Hypocrisy?

Spring Break is finally here!  The last 3 weeks have felt like 3 months, and I am in desperate need to catch up on sleep, take advantage of a little extra time to catch up on projects, and of course, get back on that mat!  Husband asked the other day what I planned to do over the break (he's not a teacher, and alas, isn't always able to take vacation when we have vacation).   The first thing I said was "Well, I'm going to do yoga every day...I've planned out all the classes..." and he interjected "Yeah, that went over really well with the boys on the last break".  I explained that it was my break, too, and wanted to enjoy it myself.  I shuttle those kids all over town and back every week for playdates, activites, and programs, so it won't kill them to indulge my inner yogi for a few days...

In fact, walking out of one of these activities this week, I struck up a conversation with a fellow "child shuttler", who inquired about how my yoga was coming along.  This friend, let's call him "Tonycal", also enjoys a yoga practice or two, and in fact, used to practice in one of the classes I used to take.  He let on that he ended up disappointed with the instructor who professed the great benefits of yoga, and led us through challenging classes week after week.  This instructor really pushed us, put us through the ringer, all the while spouting off from what Tonycal thought was a "holier than thou", "do what I say" pedastal...only to be overheard confessing to another student in the class that "a Valium or two" was a regular part of the nightly routine.  Tonycal was calling bullsh!t, which he was entirely entitled to do.

Tonycal has since moved on to spending a lot of his fitness time with more cardio-vascular pursuits, and I don't know how much of that has to do with his letdown, or just a preference for something different.  Still, his comments gave me pause to think; first, was this instructor truly a hypocrite?; second, can I blog about this?  Well, I'm not sure...and yes!

In his "Yoga Sutras", Patanjali describes the 8 limbs of yoga, but in these descriptions, he gives us 2 main messages.  The first is that practicing these 8 limbs, asanas included, leads us to find "samadhi".  It's what he describes as the deepest of human experiences: a balanced mind-state; awareness of the eternal.  The second message is that we can seek out sources of negativity and find ways to live with them.  With these thoughts, Patanjali (like yoga instructors who try to interpret his message) can come across a bit preachy.  This can be a turn off for people who aren't exactly turning to yoga for it's spiritual side.  Who exactly does Patanjali think he is?  The wise old man on the mountain top who knows the meaning of life?  Patanjali was far too humble for that.  In the Sutras, he's merely encouraging us to reach our full human potential (spiritual and physical).  His intention is that if we can reach this TRUE potential, we'll truly be free - we'll have the freedom to "live with ourselves", warts and all.  Is it such a big deal if it takes a Valium now and again to get there?

I can't say that I get myself on the mat with the goal of experiencing Samadhi, but I can say that I appreciate that is an option available for people who are looking for it.  At this point in my practice (I've been on the mat on and off for about 6 years now, regularly for the last 3), I'm satisfied with that hour of peace to myself; the physical benefits are a huge bonus.  I love that one of the basic ideas behind a practice is that the focus is on your own mat - realize that you are there for yourself and no one else - so you don't have to worry about keeping up, fitting in, or exceeding the limits.  Stretching it out, breathing deep, and having fun certainly gives me the freedom to live with whatever else I'm up to for the other 23 hours in a day, glass (or two) of wine included!  This helps me to gladly get back on the mat time and time again.  Everyone has their own reasons and motivation for getting on the mat, and hopefully Tonycal will look past the "hypocrisy" and find himself there again soon.  In the process, he may find his own version of Samadhi.  Is "Samadhi" open to interpretation?  I think so, but that's likely a topic for another blog post!

A blissful state - when your mind is clear, pure and untainted by judgements, you see things as they really are - you have reached Samadhi, and equal and balanced way of thinking.