FILTER THE WOO-WOO
When living in California, I was yoga devotee. I practiced daily around many studios in the area. I would barter my electrical skills for free classes. I had an account on file in several places, each focused on a type of yoga - Vinyasa, Yin, Iyengar, etc. I enjoyed them all, the teacher/guides and yoga people in general. They were healthy, striving to be healthier, and had a healthy attitude on life, filtering the woo-woo. It was a community that took me in as I was, improved me in so many respects and rewarded me socially. I received a lot of work from connections made.
The main studio I visited was a Hot Yoga style. It is a very demanding series of 26 poses done twice in a room at 105 degrees for a full 90 minutes. Sounds crazy, but it is so very good for you. I could easily sweat 3 lbs of water in a session. "Taking a shower from the inside out", was a catchphrase used. I liked this studio a great deal. It had a lot of characters and had a much more joyous feel for yoga than others I felt. It had male teachers mostly and sometimes the sing-song second grader teacher voice of the females would annoy me. I've been in classes of a dozen males, no females, and the energy was much different. I tried harder. The owners, married 50 yrs plus, were accommodating to everyone and most welcoming to me. They were healers. I saw people physically and emotionally improve incredibly and I was one who received their guidance most gratefully (filtering the woo-woo, again).
Out of this studio, I led a silent class at 6AM, warm not hot, one time through for 45 minutes. I did this for the working people. They could get home, take a shower and have a better work day. At the time, Workplace Advocates was my avocation and job site stress was my No.1 issue. My motivations were good. Three or 4 people may show up. Many times I was by myself. It was a good discipline for 2 years.
The main knock yogis had was, "I have to be told what to do." The Bikram series they have done dozens of times in the same order, many times with the same instructions. They know what is coming next and yet, "I have to be told what to do."
Actually, the silent class was quite powerful, and using a loaded word, intimate. All my yoga now is silent and I prefer it. Anywhere, at anytime I can do yoga. I know how to do it beneficially, and still do practice almost daily. I don't want anyone telling me what to do.
This response should have forewarned me of recent behaviors of my fellow neo-Neanderthals robotisized numbskull jugheads this world holds onto today. Perhaps, since 1898 when Vivekananda introduced modern Americanized yoga,(esp. Bikram Choudhury style of today), is nothing but a mind-control programming of order taking conditioning. One is certainly in a meditative state of suggestibility. Implanted hypnosis would be a breeze for a manipulator. The popularity of yoga/meditation went off the charts in recent decades. People have vegetated are unmotivated and immobile today, unless you tell them what to do. This constant message of "being" and not so much "doing" has infected thinking. You have to filter the woo-woo.
"Being" doesn't chop wood or haul water. It seems to be reserved for people who have someone to do all their work, i.e. spoiled rotten, lazy oafs with a lot of time on their hands - the vast majority of Middle America.
Thirty months ago I didn't get the memo to wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart. In 48 hrs those Californians were abiding every dictate without question. It was Twilight Zone Episode #1 and I started to plan my escape.
first published Monday, August 29, 2022
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Photo credit: LT
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"In all of nature, man is the only living thing that purposely seeks
rule and abandons self-governance. I see this as entirely foreign, and
completely unnatural. This desire to be ruled, to be coddled, to be
told how to act, regulated, and restricted is unique to the human
animal. Why is it that the only entity known that is supposedly
intellectually superior and has the ability to reason, surrenders
independence in favor of dominance by a master? Why is
self-responsibility forsaken for a life bound by slavery? Why do
people voluntarily vote to choose their commanding ruler, king, and
court?" Gary D. Barnett
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