There are many people who embody yoga seemingly without even trying - they effortlessly demonstrate what it means to live their life as a representation of these ancient teachings. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of these incredible individuals.
More than sixty years ago, on February 3rd, 1959, Martin Luther King, Jr., embarked on a five-week long journey to India, to study Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violent social change. Though Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, Dr. King, Jr. was able to meet with many leaders to learn about these principles, which stemmed from the teachings of Yoga. When Gandhi was faced with a difficult situation in the push for independence in India – and there were many – he turned to The Bhagavad Gita and other ancient texts for strength, solace, and guidance.
Dr. King first learned about Gandhi as a seminary student in 1949, just a year after Gandhi had been assassinated. He soon wrote about Gandhi that he was a person who “greatly reveal[s] the working of the Spirit of God.”
Gandhi’s life inspired Dr. King to practice yoga principles. For example, the practice of nonviolence is yoga is called ahimsa. Few others in our history have practiced this yoga quality to the extent Dr. King had. He laid out beautiful guidelines and concepts to bring true non-violence into our everyday lives and showed by example how one can truly triumph through non-violent action, and by doing so, he changed his community, his country, and his world.
Martin Luther King, Jr. also demonstrated tejas, intense inner power which helps one to transform and discover a more profound and spiritual experience. Those who followed Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in him 100%. That kind of trust did not come just from his words alone, but the harmony between word and action. He lived what he preached. To have tejas, one must be true to himself, trustworthy, honest, open, and most importantly pour his inner compassion out to the world.
While in India, King met with many of Gandhi’s friends and family, who gave him their blessing to continue spreading Gandhian teachings. As he was leaving India, he reported that he was “more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity.”
Upon his return to the United States, Dr. King preached to his congregants on Palm Sunday about Gandhi’s life and martyrdom, comparing him to Jesus and Abraham Lincoln. Later, after the arrest of Rosa Parks, he led the 381-day bus boycott which brought him into the spotlight as one of the most important leaders of the American civil rights movement. Of the practice of nonviolence, he said, “Christ showed us the way, and Gandhi in India showed it could work.”
Take a moment today to reflect on some of the inspirational yogic qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Allow his life to inspire you to be an even better human being than you ever dreamed possible.
