admin There are over 20 million yogis in the United States, and more and more people are becoming interested in this practice every day. Yoga has become a phenomenon in this country and has crossed over into the mainstream.
Yoga is no longer only for hippies in hemp robes who buy barley at the local natural food store. Yoga attracts everyone, from suburban soccer moms to Football players.
I’m happy people are learning about the physical yoga teachings and are releasing energy blockages through their downside angle, but I don’t care. What I’m interested in is: How deep is your practice?
If 20,000,000 people can perform Side Crow, that has no impact on the rest of the world. It would be more interesting if all 20 million people practiced the yogic philosophy. This would have a real impact on the human race.
To keep my yoga practice honest and to deepen it, I ask myself a few questions.
What’s my relationship with the things I buy?
Where did these clothes come from? This feminist T-shirt with the slogan “What men have to do my hymen?” was sewn by a child aged 5 (Trademark Toninagy). What is the fabric of this jacket made from? Will the polyester particles pollute rivers if I wash this jacket?
What type of company produced this product? Is this a motherfucking multinational conglomerate currently anally raping planet Earth with no lubricant? How can I use less swearing and maybe not use such disturbing metaphors as well?
How can I become a more conscientious consumer, and how do I support my values by spending my money in a way that is consistent with my beliefs?
What am I eating today?
This cracker is from an agribusiness that aggressively destroys the soil with GMOs and pesticides. Am I helping a local farmer who desperately needs my money and not some “organic” company that does the minimum to get certified?
What are the long-term effects of my food purchase?
Am I energetically responsible?
How do I show my bad moods? Do I take my bad moods out on other people and snap like a turtle when I do? Allowing myself to have an authentic reaction without spreading negativity is like having emotional herpes.
Am I being a competitive idiot?
Am I comparing my life to others? Is it possible that I am jealous of another person’s Facebook status because they are sharing positive news, but I’m angry they’re more successful?
Am I truly supporting others?
Today, have I done anything for anyone else?
This one is simple for me. I am a parent and have to do things all the time for my child. For example, making her sandwiches, finding her pants, shoes, socks with a yellow stripe instead of green, her stuffed animals, or her tiny “My Little Pony.” Kids lose things a lot.
Have I done anything for a stranger yet? Do I have a friend that I can do something for? Has someone benefited from my generosity without expecting anything in return? They can help me locate a “Hello Kitty” short-sleeved T-shirt for my daughter. She will be too warm if it has 3/4 sleeves.
You are a true hero if you’re able to do a Lotus Handstand in Lotus with one arm. Your effort is appreciated, as I will never be able to do that. But I don’t want to see any more Instagram accounts that show off our ability to perform a no-leg Plank.
I’m interested in how your yoga practice has influenced your daily life.
Instead of asking, “can I stand for a long time on my head?” or “can I touch my feet with straight knees? “, our internal dialogue could be, “am I an a**hole and how can i be less one?”
