especially when him and his wife didnt even support the United States until he began running for president which is a quote from Michelle's own mouth. I just pray multiple times a day that these things I hear about Obama just cannot be true, even though I know that they are. I also pray hard that whoever wins this election, whether it be McCain or Obama, that they get us back on track and try to right some of these wrongs that are putting Americans on the fast track to racism, sexual incompetence, indolance, and straight perplexity. May all of you be blessed and informed no matter what party you are for. Peace For America and Beyond. peace, love, light

What about Ralph Nader???????

I think everyone drank obama-aid! Does anyone actually understand what his policies are? or did we just vote in the American Idol president??