John Muir Was a Yogi

John Muir was a yogi. No doubt about it—wandering solo through the wild sierras, mystical contemplation of the light and life of Yosemite Valley, sinking deeply into the prana of place. Just like the wandering sadhus of India, the dreadlocked forest mystics of India that have given up family and social ties to focus on a deeper yoga practice, John Muir was a spiritual seeker of the forest as well. “The clearest way into the Universe,” says Muir, “is through a forest wilderness.”

OK, so I can’t say as I have ever seen photos of John Muir sitting it the lotus seat of padmasana. I do, however, believe Mr. Muir’s quest for mindful living practices, for deep connection with the wild world, his dedication to social and environmental work for the benefit of all living beings—these are all manifestations of enlightened spiritual practice.

Looking again to Muir’s writing, we find his yogi philosophy strong in the oft quoted reflection, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything in the universe.” The original root word yoga is most easily translated from Sanskrit as “union”. And is this core concept of union, of yoga, not at the core of what Muir is saying ? He was on a life-long path to unite with this magical place, Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Muir described Yosemite Valley many times as a “temple” and the backcountry of the Sierras his “church”. Again I am reminded of the very essence of contemplative practice in Muir’s famous words, "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."

It is with this in mind that we continue our work here at Balanced Rock. Whether leading a backcountry climb of Mount Hoffman or tapping away at the keys of this computer, we strive towards the cultivation of mindfulness in all of our daily practices. We work to reawaken the deep union (or yoga) of all living beings, to use creative expression, like Muir’s words here, to share insights and inspire connection. Although they are big shoes to fill, we do see ourselves walking the same path as Muir, working in the next generation of Muir’s lineage.

We joke at times about our mission here at Balanced Rock being “world peace”. Although this may seem an overly grand vision for a group of backcountry yogis and yoginis, there is some truth in this joke. We live in a world that is in need of support and healing. The first step in our process of restoration and reconciliation begins inside us—learning to reconnect with our own selves, lost often in the buzz and busy-ness of modern life. Only from a calm and complete space can we venture forth to sculpt the world we wish to with, in peace and health and harmony.

At the core of what we are doing here at Balanced Rock is our mission to reawaken and foster deep connection with the wild world. We believe that the combination of immersion in the wild world with the exploration of contemplative practices is a key developing this connection. If we are to address some of the deep-seeded social and environmental issues of our age, we must go at this with our whole selves. It is not enough to be educated in the facts and scientific foundations of global climate change (although this is important). The cultural and social evolution (or revolution) that is needed, must engage us not just in the mind, but in the body, emotion, and spirit of each individual. At Balanced Rock we are working to open our hearts to the great growing world.