KARMA YOGA RECOGNITION: ROSLYN EARLE, A YOGINI FOR PEACE

By Aileen Hansen

The purpose of this column is to celebrate and honor Individuals who through programs make an exceptional impact on the well-being of the world. Karma Yoga is selfless service. It is the action that transcends the Ego, the path of doing the right action, what in yoga we call Dharma.

A true karma yogini, Roslyn Earle, founder of Yoga for Peace, dedicates much of her time to selfless service promoting not only the practice of yoga, but also yoga teachers, studios, and associated businesses. Doing her basic work, she volunteers about twenty hours a week maintaining the informative website of Yoga for Peace (www.yoga4peace.org). Its mission is to promote yogic principles, philosophy, and practice.  After updating the website, she multiplies her volunteer efforts, creating Yoga for Peace free events, like lectures, conferences, concerts, radio interviews, and podcasts.

Her commitment is clear.  “I don’t feel that I should get paid to do this work.  All Yoga for Peace proceeds have gone directly into operating the business or it has been donated to charity. It’s just something I’m inspired to do.”  The motivation first came to Roslyn in meditation, who founded the non-profit business, which has rapidly gained momentum and prominence in the Houston yoga community since it’s inception in 2005.

Roslyn scours the internet daily for fresh information to post on her website, which is chock-full of the latest yoga-related movies, seminars, classes, concerts, workshops, and programs. Well organized and colorfully decorated with impressive photos, the website is available to Houstonians seeking a comprehensive overview of not only up-to-date yoga happenings, but also yoga studio listings, podcasts, website links, and more.  Additionally, Roslyn has compiled an immense e-blast list for her monthly newsletter which details these yoga events, held not only in the Houston metropolitan area, but also in cities as far as Austin, Dallas, and Corpus Christi.

Passionate about her work, Roslyn stated, “Many people practice yoga for what I call side effects, which would include better health, strength, and flexibility—which is all good– but they miss the jewels of yoga!  There so much more to discover like heightened awareness or finding a higher meaning to the purpose of life. I want people to know where to go for more information. That’s one of the reasons I created Yoga for Peace.”

Aside from the development of the website and newsletter, Roz has coordinated major yoga events, including the Houston 2005 and 2007 Yoga for Peace Conferences. Each of these gatherings attracted 200 attendees, who gleaned enlightening information from speakers on various yoga related topics. The two events also raised $8,000, which was donated to charity. Roslyn admits that these conferences required an immense amount of her time and energy, but she was pleased with the outcome.

In May 2009 she organized the Kirtan Celebration held at Houston’s Rothko Chapel.  Over 200 attendees and five groups of musicians enjoyed devotional chanting that Roslyn described as “so moving that people were in tears. There was so much love! It was very powerful. Everyone enjoyed hearing all of the music, especially the musicians, who had never heard of each other. After the concert, there was a lot of networking with the musicians making connections with one another, and with people in the audience.  It was fabulous!”

Since 2007, broadcasting from Houston’s KPFT, 90.1, and also through podcasts, Roslyn has been providing the public with her interviews of yoga luminaries like Dr. Geeta Iyengar, Srivatsa Ramaswami, Anna Forrest, Seane Corn, Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri, Gary Kraftsow, and Deva Premal with Miten. Roslyn states that there was one interview, which she felt was the most purposeful and meaningful. It was the conversation with Fali Engineer, her mentor and friend, a Pakistani Transcendental Mediation (TM) teacher in his mid 80’s, who helped stir Roslyn’s spiritual awakening, when they met years ago.

Organizer of the TM movement in Pakistan and TM teacher of over 2000 Americans, Fali Engineer, a student of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, inspired Roslyn to read the writings of the Theosophical Society masters and to explore the teachings of India’s sages.  Additionally, Mr. Engineer taught her the value of meditation. Today, daily meditation is a ritual for Roslyn, and she also enjoys contemplating wisdom from spiritual texts, which define her primary reading interest.

Roslyn suggests that we “experiment with our humanity in order to awaken to a broader understanding of life”.  Practicing this philosophy, in recent years she has been experimenting with a vegan diet, which supports her quest for a purifying, sattvic lifestyle.  After establishing Yoga for Peace, she also has also become a Certified Yoga Instructor and teaches in a style, which she describes as meditative slow flow. She tries to integrate what she has learned through yoga. Laughing, she refers to her car bumper sticker that reads “Know Compassion- Know Peace”, which prompts her to be a more courteous driver, particularly since some random person in the car behind may be observing the example she leads!

Roslyn has been fortunate to recruit many volunteers to participate in Yoga for Peace events, but frequently works alone in order to fulfill her high ambitions. “I have to admit, there have been times that I wonder if anyone really benefits…and then I remember that my mission is to serve only, and so I keep going.”   Single-mindedly, she adds, “Right now I am hoping to find some steady volunteers to help me to further develop my mission in working to create a greater yoga community.”
Roslyn’s dedicated work continues to provide an outstanding service to the Houston and greater metropolitan yoga community.  Although the intangible results of her selfless service cannot be fully measured, undoubtedly, it has affected the lives of many.  However, one thing is for sure.  Roslyn Earle is accumulating a sizable heap of very good karma credits.

About the author:

Aileen Hansen teaches yoga in Houston and has been leading yoga classes since 1983.  She is also a Registered Nurse and freelance writer. Her website is www.ContemporaryYoga.net.