It’s yoga, motherfucker. Do the shit out of it.

Sooooooo, this picture got people all sorts of excited. A lot of positive feedback, and a touch of constructive criticism. Once fearless yogi reached out and said she did not like it. This post is based off of and inspired by my resposne.

Thank you for taking the time to reach out and share your feelings. I expected that this image would turn heads in both directions, both towards and away from what I do. I would be lying if I said otherwise.

That being said, I stand by my initial intention in creating this image and putting myself out there. One of my main tenets for teaching is “Everything in moderation, including moderation, including yoga.” The truth of the matter is that I curse in class. Not that I go out of my way to use profanity, mind you, but I tend to throw a little spice in there from time to time.

On the rare occasions my students complain, I own it completely. It is never in any way meant to offend, only communicate on a level that I feel other words can’t quite touch. My practice exists to honor my sacred side as much as it does in the profane.

This piece doesn’t speak to you the way it does to others. I’m sure there are many others who don’t like it, either, and didn’t take the chance to speak up. On the other hand, there are also many people that this piece speaks directly to– to the yogis (or yogis to be) who can find light in the gravitas, who don’t always have words that speak to the upper three chakras, who might actually enjoy the cruder aspects of existence and feel there is a decided lack of such in the yoga scene today.

The truth is that we live in a world that is not all sunshine and rainbows. Unicorns are dying, seemingly more and more each day. Genocide occurs. Monsanto is a dick. Natural disasters kill almost as much as human-made ones do. Things fucking suck and often I feel that I can’t do shit about it.

Of course, there are many other ways I could have worded the previous sentiments to have come across as more eloquent, less crude. I could have taken time and woven an intricate tapestry of poetic prophecy,  touching upon the darker side of a fragile existence by delicately strumming on tender heartstrings that send primal imagery deep into the core of our universal Self. I did not, because Fuck and Shit– when wielded correctly– do a pretty good job at getting the point across.

Ultimately, it’s all about yoga. Opinions are a lot like asanas. Everybody has a favorite, and not everyone agrees on the best way to do it. I don’t curse in front of kids, but then again, I’m also not a kids yoga teacher. It is my responsibility to understand my audience, maintain integrity in my voice, and remain receptive to feedback in order to maintain positive growth as I share this practice. There is one thing to remember in light of all of that:

It’s all yoga, motherfucker. One room. Many different entries. Maybe this is a good sign for the back door. If it gets more people into the party, I am 100% excited to rock the fuck out.

I do hope you continue to stay a fan of the page, and completely respect if you decide otherwise. Either way, I wish you the same luck and energy I do for everyone out there. Enjoy, in joy!