Neo Yogis

Neo YogisSo I’ve had this idea lately. It’s still developing, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the “McYoga” epidemic and how the neo yogis can survive it.

Consumerism and materialism have done a number on watering yoga down. The evolutionary force of yoga is being overshadowed by the superficial results. The many recent innovations are wonderful but at this point it’s yesterday’s news. You wouldn’t know that from looking at a copy of Yoga Journal. Speaking of which, I flipped through one recently and didn’t find a single thing of interest in it.

Not even one.

I see gifted teachers falling into step with the politically correct monoculture (hey, everyone has bills to pay). The teachers who have stayed true to the call are widely dispersed. Some of them stay well underneath the radar. I can understand why.

The yoga market is a slippery slope.

On the flip side the iron is hot right now. Yoga has become a household word and people are ready to dive in. But they don’t necessarily know which pitfalls to avoid. These are revolutionary times and there have been some recent explosions in the yoga world.

It’s easy to get disillusioned and cynical but I do believe that within the widespread interest lies a seed of greater possibility. We are experiencing a resurgence of ancient wisdom in a technological era. It’s a blessing to be alive in this information age. We are part of a shift in the collective consciousness and people are waking up.

The potential for personal evolution is mind blowing and it’s all the more reason to meditate. But we have to shed the extraneous distractions and resist segregating ourselves.

Let go of the petty story lines.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you eat meat.

The greatest style is no style.

Enough with the New Age elevator music.

You’re not your fucking lululemons.

Let yoga be the discipline of freedom that it IS.

Pure Perception

I do some of my best thinking in the shower.  Puzzles have a way of coming together for me in there.  Such as how to explain my view of Pure Perception.

What interferes with our ability to have free, inspired thought?  

To start, consider the impact of our consumer culture: TV, magazines, mainstream news. Hollywood and media icons.

We’ve been taught to view these things as entertainment.

For many people, television is a form of daily meditation.  And yet so much of what’s on television is mediocre at best.

Next, consider the experience of standing at the checkout counter in your local grocery store.  The tabloids are brain numbing – filler for the mind the way McDonald’s is filler for the body.

These things do nothing to uplift, enlighten or educate people. Instead they fuel our lower tendencies.

Extracting ourselves from mind-numbing influences is essential for inspiration.  This can be challenging to do when we’re surrounded by the influences of our cultural engineering.

It is possible to re-pattern our thinking and perspectives.  It just takes time and energy, which doesn’t fit with the quick-fix mentality a.k.a. mall mantra:

“Give me, Love me, Buy me, OM.”

Lack of Self Worth

Negative belief systems also interfere with pure perception.  Mainstream culture does very little to support people in feeling whole.  The focus is on fueling states of conflict, discontent, and a sense of striving for something that is impossible to attain.

So what does an alternative look like?  And what does neutrality feel like?  Most people can relate to this as the experience of being in nature – feeling calm, quiet, and receptive.

(I go more into detail about environment in Creating Space.)

 The state of pure perception is subtle but can be very vivid within the right circumstances.  It involves creating a gateway for clarity and inspiration.  This allows us to connect with our humanness, our creative selves and our highest sense of purpose.

What’s your biggest challenge with staying open to inspiration?  Feel free to leave a comment in the box below.