No Photo for THIS Blog, Please!

Yeah, that's because modern photography might be the worst thing that ever happened to the yoga tradition. It has turned yoga into an art form. Not that I am opposed to art. But yoga is a spiritual practice. The external benefits that we see with our ocular nerves are merely side effects of the practice. Looking good is not the goal. Feeling good is not even the goal. Doing a pose 'correctly' is not the point. There are as many 'correct' poses as there are posers. Yes, I intended that double-entendre. The real yoga happens on the inside. The sexiness and the physical exercise have become the hallmarks of yoga in the United States. But if these are the things you seek, you are better off in a gym or a salon.

Real yoga is hard work, and does not guarantee feeling good. "Samtosa," one of the niyamas (personal ethical practices) of classical yoga philosophy, is a quality of acceptance. Sometimes things are not so good. It's a fact of life. Yoga is not a magical panacea for all that ails you. It is, however, a good way to get honest with yourself if you really embrace the essence of yoga. "Satya," the quality of honesty, is one of the yamas, or social ethical practices of classical yoga philosophy.

Indeed, the five Yamas and five Niyamas bear a striking resemblance to the Ten Commandments of the Judaeo-Christian cultural tradition...but that's another blog topic. For now, I invite you to let go of what you think "yoga" should look like on the outside and consider that the real transformation takes place inside the body-mind.