While on tour in California I found a great yoga place in a shopping center a short drive from our hotel. I would wake up in the morning, take our giant black hearse car dodge station wagon thingie, and wind my way through the hills to a strip mall to get my namaste on. My third day I exited my hot yoga class, grabbed my bag, and went to slide on my shoes...
but the shoes below my bag were not my shoes. They were old, sweaty, smelly brown flip flops. And they were not mine. Mine were gone. Brand new fifty dollar rainbow flip flops. Had dissappeared into the yogic abyss...
I head to the front desk and let them know of the problem: Apparently someone "accidentally" took my brand new flip flops and left me their old ones in their place. If they could just make a note so whoever "accidentally" took my shoes could please return them, it would be much appreciated. The owner didnt seem overly concerned, and told me I should just take the shoes that were left there and call it a wash.
A wash? Ummm...chewed up leather dog toys that perhaps paraded as shoes in their previous life were not the same as brand new rainbows. Not the same at all. You would think a Californian would have some respect for all that is the rainbow flip flop.
She begrudgingly wrote the note and then had the nerve to say "hey, don't sweat the small stuff."
I know yoga is supposed to make you feel centered, at one with the world and the people around you, it is supposed to help you put things in perspective and life a happier life. But I dont think that means you should just walk out, get in your car, and then realize you can't grab lunch because not even the IHOP will serve you without shoes on....and just let it all go with the sound of "ooommm..."
Someone stole my shoes. I am out fifty bucks. And I had to walk, starving, through the hotel lobby barefoot like a weirdo. The thief went to yoga too...so, why don't they have to become one with the universe and their fellow yogi's? What's their idea of Buddha?? Clearly, they have not made it very far with the idea of separating themselves from material goods.
I spent the whole day feeling guilty and the thief felt nothing. I do not think this is what Mr. Bikram, Tolle, or Coelho had in mind...
The reason I bring all of this up is because at my regular yoga studio in Queens the other day a dog stole one of my socks. And the owner of the dog denied it. And everyone stared at me like I had a stick up my ass for even caring about a stupid sock. Their eyes seemed to say "there are bigger things in the world to worry about...there's a war...an election...Sarah Palin....starving children in Africa...blah...blah...ooommm...shaka laka..."
And this is all true. But it was MY sock. And I thought maybe I could walk around Central Park with just one sock and be ok...but it felt so wrong...so I took the one sock off on the train and threw it away...As I walked sockless through Central Park...I let it all go...cause there are bigger things to worry about. And I no longer sweat the small stuff....I just bring it all inside the studio with me.
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