There were a couple of years somewhere in the middle of my yoga journey that I took things a bit too seriously. In fact, it's quite possible that I didn't once crack a smile on my mat during that time. Oh no -- I was the serious yoga student, intent on moving her body through the postures, with no time for something as frivolous as fun (after all, what did fun have to do with proper yoga form, anyway?!).
Then I'm in a yoga class one day and as I come into Pigeon Pose, I feel my belly start to shake until I erupt into chuckles. That was the end of my serious yoga period. I'm happy to say that I haven't looked back since. In fact, I've even flat out guffawed on my mat at times.
When my dear friend says, "I don't know how to think about it," my next thought is, "You just have to laugh." This past week in yoga news has been quite laughable -- and has served to remind me that you just can't take it too seriously:
- Trophy Yogis -- I once worked for a company that offered up a free NY Post newspaperevery morning (it was delivered to each desk). I never took advantage of this "perk" once in the whole time I worked at that company. Needless to say, I'm not a NY Post fan. After reading this ridiculous article about wealthy men captivated by their yoga teachers, I'm reminded why I never read this paper. The story was a sensationalized nightmare. And for those of you keeping score at home -- if you're a yoga teacher/student who's trying to "land a big fish" you've lost sight of what you're practicing.
- The Undercover Yoga Sleuth -- Move over NY Post -- the NY Times wants a piece of the cheesy pie (no, I'm not talking about pizza here). The story highlights Yoga Sleuth, who goes from yoga class to yoga class reviewing the teachers and publicizing "sleuth-approved" classes. "Teachers are our rock stars" -- really?!?!? Call me a rebel but I don't quite agree with the sleuth's viewpoint of yoga and I don't give a Downward Dog about sleuth approved yoga.
- Bikram Sues Yoga to the People -- Ah, my greedy buddy Bikram is at it again. This time he's gunning for the donation-based Yoga to the People because their hot yoga class allegedly infringes on his copyright. Wow -- just typing that made me laugh. Perhaps the heat (and possibly the greed) is getting to Bikram's head because asana and copyrighting is absolutely preposterous.
Once you wipe the tears from your face after laughing so hard about the ridiculousity of the above, here's some light-hearted fare to restore your faith in the world:
- 3 Tips for Happy, Stress-Free Holidays -- The holidays tend to stress people out. If you're one of those people, check out this wonderful article by Ayurvedic expert John Douillard. Check out the one minute meditation technique -- it's fabulous.
- Muppet + Enlightenment = Laugh of the day -- The new muppet movie is out, but it looks like Gonzo is doing a little yoga teaching on the side to supplement his acting paychecks. Hmmm...I gotta get me a pair of those yoga pants...
Okay, I'm done laughing. You know it's rough when a puppet makes more sense than the news outlets. Yep, you just gotta laugh about it.
Namaste!