It was a Thursday evening. The music beat loud and clear, the people around me jumping with their hands in the air in ecstasy. The lasers and lights hit my face, and a gentle breeze brushed through my hair and cheeks. Then, I felt it—a rushing emotion, a vibration, and shivering that started at the back of my neck and rushed down my spine all the way towards my lower back.

I felt like the immortal words of Yogi Ramacharaka, “a consciousness of the Oneness of All. I saw and felt that all the world was alive and full of intelligence in varying degrees of manifestation. I felt myself a part of that great life. I felt my identity with all of Life. I felt in touch with all of nature—in all its forms. And in all forms of life, I saw something of myself.”

For a brief moment, I felt immensely at peace, connected with everything and everyone around me. I felt grateful for life, for the opportunity to be experiencing such a thing in such a wonderful place. Tears running down my cheeks.

I was in Chattahoochee Hills in Georgia, at an electronic dance festival called TomorrowWorld, where thousands of people from all over the globe came together to listen and dance to their favorite DJs.

That was the first time I truly felt a connection to my surroundings in such a strong way. It was a unique feeling. I know what you're thinking—this guy was probably high as a kite. Except I wasn't. I was sober; we had just arrived that day and only had one beer, far from enough to alter my senses. We set up our tent in the pop-up town called Dreamville and then headed to the only stage open that day, meeting people from all over the world on the way, most of them waving their country flags—it was magical.

Since that moment, my connection to the people and the world around me deepened. That entire weekend turned out to be so fun, so profound, so much connection, so much love that I cried in the shower when I got back home. I wondered: Why the world wasn’t like that? Full of love and empathy and camaraderie and acceptance? Everyone friends with each other regardless of their country, language, skin color, beliefs or social status.

This is a feeling I decided to carry with me at all times from that point on.

“Remember the Oneness of All,” the Yogis constantly write. Remember that you are a part of this world, a unique and necessary being. And so is everyone else. Everything you do, everything you experience, everything you consume has a connection to countless other people. Remember that.

Cherish the oneness that binds us all. Remember that connections transcend boundaries. Remember that unity, togetherness triumphs over division. Remember we all share a universal essence.

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