A Letter from the Editor | The Liberation Issue

Featured in The Liberation Issue of Liveology Yoga Magazine.

The Liberation issue of Liveology Yoga Magazine Drops July 1, 2022.

If one of us is not free, we are not free.

Free your mind and the rest will follow. As July is the month of Independence Day in the United States, it feels relevant to address what liberation truly means as we live it out in the world. The Liberation Issue is focused on freeing our minds and then freeing our lives and the world around us.

I was that person who suddenly sold my home and most of my belongings, drove across the country with my dog, and changed my life over to yoga, believing this was my moment of liberation. I would never tell anyone not to do this, but if you suddenly feel the need to flip tables and become a yoga nomad, be sure to have a plan and some type of support system.

On deep level, I made these major changes after what I considered a major “life crisis” with the belief that my life was deeply flawed and that I needed to take bold action to fix it. While this worked out for me in the long run, I came to the realization that even though I went on a fun journey of exploration, nothing was actually wrong with me or my life in the first place. The belief that my life was fundamentally flawed, in itself, was the error. When I look back, even in the moments of pain and emotional discomfort, everything that happened actually flowed pretty perfectly for my awakening and spiritual growth. Years after my big moment of liberation, my mind is continuing to become more liberated by the day.

As we give ourselves the freedom to experience breadth and depth of life with non-judgement, as we give ourselves the freedom to step out and try and maybe fail, and love ourselves along the way, it becomes easy to extend that freedom, that grace, and that love to others. This compassion and grace for self and others, to me, is the heart of yoga practice.

For the Liberation Issue, we feature cover yogi Micheal Sinclair in a beautiful handstand in front of the Washington Monument, who talks about Liberation & Death. Other inspiring stories include a journey into medicine, “Zen to War”, and “Mind over Matter,” which tells us that the heart and soul of liberation is freeing the mind. As the war on Ukraine persists, we also invited a fellow Ashtanga yoga practitioner from Ukraine to share her perspective. We extend prayers and metta for their liberation and healing.

Just days before publishing this issue, Roe v. Wade was overturned, so at the last minute, I added a thoughtful reflection called “Let’s Evolve.”

The message of this issue is simply this: If one of us is not free, we are not free.

As always, the Liberation Issue wouldn’t be complete without interactive journal prompts and games along the way that make the print edition a fun experience that I hope you will enjoy.

There are many ways to be in an upcoming issue. Send along an article or advertise!

Thanks for your continued and growing support!

Peace & Pineapples,

Christina V. Mills

Liveology, LLC is a yoga media company sharing "More life. More yoga." Enjoy our asana library, glossary, and a wealth of free articles and videos. Subscribe to issues of Liveology Yoga Magazine in print or digital! Follow us on Instagram and YouTube. Please tell a friend about Liveology today. Thank you for your continued and growing support.