In a recent piece for WIRED, Lily Hay Newman and Matt Burgess unspool a week of unsettling headlines: phone surveillance tools now let ICE agents monitor entire neighborhoods, Iran imposes a total internet blackout on its people, a chatbot generates disturbing synthetic images, and cross-border hacking exposes deep vulnerabilities in government. Each story heightens the sense that the boundaries of our private, ethical, and collective lives are under siege from technologies meant to surveil, divide, and exploit.
How do we keep our center in a world of constant scrutiny, deception, and shifting power? The yamas—ahimsa (non-harm) and satya (truthfulness)—offer not just philosophical refuge, but practices for living ethically in the midst of collective unease.
👁️ Surveillance and the Erosion of Trust
When the digital dragnet expands—whether through ICE tracking devices across neighborhoods or governments shutting down the internet—what’s really lost? Privacy is not just a technical concern, but a foundation for trust, safety, and belonging. Without it, the ordinary rituals of daily life become tinged with anxiety. Ahimsa asks us to pause and reflect: how does surveillance cause harm, not just to individuals, but to the fabric of community?
In the yoga tradition, non-harming isn’t passive. It requires courage to call out systems that diminish our collective sense of safety, and to create conditions where all can breathe freely. What would compassionate resistance look like in the face of these expanding digital eyes?
🕸️ Truth, Ethics, and the Power of Collective Shadows
The stories of deepfakes, scam empires, and state-sponsored hacking remind us how easily truth can be distorted—sometimes with violent results. Satya, the practice of integrity and seeing clearly, is more vital than ever. How do we discern real from false, and maintain honesty in our own actions, even as the lines blur?
Living truthfully doesn’t mean retreating; it means questioning, staying present, and refusing to let cynicism take root. Each act of clarity—online or off—ripples out, challenging the normalization of deception and exploitation. The yogic path asks: where do we collude with shadows, and where can we illuminate them?
🛡️ Power and Resistance, On and Off the Mat
These global stories are not just abstractions—they shape the conditions under which we practice, connect, and serve. Yoga teaches that power is not simply domination, but the ability to direct energy wisely. Resistance to surveillance and manipulation can take many forms: digital literacy, collective advocacy, inner discipline, and compassionate confrontation.
On the mat, we practice noticing the subtle ways we hide from discomfort or from truth. Off the mat, the work is similar. We cultivate inner steadiness so we’re less easily swayed by fear or manipulated by those who wield power without ethics.
— MJH
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