This little rant is inspired by my cartoon depicting Bliss Lotus (her self-appointed 'spiritual' name), acquiring a whole line up of yogic accoutrements - blocks, mats, eye pillows, tote bags, mala beads, books, singing bowls - all the 'must haves' for a modern yogi. But—is it yoga!
As I write I am well aware that this contradiction applies directly to me — the tight rope walk of trying to make a living doing what you love, without compromising all that is good about it or being seduced by industry hype.
Gone are the days where yoga aspirants could wander around with a begging bowl and be supported by society because committing to one's awakening was revered as a difficult journey that benefitted the collective in unseen ways. If yoga is what you live for, trying to eek out a living can often feel a little out of step with core teachings such as, avoid self cherishing, which rubs up against the self-promotion necessary to reach a global audience with your offering.
This trippy tight rope walk — balancing the demands of modern life with maintaining the integrity of the yoga is its own balancing pose for those of us who are not affluent enough to dedicate to traditional practices full time. We find ourselves practicing the sadhana of earning a living. It looks very different to traditional yoga practice but the same rules apply, so long as we do apply them and don't get derailed by the heady multi-trillion dollar industry that is modern yoga.
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