Broken Axels, Broken Heart: World in Changes Tour 2022: Albany, NY

In the garage with our axel repair angels.

In the Bhagavad Gita, one of India’s most beloved teachings, the entire saga takes place on a battlefield. Central to this scene is a chariot, which the hero of the story, Arjuna, is the passenger. The driver is Lord Krishna. There are many wise spiritual lessons wrapped into the Gita, and one of the biggest of all, for me, is remembering is it God who holds the reins.

We are a week into touring and there’s a lot to navigate here on our own battlefield; ice storms, masking policies (or the lack of them), the sheer wear and tear of mounting such an endeavor such as a rock tour.  I’ve taken my seat as passenger on our personal chariot, our tour bus, and set about the work in front of me.  While we’ve armed ourselves with every available tool for pandemic-era touring, we got grounded when the trailer we carry behind our bus broke an axel. A brand new one. Like Arjuna at the beginning of his journey, I’m bewildered.

Meanwhile, a chariot by another name, my body, is having it’s own say, it’s own private battlefield. My skin is dry, my low back is aching, and my shoulders are tight with tension. There is very little asana practice happening out here. Common interpretation of the sutras says the purpose of asana is to prepare one for meditation and a quiet mind. Yet there are yogis that say once you get the hang of yoga, the less asana is required. I can tell you, I’m not there yet.

I think I can outsmart the world. I think a sun salutation will cure all. That’s what’s really broken down. It’s the attitude of surrender that enables Krishna to drive Arjuna to victory.  A brand new axel is making it’s way from Nashville to meet us in New Jersey tomorrow and all I can do today as I sit and wait, is to rely upon one of my favorite teachings from AA, which in it’s way echos the teaching of the Gita, to let go, and let God.