Yoga and the Power of “Re-Union-ing”

Me (off-center, first row) in 1978 with my Stanford Gymnastics teammates.

Me (left) in 2026 with my Stanford Gymnastics teammates.

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When I look at the top photo of me in 1978, on one hand I recognize that person. And in many other ways I hardly recognize that person at all. I was just a freshman in college at the time. The world seemed so big, so scary and so unknown. I was a quiet, shy kid from Hawaii who hadn’t yet learned of his place in the world.
 
As I shared in my e-Letter last month, I got to return to Hawaii in July for a reunion with my college gymnastics teammates. (See the lower photo.) While I was initially apprehensive about seeing everyone again, any fears I had were immediately dispelled by the warm energy I received from everyone. At this point in our lives, none of us has anything more to prove to anyone. We’re past the stage of the ego and are well into living through the stage of the spirit.
 
The Yoga Institute states that “the word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ which means ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. In the spiritual sense, yoga means union of the mind with the divine intelligence of the universe.” And Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga, defines the practice of yoga as “union with our higher selves, union with all beings everywhere ….”
 
As I was reflecting on my experiences at my college reunion, I couldn’t help but think that I had made some progress with respect to self-realization. While on one hand, I may not be at the very highest stages of yoga realization, at least I can say with confidence that I have made progress.
 
And that is the power of “re-union-ing”. Anytime we can go back and revisit a younger version of ourselves, it gives us an opportunity to see ourselves in a different light. To give ourselves some Grace. There is so much we just couldn’t know back then that thankfully we can know now … because we dared to survive life to this point.
 
Someone once told me something like you won’t remember the grades you got in school and, ultimately, they won’t really matter. And in a way, I came to realize that at my reunion in a slightly different way. None of us remembered or talked about what scores we received in our gymnastics competitions. Yes, grades and gymnastics scores were important to us back then. But at this point in our lives, what was really important to us were things like can we be the best versions of ourselves as human beings living on this planet? How can we use what we’ve been given to make the world a better place for both ourselves and others? In a way, I have to say that we are all living in union with our higher selves in its most current version.
 
So, at this point in my own personal evolution, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that, while on one hand I still have a way to go on my path to experiencing Self-Realization as it’s laid out in Yoga philosophy, I can pat myself on the back because I can now see that I have made some progress. Going to my reunion helped me to see that clearer. I know myself better and what my own life purpose is. And that is something I can cheer.
 
Sharon Gannon reminds us of the most important reasons to practice yoga and/or any other spiritual tradition:
 
Be good, do good... Compassion is when we experience the suffering of others as our own, and dedicate our lives to reducing that suffering.  When we feel with compassion, our actions are free from the binding nature of selfishness.  The biggest obstacle to the realization of yoga [union with our higher selves, union with all beings everywhere] is our own selfishness.  To ensure happiness for yourself, do all you can to uplift the lives of others.
 
Whether or not you actually go to a reunion of any sort, I sincerely hope that at whatever stage you are in your life right now that you can look back and see younger versions of yourself and realize that you have made progress. I hope you can now better realize your unique gifts that God gave you for you to use to help uplift the world. If you can realize these things, then truly you are practicing yoga at a higher level – regardless of whether or not you can stand on your head!
 
May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you witness the progress you’ve made towards your own self-realization, …
And may whatever realizations you can experience at this point in your evolution, may they benefit those nearest to you, and from there spread out to somehow help All Beings Everywhere.
 
Aloha and Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

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Images from these past two months that united me with my higher self.

Just before landing in Honolulu, I was able to capture the iconic Diamond Head from above. Seeing it from this higher up vantage point, I could not help but think of its evolution from being a fiery volcano that last erupted 150 - 300 thousand years ago to now being a dormant one that provides nourishing soil to all the creatures that live on its slopes. The Earth knows how to give forth life!

I got to hike up the trail to Makapuʻu Point. When I was a child, the ocean seemed so vast. Now, it still seems vast, but at least now I know a little more of what exists on the other side.

On one of my evening walks in our community in Lewes, Delaware, I looked up and saw this beautiful sight. In these moments, I felt the hand of God at work, and was in union - in "yoke" - with something much bigger than just my smaller self.

Photo Credits:
Stanford Gymnastics 1978 photo by a Stanford Quad 1978 photojournalist .
Stanford Gymnastics 2026 photo by a member of Team Brodie.
All other photos shot by me.