Student Insights: An empath's perspective on Manah Prasad in a disheartening w

Today, I would like to share a profound reflection written by one of my students. I deeply admire her honest and brave attitude in admitting her emotions, including the helplessness and despair that can arise when facing the current world and our personal lives. Yet, she is not giving up. She is doing the hard work of trying to see through the clouded lenses of maya (illusion) to find grounded wisdom in the midst of chaos.

I deeply appreciate her conclusion that by suffering, we cannot help the world. At the same time, this brings up a beautiful paradox in our practice: from a yogic perspective, that very same suffering can become the powerful force that moves us to heal and awakens us to the truth of a bigger picture. Joy is not just a fantasy, that we can not afford to have. it is our true nature and heritage. All the ancient yoga practices and philosophies have been guiding us to see the bigger picture of ourselves and the world and come back home to

who we truly are.

Her writing is an invitation for all of us to contemplate these ideas and share our wisdom. 

Manah Prasad: "a state of profound cheerfulness, contentment, and positivity that reflects our true nature." 

When I saw this definition in Svetlana's lecture on coming back to inner joy, I truly felt like I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept. How is it possible to be happy, let alone exist in such a state of profound joy, when the world we live in is so full of suffering? It is a question I had before even watching the lecture and an ongoing source of cognitive dissonance that I frequently contemplate. 

I think it has become increasingly common for people who care greatly about others and the happenings of the country and world to feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness. For many of us, the moment we open our phones we are confronted with news from all over the world; news that is rarely positive. Naturally, those with the gift of empathy want to take action against inequity, the climate disaster, and the plethora of other issues that root themselves in our hearts. It can seem impossible to be happy in the face of so much pain. However, when I brought this up to Svetlana, her perspective as a fellow empath was valuable. 

We think we see the world, but most people see it through a veil created by our lived experiences. With yoga, we work to observe our own thoughts and reactions before acting. Furthermore, by looking at the bigger picture and choosing to observe history in addition to ourselves, we will find that the world has always been in pain. This is not to say that inaction is the solution, rather to acknowledge that while the problems we see in the world around us today are different than they were 10, 100, or 1000 years ago, the existence of such problems is not in any way recent. It's in our nature to want to help whoever and wherever we can, but the reality is that we cannot help anyone if we are coming from a place of panic or fear. If the neighborhood is on fire, we cannot pour water on it or get anyone to safety if we are stuck in our own burning house. By suffering we cannot help the world. 

This advice struck me in a profound way and led me to really think about my default reaction to the difficult things going on in the world, and even those on a personal level. If joy is a magnet that attracts the right people, opportunities, and other positive aspects of life, choosing to find joy in spite of all that contradicts it puts us in a place to welcome many solutions to our perceived problems. 

This post was written by a SvetYoga student. Fiona studied with Svetlana at MSU in Fall of 2025 and has continued learning from her since graduating.