I haven’t paid for yoga in nearly five years. I’ve studied with most of the best asana and meditation teachers in the world. In fact, amazing teachers came to my office to teach me (for free) every day. All I had to do was walk down the hall, and sometimes I chose not to because I didn’t feel like it or because I didn’t care for a particular teacher’s specialty.
Basically, I’m a spoiled, bratty, privileged yogi.
Isn’t that an oxymoron, you may ask? Ummm, yeah!
A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany. As I was walking down the street to my cushy job where people don’t even expect me to actually come into the office everyday, I thought to myself:
“Isn’t the whole point of a yoga practice to live in the present? If you’re a yogi, shouldn’t you be content? You should be blissed out and healthy and praising Krishna for all your amazing blessings! What the hell is wrong with you? Wait, nothing is wrong with me, yoga philosophy says I am a spark of the Divine . . . so I’m kind of perfect. But really, I’m a total screwed up mess . . . Or am I?”
I’m human, which is what this blog is all about.
I need to get back to the basics and approach my yoga as the gift I know it is. Each day, I’m going to commit to practice yoga—sometimes alone, sometimes in a studio. I’ll meditate (a lot!), I’ll and contemplate just what makes me really worthy to be called a spark of the Divine. I’ll share with you things that inspire me to keep going even when it seems like everything in my life is conspiring against me. (Yes, I’m spoiled AND dramatic!)
Oh yeah, and I’m going to blog everyday, too. (And tweet! @erodefer AND update my Facebook status!) I’m tired just thinking about it. . . Who wants to run and get me an organic salad and book my massage? No one? Crap! What have I gotten myself into?
Jodi Mardesich says
Erica,
Your post got me thinking and reminiscing. I visited you and Andrea at your cushy corporate gig a couple of years ago (maybe 3?) and got to have class with Jason Crandell and Ann Dyer (yummy sleep yoga). I never thought about how that's what your job was like every day! Wow. Amazing. I'm back to working a corporate gig and teaching corporate yoga after work. My dream is for yoga to infiltrate every corporation. <3 Imagine how much happier people could be.