Be Here Now Feel the Difference? By keith partington

There’s a tension in the air. Feel it? I do. Yoga—haven’t you heard?—is an industry. People who like it are customers. And there’s a fight for their dollar. It’s a race to reduce. Reduce the time it takes. Reduce the commitment. Reduce the cost. Who can bear this reduction? Industry giants. Whom does this reduction of our practice serve? The customer? Or the corporations at the top of this industry?

Yoga in the West is losing its center, and those drawn to its power are feeling less connected to source. Is it any wonder? Banging out a sweaty flow as quickly as possible at the lowest rate one can find will only take an aspiring yogi so far. This is the direction of the industry.

We stand on the other side of this line.

What are we doing to hold the center?

Lengthening classes, purifying our space, tending to our altar, bringing in new perspectives and abilities with our homegrown teachers that we see as our future.

Small steps? Maybe. But the footprints are deep.

What can you do?

Meditate. Don’t know how? Are you sure? What are the origins of mediation? Think about it. How did it start? It’s an elemental human act. It’s a state of being. It’s awareness. Just sit and be still. If you don’t think you can, stop thinking. Sit. Be.

Next time you practice with us, keep, in the front of your mind, the reason you practice the postures. For steadiness. For a stronger spirit and a calmer mind. So your intuition can speak clearly, and so you can absorb its messages.

Make eye contact with people in the streets. See yourself in others. See the truth and know you’re built to face it. This is why you’ve chosen yoga. To meet life, to face yourself and uplift others.

Don’t forget- we’re sending out high vibrations from the heart of New York City. We shouldn’t underestimate the power of this. And if we’re aware of this, our power—and our numbers— grow.

Hari Om Keith