Yoga Paradise, Or a Slap in the Face?

I’m jealous. Period.

I’ve tried to transcend this envy, but it’s there-reminders of the AMAZING opportunities to plant my Trikonasana into in the warm sand of paradise with the fill-in-the-blank yoga celebrity or, the local studio director.

Advertisements are flung at me from pop-up ads to my recent favorite-the studio’s bathroom stall door. There, staring at me was a huge poster inviting me to a lush, tropical paradise for a two-week yoga retreat promising to be a transcendent experience. The glorious feeling of bliss and contentment I had in class was quickly deflated as I realized how much I WANT to go away, but can’t! “I’m gonna miss out…I’m ready to go deeper into my practice and study and bond with other yogis!” I thought, “But I have kids to feed, motherly responsibilities, lack of FUNDS!” Poor me. Really? I have nothing to “poor me” about, yet I feel bad. The closest I can get to a sanctuary of tranquility is in an unfinished playroom in my basement, sitting in lotus on an ABC rug, and the hum of the dryer, like a soft mantra, taking me deeper into my meditation. I’m OK with my reality, until reminders of what I’m missing are staring me in the face.

I want all the yogis out there who have been fortunate to travel the world, the country, or to have simply attended a local yoga workshop, to pause, reflect, and feel grateful…again, as you look back on 2011. I know you are good people who are indeed, grateful, but please, remember many of us are not as free to travel thousands of miles away for such experiences, and we ache in envy as you share your experiences with us. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share…just be mindful.

I’d like to thank the local studios who have brought in Kathryn Budig, Simon Park, Jo Tastula and others, but many of us still missed out. Studio owners, please think of the large population of your customers who will never be able to attend the adventure you put forth in front of them as you place that gorgeous, glossy advertisement in your lobby or loo. We’re bummin’.

Thanks Yoga Journal, Pravasa, Athleta and all the other companies who have offered the chance to win a trip to paradise. I will continue to enter. I know I’ll have my opportunity to travel to one of those sandy beaches one day. In the meantime, I will take myself there in quiet visualization with the gentle tumble of fresh laundry in the background.

Bon Voyage, you lucky yogis!