*&(^*&^ We say & do...

I have not read the book “Stupid **** My Dad Says”, however, I have spent some time laughing at the YouTube videos about **** Yoga teachers say, ****Vegetarians say, and ****yogis say. I realize that I can have a crass sense of humor and I do enjoy sarcasm. In other words, you should stop reading here if my edginess is bothersome.

These YouTube videos poke fun at how seriously we all take ourselves. I like this sort of message. It’s NOT saying yoga isn’t serious; it’s pointing fingers at how seriously we all take ourselves about yoga (you could replace the word yoga here with vegetarianism, volleyball, financial planning, parenting, etc.). It’s poking fun at the fact that there are $100 yoga pants supposed to make our butt look better, there are these new shoes that have hit the yoga world by storm called TOMS, eco-friendly mats that cost a small fortune, granola bars called Yogi bars, the fact that so many yogis order water without ice so their Agni will stay fired up yet eat a giant bowl of ice cream for dessert, vegetarians connected to the vow of ahimsa (non-violence) and yet vote in a way that supports violence. BTW, did you know the latest count of casualties in Syria is nearly 8000 people? I won’t even get into how, when a group of yogis are together in a social setting, we might be tossing back a cold one as we talk about ridding the toxins in our bodies, bowel movements and food. These contradictory messages are everywhere in the yoga world. Most recently, they have been in the news because a well-known international teacher has fallen from grace and a giant yoga competition was held showing off the master of physical postures. It’s a yoga contest!!

So, if I wear $100 yoga pants and TOMS shoes, practice on an eco-friendly mat, eat Yogi bars, never have an iced drink, am vegan, vote to support non-violence and avoid yoga competitions am I going to be happier? More content? Will doing those things lead me to a life of non-attachment, reduced suffering and love? Is it going to mean that I am selfless and not attached to outcomes? Is it going to mean that I won’t care if people like me or if people think I’m a good yoga teacher, or a good boss at work, or a good wife? What’s the point again? What’s the point of yoga? What’s the point of life? Could someone please remind me?
I have recently been reading a new translation of the Bhagavad Gita entitled “The Bhagavad Gita, A Walkthrough for Westerners.” I have read other translations of this sacred text and this seems to be the most accessible of them all. This is a text that has multiple messages, however the one that is currently ringing through loud and clear for me is when the book is attempting to clearly spell out the point of everything; here, the teacher is speaking to the student:
“The point, old friend - and this is very important - is to do your worldly duty, but do it without any attachment to it or desire for its fruits. Keep your mind always on the Divinity. Make it as automatic as your breath or heartbeat. This is the way to reach the supreme goal, which is to merge into God.”

What? I thought the point was that the roof needs paid for and the studio needs to stay financially solvent and I need to show up to work and I should speak respectfully to my boss and remember to buy toilet paper and walk the dog and clean the basement in case I need to hole up down there during a storm. In this message from Arjuna’s teacher, I think he is basically saying “yeah, yeah, yeah, do that kind of stuff AND remember it’s not the point; the point of life is our connection with something bigger than our little pea brain and our earthly tasks and troubles.”

In some ways, I find this to be a relief because, geez, the toilet paper shopping isn’t that fulfilling and I am really hoping a good-looking butt is not The Point.
I’m wondering, if the point is to keep my mind on Divinity… does that means I can’t have snarky thoughts, or can’t be irritated, or I can’t cuss like a sailor when I want to and I can’t eat toxic foods and I can’t share my frustrations about a co-worker and I can’t hang out in the bar at the airport, I can’t listen to Hip Hop and I can’t despise when people act fake, and the list goes on and on. Seriously, if that’s the point, I’m afraid there isn’t enough money in the world to support the kind of therapy I’m going to need.
Arjuna’s teacher does say “Work performed with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done in a state of calmness. Equanimity - the serene mental state free from likes and dislikes, attractions and repulsions - is truly the ideal attitude with which to live your life.”

But, hey, wait! I like rad yoga pants and I feel better when I wear them and I feel good about not having ice in my water and I like being a vegetarian. I like the way I vote and toilet paper is necessary in my household; it makes life nicer. So now what? What would Arjuna’s teacher say about all of this? I am going to guess Arjuna’s teacher would say, ‘fine - get the pants, use the toilet paper, drink without ice in your water and eat whatever suits you.’ However, I believe he would finish the sentence with, ‘…and don’t take any of it too seriously and understand that none of that ultimately matters, because the point is union with God, and if you aren’t careful, you will forget the point because of the shiny nature of those new Toms shoes you are wearing.’