To those who paint life with inspirational quotes and call it radical self-expression:
Before we get our peace-loving minds all scrambled up, let me just say: I love yoga. It has absolutely changed my life. Yoga and meditation have taught me many, many things over the years. However, that's not what this piece is about. Instead, let’s talk commercialization of spirituality in Western society. I have a real issue with the growing trend of cultural commodification (the habit of Americanizing anything and everything of cultural value). We’ve obviously seen a rise in commercialized “counterculture" lately, with a heavy focus on image rather than authentic self-expression.
For example, the ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice of yoga is now neatly and conveniently packaged for the average American consumer. It’s marketed as an anti-microbial yoga mat alongside $100 Lululemon pants. We’ve managed to cheapen yet another cultural practice in the tradition of exploitative capitalism by branding the butt of our stretchy pants with glittery Sanskrit and Instragram’ing our latest Asanas (captioned: >>The soul is here for its own joy -Rumi<< hashtagOM smileyface heartemoji).
Many self-proclaimed modern gurus are carbon copies just looking to promote their next book on mastering mindfulness. And don’t forget: their green superfood smoothie recipe is guaranteed to enlighten you (with a price tag to match level of said enlightenment). Beware the scammer who tries to sell an Om-stamped hemp tote bag for 60 bucks. Repeat after me: My accessories do not define me. And neither does the tiny plastic Buddha glued to your dashboard (made in Taiwan).
One thing I’ve learned from these trends: we cannot be forced to bloom into awakening... no matter how many Mudras we squeeze into our lunch breaks, or how perfectly executed our Surya Namaskar may be. For the love of cynicism, here’s a cool new daily mantra for the masses: We are slaves to the establishment. We have been conditioned to consume. Unfortunately, as consumerism dominates Western society more than ever, we are faced with rampant cultural degradation and blatant disregard for the commodification of endemic cultures. Deflated egos aside, it’s necessary to bring awareness to this "culture as commodity" phenomenon.
On a more positive note, your trendy yoga practice actually has the almighty white coat stamp of approval, as does your five-dollar latte (jk, only black coffee does)…so that’s, like, super cool and stuff. (I write this as I sip a five-dollar latte. There apparently isn’tenough caffeine in the world to squash this incessant cynicism. I'm a real joy!)
Anyway, back on topic. While we’re discussing commercialized culture, I’d like to point out how something as seemingly innocent as wearing a cheap, generic "hipster headdress” (see: feathered war bonnet) is actually incredibly offensive to those whose cultures have held these symbols sacred for ages. For many generations, their ancestors endured horrific abuses and genocide, were denied basic human rights, and the current generations still experience the lasting destruction and oppression of colonization, all while their traditions and customs are devalued, homogenized and mass-marketed for the privileged.
Another example of such appropriation would be how hundreds of unique indigenous cultures of North America have been diminished and condensed into a single chicken-feathered, faux-furred, shrink-wrapped costume for the privileged majority to thoughtlessly sport and parade around. This has turned objects of deep sacred significance into insolent accessories. Remember this next time you shop for your beloved festival attire. Oh, how I wish authenticity was actually trending. #blessed #namaste #themoonismyspiritanimal
In closing, I’d just like to say I strive to be a soft and compassionate human being... sometimes I fail at that. And sometimes my cynicism gets the best of me and I write unapologetic satirical protests. However, I'm a human who comes with faults and flaws as colorful as the next person, and in no way do I intend to offend. My intention is to simply bring awareness to these topics. I really, truly am happy there’s such a wide acceptance of such beautiful rituals and practices from and within various cultures. However, I also believe there’s always a better way of incorporating such beauty into our own experiences. Perhaps acknowledging and respecting the roots of these things and honoring the history and sanctity of said roots should be integrated into our clear desire to expand our consciousness. Or is that even what we’re trying to do? Perhaps we’re just in it to mindlessly consume. In which case, feel free to disregard all of the above and carry on.
