History's Sun Salutation

Before Hitler, I began each morning as a mountain. My morning routine included a sun salutation and, interestingly, I've found this routine is reflected and repeated in history. I began with mountain pose-- standing firm, tall, strong, bold and proud. Breathing in and out, free to enjoy the fresh warm air above the rest of the world. Unfortunately, not everyone likes mountains. So I'd bring myself down to a halfway lift- the halfway no's of history: appeasement. To take a stance and back up only half of it. Just as I bent down in Germany and said, "No I will not be ashamed-- but maybe I'll stop dating women"; Chamberlain stood halfway to Hitler and said "Don't take over Europe-- but I guess it's okay if you have Czechoslovakia."

Then I'd bring myself all the way down and kick back into plank pose. I'd suppress myself and my body to be completely straight, as if I were just another plank; another floorboard to be stepped on. I'd pull myself down further, so that my nose barely touched the floor so I was breathing the cold recycled air from the mountains being built on my back.

When this was all said and done I'd bring head up to ask of those who claimed to be my saviors, why this happened. I was told to bend back into submission: into downward facing dog, to listen while I kept my head down. Listen as they explained that American soldiers rescued those in the concentration camps. But did not look at the gays they purposely left behind. Listen as they claim it's only happened once. They've told us to stay down and listen as long as they could sell us these stories.

Most in downward dog do what they are asked to do. Others will attempt to complete the sun salutation. If you fall in this latter group, quickly bring your legs forward and allow your self to build up to another halfway lift. Say, "I will not stand for this-- but it's not up to me to save the world." And then, vertebrate by vertebrate, straighten your back as you build yourself into the pose we began with. And, hopefully at the end the day, your soul will be as strong, bold and proud as your mountain pose.

Author's Note

For those wondering about the historical accuracy or likeliness of finding someone who does yoga in Germany at this time: you'll definitely find immigrants from China etc. & some will bring Yoga with them. Christian churches at the time considered yoga a form of meditation but most followers weren't likely to partake in it. You also have a large number of tourism prior to this period. Mostly it's those in colonizing countries to the countries they colonized, it was especially popular among women. So for Germany you'd have a number of women visiting Africa, & also Germany's islands in South East Asia that have a ton of cultural exchange and interaction with India. India- although belonging to Britain- was another popular place for tourism When if all else fails yoga, by this time, would definitely have diffused to Germany but probably hasn't stuck. Not until recently when it's been adopted into popular culture worldwide. So it is possible, but one would have to go looking for such a person. And the fact that the person practiced yoga probably would more likely make them a target for the genocide- for being either "perverted" "asocial" or what have you.

Reviews

[Jenny Davis]

I had to come by and read this gem for myself, Seb. This is absolutely fantastic! It's such an important piece and I am sorry to see that this hasn't received the attention it deserves...keep being you...you are a great writer! :-)