Why I'm Bucking the Yoga Trend

Yoga to me is like pickles. I keep trying to like both, but every time I try either, nothing changes. No matter what kind of pickle I try -- Kosher dill, sour, or those sweet ones you often find on burgers -- I just don't like them. It's the same with yoga. I've heard about all the benefits of yoga -- improved flexibility, stronger muscles, improved posture, reduced stress and increased spirituality -- but still, I don't like yoga.

The Beginning

I started attending yoga classes because my daughter was taking it for her physical education course at school. She loved it, and it is no small feat when a teenager shows an interest in anything positive. So I figured I needed to try, too.  Plus, my gym conveniently houses a yoga studio. It was the perfect set up.

Too Hard

I showed up to my first class. The atmosphere was one I found more suited to a relaxing spa day, but I was at the gym. When I work out, I like to listen to loud music and work hard. This seemed altogether too relaxing for me, but I was open-minded. And then came the poses. We needed to get into certain postures that would flow naturally to the next pose, which I later learned is "hatha yoga." There were about eight or 10 such poses that we'd repeat what seemed like 100 times. It was really difficult, and I'm in pretty good shape.

Too Easy

The next experience I had was much easier, but it was too easy. It felt like one long warm-up with no real exercise involved. I didn't see the point of that one. I tried a few more classes, but nothing seemed satisfying.

Too Weird

I also never found an instructor I liked. I mean, they all seemed like wonderful people, but being a captive audience to the various stories they told made me wonder whether I was attending a poetry reading or a performance art show.

Too Illegal

The strange words were a little off-putting: Namaste, for one. It was all getting somewhat cultlike for my tastes. And what is the deal with hot yoga performed in 105-degree-Fahrenheit conditions? Yes, I know the heat is supposed to prime the muscles for enhanced stretching, but some people do this to lose weight. They should wake up. The only weight loss going on is temporary water weight. Not to mention that its founder Bikram Choudhury was sued for sexual harassment, and then settled. Not very yogi-like.

Too Narcissistic

My conclusion is that yoga's for skinny people who like to show off their cute, overpriced Lululemon yoga pants they can then wear to Whole Foods as they pick out their faux hamburgers, nondairy ice cream and tofu.

Maybe Not the End

I know I'd probably get more out of yoga if I had a better mindset and took time to learn the discipline, but meh. On the other hand, I found that I like the pickles at Ted's Montana Grill. So maybe there is still hope for yoga yet.

Photo by Robert Bejil

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The Liberal Woman's Paradox

Feminism, I thought, was supposed to liberate women – to pave the way for opportunities and to give women choices. Women do not need to be homemakers or stay-at-home moms in modern society, but neither do they need to have a career outside the home to be of value. Some overly vocal liberals do not seem to get this, or if they do, they have disdain for women who do not work outside the home.

Never Worked a Day

Liberal strategist Hilary Rosen verbalized this all too common disparagement when she said Ann Romney, mother of five, has never worked a day in her life. Romney graciously reminded Rosen that she chose to raise her children and that people need to respect the choices of others.

Uneducated Women

Just a few days after Rosen’s arrogant remark came another gem from NPR’s Mara Liasson on Weekend Edition Sunday. Liasson made a distinction between “stay-at-home moms” and “educated women.” NPR immediately tried to pretend this never happened by scrubbing the clip and the transcript displayed on the website. But the damage was done. Although Liasson claimed to misspeak, listeners that day heard what she really thinks.

Liberal Arrogance

The Democratic Party likes to pretend it is the voice of women. If that were true, the Party would not be filled with women who look down their noses at others who don’t fall into their ideal of what a woman should be. Many liberal women in the Democratic Party think they are better than stay-at-home moms, period, end of story.

Nothing New

This is nothing new. Teresa Heinz Kerry put down Laura Bush, and Hilary Clinton mocked all stay-at-homes. Kerry accused Bush of never having a real job. Clinton said she chose to fulfill her profession instead of staying home to bake cookies and have teas.

Human Connections

The Democratic Party is supposed to be fighting for women’s policies. How is anyone supposed to believe that when the women in it show such contempt for people who do the most difficult job there is to do well? The success of our country depends on how well we raise our children. Female liberal politicians should keep that in mind.

I Redefined Luxury

Trying to raise a family and indulging my taste for luxury do not always coincide. When the economy took a turn for the worse after the housing market collapsed, I decided I had better make some changes.

I have always loved to shop, and it got to the point that I was buying Tiffany & Co. for my daughters and too many Coach bags for myself. I knew that this needed to stop, but that was more easily said than done. Luxury was still important to me, so I redefined what luxury was.

The bottom line is that luxury should be something that brings personal fulfillment – not something that involves brand names in an effort to impress others. Luxury is still important to me, but I found that it could embody life’s simple pleasures. Find out more about how you can rethink luxury by reading an article I wrote about redefining luxury.

Photo by Carol Kramberger