Cowgirl Yogi

There's a sketch from a wonderful little MTV show from back in the day called "The State".  It's a mock roundtable discussion entitled "what Is Art?"  there's this ridiculous set up of funny pretentious artists types all there to discuss the topic. and then it goes a little something like this:  (very serious pretentious voice) - "what. is. art?"   "um, like paintings and stuff?" "yes, goodnight!"  This has been running on repeat through my head all day long.  Just replace the word "art" with the word "yoga" and you'll have it.    Yoga- (yes that's a capital Y) - is the calming of the whirlpools of the mind. the stripping away of the layers of false identity to arrive at the realization of your true nature. your true nature is the light that created the entire universe. Yoga. capital Y yoga - (lowercase y) - like postures and stuff? yes, goodnight!   I have been told countless times that my ...

I can’t stop thinking about this elephant journal article I read this morning.   It was this woman saying she’s “broken up with yoga”.   I’m sure she thought she was being real funny, but the article made me angry.   Now some of that is my own ego crap; what do you mean you don’t like this thing that I like?   what’s wrong with you stupid?   At first I just chalked my reaction up to that.   But the more I thought about it the more I realized that this woman- who says she had a 10 year yoga practice, but has broken up with yoga for a mindfulness meditation practice- has never actually practiced yoga. And here she is telling anyone who will listen how yoga isn’t right for her.   First of all, yoga and mindfulness mediation= same thing!   You can’t practice yoga without meditating.   You can put your body into yoga asanas, get yourself a hot yoga butt and maybe even grab a little peace and calm without meditating, but you cannot practice yoga. ...

Yoga is a personalized, individual practice.   The physical practice anyway, but there is a reason we get together in groups to practice.   It’s easier to know that we are all connected when there’s a bunch of other people around you having the same experience. It helps it stick more.   Helps you remember more.   A home practice is a beautiful thing, and finding a deep state of meditation can be a bit easier on your own.    But every one of the profound yoga connection experiences I’ve had took place in a group class.   Sometimes workshops or conferences, sometimes a regular daily class in a studio, sometimes even a random yoga class in a random office.   All different kinds of music, all different kinds of instructors, different styles of yoga, hot, cold, carpet, cork, florescent, candle light.   The only common factor to all of these moments was the group practice.   Now, I like to be fun,   and silly even sometimes,   and I ...

Last night as I was reading random books at 2am trying to settle to one, I read a passage that stuck with me all night through my dreams and into this morning.   I’m not quoting here and I don’t want to name the book, but it basically said: you are not a real yogi if you eat meat.   And really you shouldn’t eat any animal products either, but I guess you can be a yogi if you still eat cheese.   Judgment much?    On one hand, I get you.   Vegans and veggies, I get you, harm none, do unto others, ahimsa, yes.   What we do to animals in this country in the name of the all mighty dollar is disgusting. Factory farms, slaughter houses, veal, it’s awful.   Unfortunately, most of the people in our country will continue to turn a blind eye because filet mignon just tastes too good.   Can you have your meat and be a yogi too?   In order to eat something you do have to kill it, and that means harming it.   But just because my broccoli can’t mo...

What makes a good yoga teacher?    What makes a bad one?   It is said that no one can be good at yoga.   You either practice or you don’t and all practice is good.   That’s true in a way.   But a person can be good at asana, or good at pranayama.   If someone is really good at asana, will that make them a good yoga teacher?      Some of the best teachers I’ve ever known couldn’t do any “fancy poses”, and some of my not so favorite teachers have crazy physical practices, but are the two things even related?     I have a lot of questions today as I ponder my relationship with my yoga practice.   Do I have a good practice?   Am I a good teacher?   I have been told, by someone very serious, that my style of yoga isn’t real yoga.   I like crazy vinyasa flow.   Or power yoga for lack of a better word.    Some people believe that the crazy fast work out style yoga is somehow missing the point.  ...

Because I have a little girl, I have green froggy sunglasses and a stick-on mustache in my purse. Because I have a little girl, I have a perfectly logical reason to wear a tutu, at any given time on any given day.   Because I have a little girl, I get to have batman marathons on weekend mornings.   My house is filled with things to play with.   Rocking out in the middle of the grocery store is perfectly acceptable. As is going about my day talking like a robot for no apparent reason.   And because I have a little girl, I am shaking, literally shaking, with anger over a friend’s flippant facebook post.   I am yelling at my screen,   what the fuck is wrong with people!!!!!   This is what’s wrong with our country! This is what happens larry!!!!!!!   What could be so offensive you ask?   A parent from across the country asking if it’s a law that all children’s favorite restaurant be McDonalds, and the slew of parents responding, “yes!   I do...

Dear god, I have a giant ass.   I mean this thing is epic.   I know what you’re thinking; “great.   another woman complaining about her body, how original.”   Oh no, gentle reader, you’ve got it all wrong.   I mean, I have a class A, this one goes up to 11 not just a 10, fantastic, ridiculous ass.   Sure, it’s larger than most, I certainly don’t fit into any sort of cookie cutter mold, I will never be a high fashion model, but my curves are fan-fraking-tastic.   And they are here to stay.      Of course it’s highly likely that tomorrow I’ll go back to hating my bottom half for a few days before hitting the upswing, so I’m writing this now.    This is one of my many puzzlers, how do I, as a yogi working to better myself and one day be enlightened, how can I move beyond the constant attachment to my body?     Is it better to think I’m wicked awesome with Marilyn Monroe level curves? Be humble and accept my average Ameri...

I dug an old picture out of the picture box a few months ago.   I got it out to prove to my sister that I didn’t always have fashion sense.   It’s an absolutely horrid picture of me, so I didn’t really look at it.   As I   was going to bed last night, I found it again.   this time I looked at it, really gave it a good study.   It’s not just that the me in that picture had extra weight, or bad hair, or trashy hippie clothes.   I realized the real reason I have a hard time looking at that picture is because I hated myself back then, and when you look at that picture, you can tell.   I stand hunched over, arms tightly crossed in clothes 4 sized too big.   I’m smiling, but the smile doesn’t reach my eyes.   This picture was taken the summer I was 20, around the same time I started practicing yoga.   (I promise, when I dig the scanner up, this will be its first victim)   I was so disconnected back then, that I don’t even know if I c...

I don't care how smoking hot your body is.  DO NOT I repeat DO NOT use pictures of yourself doing yoga in a bikini.  you look trashy honey.  don't list your teacher as shiva rea, or Baron Baptiste or B.K.S. Iyengar.  maybe one of those people is actually your teacher,  but you sound pretentious.  oh and also, your teacher is not "my heart" or "the whole wide world"  your teacher is the person that actually teaches you yoga, maybe your teacher is yourself, but your heart didn't teach you to stand on your hands with your legs behind your head, a human did that.  now the body image grumbles kick in I see row upon row of very tiny, pretzel like creatures, with a few normal human types mixed in.  not that I'm surprised,  but I was hoping for a broader range of ages, body types, what have you.  don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on the tiny pretzel types,  all bodies are beautiful, but we s...