In many ways, New York City is the best place to practice yoga and not because of the teachers (though they are in abundance). Its because this place can just throw so much at you! Some days (like today) I can step back for a second and just laugh at how wound up and crazy this little world is. I suppose it is easier to put these things into perspective when it is approaching 80 degrees outside and you know that you'll be saying goodbye soon.
So, while I am here, I hope to enjoy myself, spend time with friends and family, and share what I can about yoga. Going over this list when I find myself feeling frustrated or trapped has been helpful. So, why write about it now? Because there is always a part of me that gets really frustrated and wants to just say "you know what? fuck this and fuck you." Hey, I'm only human. But the part of me that is growing more and more is the part that says, "this is why we practice, this is why this is so important".
So, while I am here, I hope to enjoy myself, spend time with friends and family, and share what I can about yoga. Going over this list when I find myself feeling frustrated or trapped has been helpful. So, why write about it now? Because there is always a part of me that gets really frustrated and wants to just say "you know what? fuck this and fuck you." Hey, I'm only human. But the part of me that is growing more and more is the part that says, "this is why we practice, this is why this is so important".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBQpQyQrGMQ
Ok, so how not to become a yoga bitch. In the Satchidananda translation of the Yoga Sutras, he talks about how you should be selfish in keeping your mind at peace. Is it possible that we can overdo it? What I find interesting about the ashtanga yoga practice (in the lineage of KPJ), is that there is an emphasis on it being a householder's yoga, meaning, it is yoga for people that live in society, rather than in caves. For anyone that has been on a yoga retreat, you know how easy it is to get in the "zen" mode. When there are fewer distractions and you are immersed in an environment that emphasizes this way of life, it is easier to fall into step. Not so easy being mindful when you are stuck in traffic, when your dog pisses on the sofa, when you get the shaft at work, etc., etc. So, this yoga is for us to use to figure out how to function as happy, healthy individuals in this world, in this society, in this city.
(Admittedly, it is not easy to renounce everything and go and live in a cave and vipassana isn't a walk in the park either...)
So, the point is to become functioning citizens rather that elitist pricks, right? Is it possible? Maybe not in every situation, but I'd like to hope that yoga is putting more out there that is good rather than bad.
I think it has. I want to believe that here in the west, it is still in its beginning. We're still working on perfecting asana and the rest will come, slowly, slowly.
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