It's been a while since I wrote a blog post taking (cheap?) shots at something that is happening out there in the yoga world/blogosphere that I disagree with. Most of the time, I don't bother, simply because it's generally a waste of time and energy. I mean, if I don't like something, I'd do well to shut up, not participate, look the other way. And maybe, just maybe, if enough people shut up, not participate, and look the other way, the offending phenomenon might just lose momentum and go away by itself, right?
Well, I really don't know. But in any case, this latest phenomenon to hit my radar screen is too blatantly... [insert appropriate word to describe that distasteful feeling in my mouth] to just look the other way. I guess I should tell you how this all started. Yesterday, I was reading this blog written by this Ashtanga blogger I highly respect. In her latest post, she made a reference to something called the "smart yoga" movement. To my hyper-inflated self-important self, it looked like she was referring to slightly-over-educated yoga bloggers like me who have too much to say about too many things. So I left a comment on her post declaring my belief that "smart yoga" is an oxymoron, and left it at that.
And I thought that was that. And then, earlier today, I stumbled upon this thing called "Yoga for Smart People" (hey, I'm not making this up; check this out). My very first reaction was one of disappointment: So my fellow blogger wasn't referring to me when she referred to "smart yoga"... :-(
My second reaction was: Wow... there really are a bunch of people out there who call themselves "Yoga for Smart People"... no kiddin'. Damn! Now I wonder if I should rename this blog "Yoga for Stupid People in the Dragon's Den", just to see how many people will stop reading (after all, who wants to be associated with stupid?).
Anyway, the folks at Smart People have issued the following disclaimer on their website:
"Yoga for Smart People is not meant as an elitist enterprise. It is meant to provide a space where thoughtful yogis can come together to discuss ideas. It is also not meant to compete with or to replace any of the already awesome yoga blogs [Nobel: Such as Yoga in the Dragon's Den, if I may be so immodest to suggest? ;-)] and online magazines out there. It is meant to bring writers together to engage with each other in a conversational way."
Well, I probably should just shut up already and go practice (as Kristen has so sagely advised recently). But it's really not often these days that I can find something so blatantly [insert appropriate word to describe that distasteful feeling in my mouth] in the yoga blogosphere that I just can't resist throwing a couple of cheap shots. So, maybe I'll conclude by bringing your attention to one more little detail: If something isn't meant as an elitist enterprise, why would its creators need to go out of their way to disavow any such elitist intentions? Something to think about, no? And maybe, just maybe, if you think about this hard enough, you might just become smart...
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