Yoga Blog

Are you paying attention? Yes, you are. It’s a bit of a trick question really, as the answer is always yes. Everything we do requires attention. There is no way to NOT spend attention (sleep and meditation excluded). Some activities require lots of attention. Some require very little. A long day at work certainly is more attention expensive than a day on the beach. But everything we do draws on our reserve of attention. A better question is, perhaps, “What are you paying attention to?” Although, even that is not complete.

The most unfamiliar part of my first few yoga classes wasn’t the ambient music. It wasn’t the contradictory cue to “bend down with a straight spine.” It wasn’t the funny names of the poses. It was the teacher ending the class with her hands in prayer position and saying “Namaste” as she bowed to the class. The rest of the class, in unison, assumed the same prayer hand position, repeated the word and bowed forward. 

Modern yogis spend an enormous amount of money on yoga clothing. 83 million items of yoga clothing are purchased every year in the U.S. alone. 90% of these items are made from synthetic fibers. The yoga industry is responsible for an enormous amount of plastic pollution, through its clothing, mats and packaging. This article focuses on yoga clothing.