Elemental Yoga: Celebration
In the yoga traditions through which I’ve traveled, the lineages from which I draw out the teachings that resonate most, there are two modes to life: evolution and celebration. For example, this is what the ancient Tantrikas believed, which is no surprise to anyone, given how very sensual even the classical, pre-California Tantrik practice has always been.
In the past five posts I’ve offered a tour of the five elements of the Elemental Yoga practice and the emphasis has been on evolution / expansion, even though a bhava of celebration is always woven in throughout all the practices.
In this post I’d like to talk about the importance of celebration. We didn’t incarnate into this reality so we could just put our nose to the grindstone and evolve as quickly and diligently as possible. At least that’s not how I want to live life. I know yogis who are like that though. So serious. So in a hurry to get to the end for some reason, to break the cycle of birth and death. As if it doesn’t just start all over again anyway. It makes you wonder what kind of shadow work they’re avoiding.
My attitude has always been what’s the rush? I even asked a Baba once at Mount Madonna: What’s the rush to enlightenment? (His response was to remind me about the two modes.) I think this is part of what always turned me off about certain forms of Buddhism (not to mention the Catholicism in which I was raised): too serious.
Of course I used to worry about whether I was striking the right balance between expansion and celebration. “Am I working hard enough?” I’d ask myself. I even asked my teacher Anand once how one knows what the right ratio is between the two modes. His reply? Don’t worry about that; just flow. So simple.
This is why, in Elemental Yoga classes and journeys, we often dance. And this is part of why I love India so much. Despite all the hardship people experience in that country, they treat all of life like a big celebration, all the time.
As someone who probably seems very dedicated to spiritual growth, I’ve come to realize over recent years that I’m actually more of a celebration yogi. I’m in no hurry at all to reach some kind of enlightenment or end state. I just want to enjoy the journey. Of course, for me, it just so happens that part of that enjoyment turns out to be spiritual practices. I’m lucky that the line between effort and joy in these practices blurs.
Bottom line: Don’t forget to dance! I might go so far as to say that dancing is the most important practice, after meditation of course.
