What's So Wrong With Being Mainstream?

Here in lies the question that has been on my mind. Elephant Journal does a really good job of sharing lots of points of views when it come to Yoga. These views have got me thinking...why take issue with how people practice or what our marketing media driven culture has added to the "Idea" of Yoga?

Looking at my own time line with the practice, I was one that teetered on being a purist. That being said my first yoga class was at a fitness center and it was called YogaFit. It changed my life. I began looking for every yoga class available but keeping to only studios. I do not know why but that's just me. I found a teacher by the name James Kigar in South Florida. My world was rocked. In a packed room for 2 hours I sweated and flowed like never before. All thought ceased and a stillness is what was left in a girl that was mentally all over the place with no direction to speak of. That was the beginning for me. I felt like I finally came home.

These days I've found myself cringing when words like Chakra or Dharma are loosely used. We here in the West are notorious for taking something and running with it. Something that is sacred ends up being a line in a Tuesday night sitcom. What if we didn't have that though? Would I have inquired or studied some of the things that I've come to know and love? Who knows. It's out there and I believe it to be a good thing. I love my purists but to look down upon another persons practice that means something to them no matter how sliced and diced it is, isn't Yoga.  Yoga by definition is Union meaning one in the same. You dis your fellow man you inadvertently dis yourself.

This in and of itself is a practice. Some days I fail miserably, how can one not with Life itself? I feel that if we can let go of our own judgement about anything we raise the level of consciousness on this planet.

Let people be, meet them where they are at and listen. You might be enlightened.


I welcome your thoughts and comments below.