Turn-Ons: I went for the physical challenge but was faced with a spiritual one instead.
Turn-Offs: I was confronted with my ego and it kicked me in the asana!
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I kindly and gently pushed my way through the Union Square crowd with a deceptively friendly smile while muttering expletives under my breath at the aimless pedestrians creating sidewalk congestion. I was gonna be pissed if they made me late for yoga! After pushing and shoving my way into the zen of the JivaMukti Yoga School I inhaled a breath of serenity which reluctantly squirmed its way through my agitation. I meandered through the gift shop of gemstones, jewelry, yoga books and meditation CDs and peeked into the cafe where a chalkboard menu was scrawled with an array of vegan options. Yogis and yoginis were noshing on faux meat entrees and slurping green drinks while typing away on their laptops courtesy of the free wi-fi. The "look" seemed to be stylishly unkempt hair and mismatched clothing to boast their irreverent love of color and fluid lines as an expression of their spiritual, bohemian and artistic lifestyles. Well, that's before changing into their mainstream matchy-matchy Lululemon gear for yoga class (like me).
I walked into the yoga studio uncertain of why I chose yoga on this day. And why JivaMukti knowing full well my distaste for vinyasa flow. I instantly hated my teacher. She was a pretty brunette with warm eyes that floated around the room as if she were in dreams awake. She welcomed us into class, took a seat behind her harmonium and led us in a chant. She had the voice of a melodious angel which made this self-proclaimed singing diva so completely self-conscious that I felt obliged to sing in a low whisper. With a final "ohm" she opened her eyes and, with self-deprecating gooeyness, stated the theme of the class: KLESHAS.
"Here we go with the spiritual woo-woo" I thought. I simply wanted to escape my singleitis for 1.5 hours and feel present in my body. "What the fuck is a klesha anyway?". Evidently, kleshas are "afflictions" that distort our mind and our perceptions; effecting how we think, act and feel. Great, now I had to face my flaws! As she summarized the five main "afflictions", everything else became a blur when she mentioned EGO (Asmita: I-am-ness). Okay, YES, so I'm dealing with ego issues! After being divorced, single and sexless for four years, I think I've begun to over-identify with my obliterated, "woah is me" ego. So now I was being instructed to face my EGO in every asana; letting go of limitations and self-imposed expectations while being content and finding value in each moment and each yoga pose.
Fuck yoga!
JivaMukti Yoga School
841 Broadway, 2nd floor at Union Square
Getting There By Subway
- N, R, Q, W, 4, 5, 6, L to 14th Street - Union Square