You can attempt to resist the dreaded Baby Brain with every fibre of your being but apparently it will eventually still come to kick your ass. This is part of my slowness in blog output, and may also account for the possible febrility of this post, especially when set up against its genesis, this article by my friend Gail. I taught a class before Christmas with the admittedly bold subject matter of the Christian nativity story as its theme [why is that bold? more below] and it was one of those classes where I could potentially have really pissed some people off but it seemed worth it at the time, and it seems more worth it now that I’ve read her writing.
Reasons why it is contentious to use Christian narrative as a theme in a public class: Christianity dominates the dialogue, even as it loses adherents. I never care for that itchy-ass feeling of expressing the privilege of the very, very dominant culture. I think this may be in part why middle-class white kids of my vintage are such spiritual tourists: they’ll explore any mythology, any culture, as long as it’s the underdog. Fair enough. Strays perilously close to Orientalism, but that’s a post for another day, or perhaps an unfleshed-out theme of many other posts that I haven’t really explored fully. Plus which I’d venture to say that people come to yoga class, in these trying post-millenial times, to “get away from it all”: to release the stranglehold of culture and consciousness, to trip out however temporarily on pure body sensation, to get distracted either by novelty or discomfort from what the usual monologue/dialogue/multilogue [!?] in their heads. Part of “it all” is the tedium of watching the Dominant North
Why can't we all just get along?
American Culture [DNAC] chew at its own ambivalence about being dominant like a bear in a leg hold trap: happy holidays! I’m spiritual, not religious! I definitely fell into this pit of discomfort during the class that Gail describes. The whole time I’m wondering: Is this like the douchiest thing I’ve ever said [which would put it in some admirable company]? The white chick with the iPod full of Wu-Tang and the dreadlocks [!!!] and the, sadly, discouragingly, abysmally pronounced Sanskrit [!!!!!!] is gonna sit here and talk about the Christian God like there’s some sort of rebellious novelty here? Cripes. What am I, Glenn Beck?
Trouble is, I really do believe in the ecumenical power of the Christian nativity story. The DNAC can shuffle its feet and grind its toe into the ground, but I actually see some *there* there: the seed of the unseen and inexplicable Divine made limited, suffering flesh. Of course it is only one of many stories that tell of this transition, from sky to earth, and so it definitely can’t make any claims to uniqueness. But if it’s how I cut my spiritual teeth, how much should I pretend not to explore it, at least as philosophical or narrative content? What I actually know about Biblical scholarship you could inscribe with a blunt crayon around the inside of a shot-glass, but I’m not a King James literalist or anything embarrassing like that. (more…)
1. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Leavitt the other day and we rocked out at BRF together. She’s one of those cats that makes me remember the person on the mat beside you is a genius, so get to know them, even though you might be shy. Check out her Heavy Metal Yoga cartoon. Great minds, &c.
Like getting a hug, except all the time
2. If you’ve been delighted by the preponderance of crocheted items showing up on necks and heads of students and staff at Yaletown lately, look no further than another gifted yoga buddy, LBG. Buy her stuff. Then give some of it away to people you like. Then buy more.
3. In the “Scary Brilliant” file goes this magnificent essay by Gail Hochachka, another stealth genius on the mat. There’s so much in here I feel a bit slow and feeble unpacking it, but am honoured and humbled to have helped inspire it. Stay tuned for a more fleshed-out post in response, complete sentences pending.
4. Another year, another redonkulously talented group of Chris Chavez teacher training grads. I just can’t say enough good things about these guys, nor about Chris’ dedication and diligence in helping us all become better teachers. The word “all” is key here, because as you know, I’m not particularly interested in technologies that just reinforce existing awesomeness, since I figure that’ll take care of itself. I’m interested in real transformation for everyone who participates, and that’s what happens when I assist these trainings. Next one starts March 2011, giddy up!