Gear

This is meant to be a light hearted topic, so don't judge and take it easy.

At the Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival, one of the striking things for me was the gear that people were sporting.  All of the T-Shirts with Om symbols, Buddha, Gandhi, Shiva, Shakti, any given Hindu deity, and every [blank] Yoga or Yoga [blank] brand you could imagine.  All of the clothes that were green, recycled, up-cycled, vintage, mis-matched, yoga inspired 'walking around' clothes.  It reminded me of the hippy 60's inspired clothes, dressed up with a modern Hindu twist.  And the 'yoga workout' clothes?  Man, I think Lululemon has cornered the market on mainstream Yoga clothes, because everyone (including me) was sporting some expensive Lululemon gear.  Mats, blocks, bolsters, blankets, books, videos, paintings, souvenirs, food, supplements, etc.  Talk about accessories and gear, it was all there, on display for everyone to see, show off, buy and sell.

So, I came back home thinking deeply about this, and what the 'old school' yogis would think about what Yoga has become in modern times.  For certain, in the U.S., we have emphasized the physical aspects of Yoga (asanas) more than anything else.  It's moved from Jazzercise to Step to Spinning to Yoga and Zumba, and Yoga has morphed into health clubs as just another method for getting into shape, and the 'fashionable thing to do'.  And the other more spiritual aspects, the history, etc. are often lost in translation.  Dedicated Yoga studios have popped up all over the place, with a wide variety of styles and teachers, many of them doubling as shops toting books, videos, clothes, mats, bottles, drinks, supplements, and even more gear.

You know how it is when you get into something, you need to gear up.  If I'm gonna play basketball, I need to sport some Nike Hyperdunks, some long shorts (or short pants), and a matching shooting shirt.  If I'm gonna go for a run, I need runner's gear, the right shoes, tights, running gloves, GPS, etc.  And for Yoga, I need a nice mat, an array of Lululemon gear, and maybe some stuff to wear when I'm 'walking around' to let everyone know how Yoga is so awesome and important to me.  Or do I?

I remember when I was a kid, just starting to play hoops and ride my bike.  Man, it didn't matter what shoes I wore, what kind of bike I had or anything like that.  I just played ball, I just rode my bike.  And for many yogis, they don't use fancy mats, have fancy clothes, or wear anything resembling a brand name.  Take Norman Allen, for example, the first American to learn from K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Yoga and a student of T. Krishnamacharya, who is also BKS Iyengar's guruji.  Norman Allen lives in obscurity on the Big Island of Hawaii, and is so humble, you would never know how much knowledge and practice this man has accumulated, especially compared to the 'Rock Stars' of Yoga that we now have, complete with their empires of studios, videos, gear, etc.

So what I do think about all of this?  I don't know, to be honest.  In some ways, I'm saddened for those who founded Yoga, and see it's message twisted and de-emphasized.  And in other ways, I'm happy for all of those who have found Yoga, even in it's current form, because it has had such a positive effect on their health, and often in the spirit as well.

For me, I'm a gearhead, so I'll always have my gear, no matter what I do.  But, it does give me pause.  I'll likely not go crazy advertising my love for yoga via a T-Shirt with a Om symbol, a Buddha, or some Yoga inspired phrase.  But, darn, that Lululemon stuff is sweet!  :)