Every July Fourth we celebrate the day in 1776 when the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring that we as a nation would no longer accept the rule of the British monarchy. It was a rejection of tyranny and, at the same time, an affirmation of human equality. Ideally, no longer would it be accepted that some people are better or more privileged than others, and no longer would anyone be above the law. As Thomas Paine wrote in his pamphlet Common Sense, which inspired the Declaration of Independence, “In America, the law is king.”

Though the Supreme Court recently overturned Paine’s declaration, and the congressmen who wrote the Declaration of Independence equated “men” with white men, overlooking women as well as Black and Indigenous slaves, it was still a remarkable document for the time, one we can revere as a blueprint for a future that acknowledges the rights of all people, justice for all.

The Declaration of Independence proclaims that all people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We are blessed to be in a country where we are relatively free to pursue happiness as we choose, without fear of persecution. We can recognize and respect that there are many paths, and that as long as one’s path does not trample on or restrict another, it is legitimate. Surely, yoga and other spiritual practices popular today would not have flourished without the respect and protection of these rights.

While researching the Declaration of Independence a bit, I found an enlightening interview with Brent Strawn, a professor who at the time (2014 – 2018) was teaching religion and theology at Emory University. Today he teaches at Duke University’s Divinity School as a Professor of the Old Testament and Professor of Law. Strawn reveals that historian Arthur Schlesinger once wrote that at the time of the Declaration of Independence “the pursuit of happiness” did not mean the seeking of happiness but rather the practice of happiness. In other words, it is not the search for happiness that would be guaranteed but the obtaining of happiness. That’s basically what Yoga is all about. Yoga is the obtaining of happiness. It’s the practice of knowing your Self, whereby you are happy and as free as can be.

Furthermore, the pursuit of happiness meant ensuring and protecting the happiness of others as well as that of yourself. As Strawn hints, it even includes the happiness of those who are not yet citizens!

The pursuit of happiness meant helping others and ensuring everyone’s right to health, ample food and decent living conditions. All this means taking better care of our planet, too.  (See the Fundraiser of the Month below!) All this is yoga, as well.

To read the interview with Strawn, see

What the Declaration of Independence really means by ‘pursuit of happiness’

Finally, while the Fourth of July celebrates independence from an external tyranny, that of King George III, yoga celebrates independence from an internal tyranny, the tyranny of your mind. Yoga says you do not have to believe everything your mind tells you. Your mind is not meant to be your ruler; it’s meant to be your servant. You are more than your mind. Much more!

“When you get beyond your mind, you experience your own Self, your own Divinity.” ~ Swami Nirmalananda

So, may the Fourth of July be a celebration of much more than the usual. As you wave a sparkler or observe fireworks lighting the sky, celebrate your own Self, too — your own Divine Essence, which is light. Celebrate the Divine within you and within your loved ones and all beings as well.

Swami Nirmalananda says, your own yoga and meditation practices come from the inner source, from “…your own Self prompting you to find your own Self.” Follow those promptings! They will get you totally happy and free!

May all beings be happy. May all beings be respected and treated as equals. May we all see ourselves and others as individual instances of the Divine. And may we have many more Independence Days to celebrate — a long, free and happy life for each of us and also for America’s democracy.