Yoga Journal - Teacher Tells All

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a college student sat down at her local Barnes and Noble to flip through Yoga Journal for the first time. She wouldn't dare actually buy the publication, much less anything advertised within it's pages because, frankly, yoga classes were expensive enough. The articles were about massage, organic food, and exotic yoga vacations. Puzzled, the student (OK, it was me) scowled, closed the magazine, and placed it back on the shelf thinking, "Who has the time, money, and dedication to live that kind of lifestyle?"

Fast forward a few years, and today I sit in my Yoga Journal cubical. I do yoga during my lunch break (or when I get home) daily. I get a chair massage once a month. I avoid buying lunch at the salad bar down the street because their kale is not organic. I just had three yoga books delivered to my desk (literally the office manager just handed me the box). I plan to read them during my exotic, tropical vacation in a couple of weeks. (The trip is a special occasion, but you get my point.) I regularly discuss my new Sacroiliac Joint injury or my tired, achy muscles with my yoga friends. They always have new ailments, too.

The argument for expensive yoga classes, monthly massages, Ayurvedic consultations, retreats, conferences, organic food, and trendy yoga clothes is a good one. Health should to be a top priority, and the mindfulness encouraged during a yoga class helps me get there. A heightened awareness of the foods I put into our bodies and my physical weak points should help me live a longer, more fulfilled life, right? And if I don't take care of myself first, how am ever going to have the energy to take care of anybody else and make the world a better place?

The alternate view: I'm spoiled. Rotten. It's all in the name of a healthy, mindful, conscious lifestyle. And it all started with yoga.

Which view is right? When does living a conscious, healthy lifestyle cross the line and turn into a selfish, pampered, princess lifestyle? Do yoga students have a heightened awareness of their intuition and physical pain or are we just whinier?

Comments

Health isn't necessarily obtained through intense yoga practice, monthly massages, organic food, and trendy organic clothing. It is "the state of being free from illness or injury," which I believe is a concept grasped by the mind, spirit and body, and to which yoga, massages, and healthy food can ultimately lead. However, just because one goes through all the motions of the lifestyle does not mean that one is living healthy, consciously, and selflessly. My interpretation is the whiny, selfish princess would be one who believes that the yogic path can bring wholeness and happiness, yet they do not see the truth in their actions and beliefs. In order to transform their image of themselves, they buy organic food and clothing, attend yoga classes and pay for monthly massages, but do not truly benefit due to their lack of awareness of who they truly are. Whereas, the ones who have actually surrendered themselves to the powers that be, and therefore obtained a higher awareness, are the ones who live in truth. Their actions reflect what is on the inside instead of vice versa. It is a matter of the spirit, and if one is being true to themselves and to those around them, they are living the lifestyle of a yogi, whiner or not.

Posted by: Michelle | August 27, 2008 02:46 PM

One reason yoga can be so expensive is that we don't have ashrams and monesteries in ubiquity here in the west. Yoga is just beginning to become part of the fabric of our American culture, and we don't have the infrastructure yet to make dharma as free as it can be, and ultimately is. As a teacher, you can offer free or donation based yoga classes once in awhile to help our friends who cannot spare $10-20 for an hour of asana practice. You can grow your own organics (even in tiny spaces) and give the food away to a pantry or a friend. There are lots of ways to live mindfully without living expensively or beyond your means. Many times we consume unconsciously and waste money or resources, and it is convenience we are paying for. Before becoming discouraged by the high price of yoga, please remember your instructor also has fees to pay (the cost of certification, insurance, continuing education etc), even if she is a princess!

Posted by: kelly Gilliatte ryt | August 31, 2008 07:03 PM

It seems as though you've forgotten the other 7 limbs of yoga and kriya yoga.

No, health is not the most important aspect. We are to train our physical bodies so they are not a distraction and so we do not have attachment to them.

Posts like this remind me of why yoga is such a good business to go into - obviously people are still willing to spend a lot of money on things that don't matter.

Posted by: Leigh | September 9, 2008 05:56 PM

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www.awareables.com

Posted by: Courtney | September 26, 2008 03:56 AM

Here's how you can tell whether you're spoiled -- sit with a situation where you don't get to have the lifestyle you have chosen, and see what comes up.
Would it reduce you to fear and panic if you had to eat a meal or spend a lunch hour that doesn't meet your standards? I doubt it. But a spoiled person wouldn't be able to accept it.

Posted by: Mary | October 14, 2008 07:02 PM

Thanks for all of your thoughtful comments! I've decided I was going through a phase... In some ways we're all spoiled, but I think that the intention is the most important thing.

Posted by: Erica | October 17, 2008 07:11 PM