The Yoga of Mr. Rogers
I have no evidence that Mr. Rogers ever did a yoga posture. Yet, he practiced.
His life was a steady practice of friendliness, compassion, and non-judgment. These are qualities that the yoga sutras tell us will yield a life of fulfillment and freedom. The evidence I gather says tells me that Fred Rogers was uncompromising in living these qualities and he did this with a thread of deep listening.
My admiration and curiosity about this man reemerged after seeing the film "Its a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." I grew up in Pittsburgh, the home of Fred Rogers and his neighborhood of make-believe. His gentle way and his puppet characters were TV influencers of my early life.
Fred exuded the qualities of yoga in unwavering fashion. Though, his daily practice did not seem to include any of the traditional yoga limbs such as asana (posture) or pranayama (breath). In the film, I learned that he swam laps daily and kneeled to pray in a specific way each evening. This was his own kind of sadhana (daily practice).
The lesson I took away after viewing the film was this:
Living a life of focused intention and aligned with a deeper purpose takes daily practice. It’s non-negotiable. Our practice is a personal and private exchange. For me, it redirects my outward energy inward, exchanges my grasping for surrender, transforms my fear into love.
Each day I get on my mat for movement, meditation, prayer. Each day I step outside and honor the air, the sun and the earth. Each day I give thanks. The form is less important than the unwavering commitment, intention, and steadiness.
Thank you, Fred Rogers for your influence and inspiration. Thank you for this affirmation.