In Yoga teachers training, 13 years ago, my experienced teacher & mentor, Dr. Gilad Harouvi, said something about submission to gravity. The idea seemed strange to me then, as a lot of practice involved growing (Tree pose), fighting (Warrior poses), focusing on strengthening the Bandhas and the Core of the body, etc.

I recalled that idea today, when I was pondering about the idea of submission, which presented in the film Etty (part 1).

From time to time, I do a short post of Protective Presence in Burin village, and on most Fridays recently, I participate in the weekly protest of Looking Occupation in the Eye in Za’atra junction. Both in Palestine, south to the City of Nablus.

My reflective physical response in front of Military/Police tyranny threat or force – there, and in demonstrations in Tel-Aviv - is “inner gathering”, toughening, and resistance.

But my common reflect to evils & killing news items and posts in the occupied territories and in Gaza, is Sad emoji.

At the Za’atra demonstration, in the last months, there is a routine unwelcomed representative of evil – a scholar from the next Ariel University, who comes with his Megaphone, with recorded Palestinian people expel shouting. He runs around the roundabout, with his megaphone, chasing Palestinian cars.

The common response of our people is resistance: trying to block him, to create a human barrier between him and the cars - Protective Presence.

I had an idea, which got limited acceptance – to leave the space of the circle when he comes. Let him run in circle on his own.

I think that in addition to the ridicule effect of such action, there is something there related to the Power-Surrender / Anger-Sadness game.

Reminds me of short and powerful essay of Gideon Lev about force in Haaretz in June 2025:" Power has a strong effect. But it also has two major limitations that its proponents tend to overlook. Those who wield great power do not realize that the consequences of their actions will eventually cause them to experience that same power themselves. This reversal is inevitable."

I recently heard a quote of Etty Hillesum, that praises sorrow over anger. I tend to agree because, I think that giving too much space to rage as the main response to evil, tends to blind us, to narrow the mental working space, which is so important to preserve functional these days (and always).

I feel like surrendering, in some way, not the monotheistic way of surrendering to the patriarch, but actually to yourself, to your soul, is maybe a vaccine against becoming the force.

Because becoming the force, a narrative that was praised and sanctified by Zionism from its early beginning – has a strong tendency to become entangled into bigger, armed frameworks - so might have monstrous effects like we see now, in laughing emojis responses to horrors in social media and horrifying laughter & masks of settlers / soldiers of the IDF.

I told my spouse recently, after the 3rd and last presence in Ras Ein al-Auja, that the contradiction between the humble appearance of the protective presence volunteers there that contradicts their determined and studious standing there, week after week, for months and years, using their precious free time, getting no material return, exposing themselves to humbles and violence – fascinates me.

Maybe the two meanings of the word Humble, point to a strategy as well as to the price, for saving our souls currently.