Saturday, June 1, 2013

Temper tantrum ahead... proceed with caution!!

One thing I know for sure is that I have no patience for yoga babble.  I was trying to think of way to say what I need to say in some flowery, fluffy way so that it won't come across so harsh.  Sorry... I can't come up with any yoga babble so here's my disclaimer:

You may not like what I have to say but that doesn't mean you don't need to hear it.  If you get offended easy... stop reading now.  If you're interested in getting to the heart of the matter.... keep reading.  The choice is yours.  I will try to say this as nicely as I know how.

It's time to wake up people!!  It's time to take off your malas and your fancy yoga pants and get down to the business of actually being a yogi!!!  Get off your meditation cushion and get your hands dirty in the world!!!  PAY ATTENTION TO THE YOGIC TEACHINGS!!  THEY APPLY TO YOU TOO!!

Yea, you... drinking your coconut water while your neighbor is dying of thirst.   You, who are busy counting mantras on your $108. malas while your friend is crying for help.   While you're practicing holding head stand for 20 minutes, there's a child who needs a mentor. 

All the talk of love and light and enlightenment has blinded us!!  The world will not be saved by meditation alone.   We must all be willing to get off our asses and WORK!!   Remember that??  There is real work to be done in this world if there's any hope of a future for our children. 

We cannot all renounce the world and sit in our air conditioned yoga room pretending that all is right with the world as long as we talk about contentment and acceptance.  Have any of you read the Bhagavad Gita??  Didn't Krishna talk about doing your duty?  I think so.   What is your duty?  Do you even know?

I'm no expert in spiritual matters but I do believe I remember 200hr yoga teacher training.  I remember some mention of karma yoga.  Remember Karma yoga?  The path of self-less service??  Not everyone is suppose to be a guru or priest!!  Some of us are suppose to be in the trenches, so to speak.  Who is the better yogi??  MY ANSWER.....THE ONE DOING HIS/HER OWN DUTY JOYFULLY.  Whether it's being the guru or being the one taking care of the day to day needs of the masses. 

Why is it that people in yoga-land are willing to travel to the other side of the globe to offer their self-less service but won't stop what they are doing to drive (in their air conditioned car) a few blocks to help a friend who is stranded in the streets for hours in 100 degree heat??????  

I know this won't make me very popular in yoga-land but hell... I've never  been in with the popular crowd anyway why worry about it at this point in my life?  The people closest to me know that I take my responsibilities very serious and that means my commitment to karma yoga.  

THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION....LOOK AROUND YOU... SEE WHAT WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE AND JUST DO IT!!!  EVEN IF NO-ONE IS LOOKING!!!!  Then you can call yourself a karma yogi.  

2 comments:

  1. Great post/rant! lol I'm sure you aren't alone in feeling this way! Reminds me of one of my favorite Gita verses. 3.20 "It is through action alone that Janaka and others attained perfection. Even with a view to the protection of the world, you should perform action." Karma yoga has always been the path that has spoken loudest to me. It is easy to see the physical benefits asana practice and meditation have on our own bodies and minds. However, practicing yoga off the mat, where my heart and mind are engaged in what I'm doing, has been the most fulfilling aspect of my yoga practice.

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