Bhoga On, Yogi Woman (and Yogi Man)
How many yogis and yoginis does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
I don't yet have a punchline for that joke—let me know if you come up with a good one—but after the Saturday night trance dance at Yoga Journal's San Francisco conference, I can tell you it only takes a few hundred of us to rock the foundations of a sturdy high-rise downtown hotel.
We started with an hour of the tight, soaring vocal harmonies and radiant devotion of Suzanne Sterling's group of kirtan singers, and then moved on through Shiva Rea's brief prana yoga invocation of the infinite forms of the god/goddess through breath, sound, and movement.
By then we were ready to tear up the dance floor for another two sweaty hours, whirling and writhing and leaping to the beats of DJ Dragonfly.
In India, the transcendent, liberating practices of yoga are often contrasted with the entrapping worldy experiences of sensual pleasure, collectively called bhoga. But in some Tantric traditions, it's understood that all experience is sacred; yoga is present at the core of everything, including bhoga. We can strive to touch liberation in and through all our experiences, including sensual bliss and ecstasy.
And on Saturday night several hundred of us tried our best to do just that!
Comments
The Transdance was a wonderful uplifting of spirit and freedom to just let go and dance! The deep beat of the music and the pile of shoes at the door allowed all to let their hair down and sweat in joyful physical expression. Namaste to Suzanne's lovely voice, Shiva's enticement to open the spirit and DJDragonfly for the music to bring out the free dance.
Posted by: Jackie | January 17, 2006 07:33 PM
it goes something like this:
how many iyengar yoga teachers does it take to srew in a lightbulb?
one, but they'll need a belt, two blocks, two blankets and a timer
Posted by: Leo | January 18, 2006 05:34 AM
Ans to Q regarding "how many yogi's to screw in a light bulb?"
Ans: None. WE are the light.
Posted by: elizabeth peckham | January 18, 2006 09:13 PM