My first ever experience of yoga, plus my thoughts on Instagram posts.
I’m white.
So white. Almost see-through in fact.
I’m well aware that I am in no way from Indian descent.
“..words that sounded like Chimichangena and something about a dog.”
So what was the pull that drew me to yoga? Like most of us in the western world – I had lower back problems. I was looking for an answer that didn’t involve medication and wouldn’t break the bank, so decided to give it a try.
I remember taking weeks to muster up the will and courage to get my lazy self down to the studio and take my first class. It felt weird and awkward – I had no idea what I was supposed to do and watched as everyone else moved into unusual positions whilst waiting for the class to begin.
The session finally started and I felt even more awkward and weird. Instructions were given – half of which I had no idea what the teacher was saying, words that sounded like ‘chimichanga’ and something to do with a dog.
To make matters more interesting - I took my sister with me. We giggle at everything and anything – so not only was I trying to follow these weird directions and move my body in ways it’s never moved, I was also desperately trying not to catch my sisters eye and hold back the bursts of laughter. I was questioning why I came.
But then, oh then, came the ‘final pose’ – the sleepy time pose. Those precious few minutes are what got me hooked for life – those moments of pure bliss. The gentle soft voice of the teacher blended with the calm soothing music – being told to do absolutely nothing but breathe. I felt vulnerable, yet more relaxed than I’d ever felt. I got it – I finally got the whole craze of yoga, and it’s all in those tiny little minutes, the permission to reflect, observe and check in to me.
“I'm not going...to become some kind of sage (I only cook with that).”
I have spent my whole life in the western culture and I’m in no way related to the eastern world – yet I feel strongly connected. I’m not going to kid myself into believing that one day I will reach the highest enlightenment or become some kind of sage (I only cook with that) – but what yoga has brought to my life – to the western world is not something to be considered a ‘trendy phase’.
So what if Instagram and Facebook are being plagued with half naked pictures of people doing unbelievable poses. With or without yoga – there’d still be half naked photos. I’d much rather it be an image of someone appreciating the awesome things their body can do than it be an image of them just photo editing in bigger lips/boobs/bum. The way that we practice yoga in the western culture has to be different to the original form – otherwise it just wouldn’t work. I have a niece who is 13 years old, I know if I asked her straight up to sit and meditate with me for an hour – or ten minutes even she’d laugh at me. However, if I took her into Lululemon and bought her some crazy fancy yoga pants – showed her some cool yoga moves, now, then I’d have her attention. Like most her age and of her and my generation looks are important, as is social media. We have to adapt, change and grow. If I get her interested this way, then maybe slowly she’d become more aware and perhaps respectful of her body. She may even become a little more mindful, who knows maybe more understanding of others. Not to say that she’s not already – but right now we are surrounded by a lot of pressure of what we are supposed to look like, what we should have and even how we should act. If we can just crack the surface, even in the superficial manner – is that not something?
Growing up I definitely had a false image of myself – I was always told I was skinny but I didn’t see any difference between me and others. Weight was something I could control when other areas in my life felt out of control. So perhaps I often abused myself by not really taking care of my body – resulting in me lacking in confidence and frequently being ill. I can’t say for sure whether it was yoga, or maybe just age that started to give me respect for my body, I look at it now as a vessel for all the amazing things it can do. Yes I’m still thin, I always will be – but that isn’t important. My body is healthy and strong and it can move pain free (most of the time).
I guess the point I’m trying to get at is - it doesn’t matter why you practice yoga. The fact is – it’s becoming accessible to everyone all over the world – and wasn’t that the idea? How can you not leave a yoga class feeling a little more aware of yourself – whether you liked the instructor/practice or not.
“as Bob Marley once said 'you can please some people sometimes, but you can't please all the people all the time.”
In all aspects of life you will find ‘fakes’ and ‘phonies’ and the great thing being that there is something out there for everyone – as Bob Marley once said ‘you can please some people sometimes, but you can’t please all the people all the time’. If you don’t like that class – find a different one. I love being a yoga teacher. I get to walk into a room and be myself and hopefully create a space for others to be themselves. More often than not I get smiley faces leaving the studio – and that makes me feel fantastic. Even if it happens to be a fake smile, studies show that pretending to smile can make you feel a little happier, so that’s enough for me.
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