Greetings from sunny West Hollywood, California. It’s Thursday and I’m killing some time before my flight home, so here is the latest rundown of yoga information, inspiration, and lifestyle nonsense from yours truly here at GroundingUp.
What I’m Watching-On Yoga the Architecture of Peace
On Yoga the Architecture of Peace is a documentary chronicling the photographer Michael O’Neill’s yoga journey. He also has a book by the same name that I haven’t gotten to yet. I’m only half way through the film and it is visually stunning, as you would expect from a professional photographer. The plot is this: stressed out perfectionist ruins health, tries yoga for physical and emotional healing, is subsequently healed and becomes obsessed with digging deeper into this ancient magic. This is every modern yogi’s story. His is just more beautifully produced than most. You can stream it on Netflix with your subscription or get it from iTunes for $9.99.
What I’m Reading- J. Brown’s BLOG
J. Brown is a yoga teacher and founder of a yoga studio in Brooklyn, NY. He is not a fan of what the West has done to traditional yoga and he is bitter AF that yoga is a business. I read him and listen to his podcasts because he has a lot to say about the quality of yoga teacher training programs and I keep thinking I’ll be able to make sense of his stance on the yoga industry which seems to be:
- Yoga should be regulated but he isn’t sure how it should be regulated but definitely not too much
- The Yoga Alliance is the seat of the devil
- Yoga should only be a business if it is the kind of yoga J.Brown approves of and if it isn’t a chain like CorePower that is putting the squeeze on small independent yoga studios like his that had to close down because they couldn’t compete with BIG corporate yoga.
Anyway, I plan to keep reading and listening, hoping to hear something that makes some sense.
Deep Thought I’m Pondering-
“My mind is like a bad neighborhood; I try not to go there alone.” Anne Lamott
I mention this quote because we are doing a lot of meditating these days at the studio and I am always amazed by the fact that meditating with a group of people at a schedule time and location is so much easier than making it happen on my own. For quality meditation, being alone with other people is more effective than being alone with myself.
Want More?
This site is full of yoga tips, information and inspiration. Check out the recipes section for vegan and vegetarian recipes to fuel your practice or eat a little cleaner. For some deep thoughts about yoga philosophy go here. And for past 3 Bullet Thursdays and other yoga tips and hacks go here.
This article originally published on www.groundingup.com
