Mindful Democracy: Declaring Our Interdependence
Professor Jeremy David Engels, scholar, longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh and author of On Mindful Democracy, shares how mindfulness is not only a path to personal peace, but it also opens us to vital practices for renewing interconnection and democracy itself.
#kriyayoga #mindfulness #democracy #oneness #karmayoga #interconnection #interdependence
Jeremy David Engels
Dr. Jeremy David Engels is Liberal Arts Professor of Communication and Ethics at Pennsylvania State University. He is also a longtime teacher of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, having studied in both India and the United States. He is an award-winning scholar, and has published numerous books and articles about democracy, community building, deliberation, and peace, including the book we are discussing today, On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World.
WEBSITE: JeremyDavidEngels.com
THE YOGA HOUR LISTENER COMMENTS: If you are a student of "Eastern" philosophy and have wondered how the teachings of Buddhism and Kriya Yoga can guide us in maintaining a healthy democracy, you will love this discussion. As the United States celebrates 250 years of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, this is an auspicious time to remember that democracy is a practice too. I really enjoyed how Jeremy used the technique of mindfulness to help us during a time when people seem so divided.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I found this conversation with Jeremy Engels to be very inspiring and hopeful, as is his book On Mindful Democracy. I love his definition of democracy as a practice, and one that we do together to care for each other and the life we share. Jeremy stresses the importance of an embodied experience of our interconnection, which can be accessed through many pathways including meditation, yoga, and religion. This interconnection, our recognition of our interdependence, is both the root of yoga and the basis for this new Declaration. His book includes 27 insights, including "There is no way to Democracy, Democracy is the way”, which describes democracy as a spiritual power. Another insight is “Changing your mind is not a weakness, it is the work of a brave soul”. In this, the year is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this new declaration based on our interdependence is very needed and welcome.