Authenticity

Namaste

Having just passed the biggest commercial period of any year, Christmas, I’m sure we can all reflect how well we have been sold into buying. What would happen to the economy if there was no media to advertise what necessary gifts we needed to purchase. Would we have the anxiety of missing out?

Why do we buy such things as insurance? Because it’s smart? Or because we get sold the anxiety of someone taking or damaging our material items?

Let’s talk about social media sites. Before these sites existed, how often would you be exposed to pictures of white sandy beaches, turquoise seas and someone with a stereotypical model figure tanning themselves on said beach? At the travel agents- yes, definitely. When your friend comes home from a holiday and brings around their photos for you to see- probably some part of that ideal picture is shown here. But now: now it’s every.single.day. multiple times if you scroll through for a few minutes. And what is this doing to us? It’s two fold; envy of said destination, giving us that fear of missing out that either makes us go and book a holiday….or makes us depressed (thinking of lack of money, work/ family commitments etc.)

With depression and anxiety being packaged and promoted to us regularly as the subconscious undertone, we are propping up the economy. Because of depression and anxiety. I’ll say it louder, for those at the back: there will be regular purchases you are making because you have been fed that those pair of pants will make you look like the person in those pants; probably liberated and free, as well as toned, glowing and impossibly healthy (cue 5 hours of make up artists). Or you have made a purchase because you have felt anxious that not heading on down to that large corporate home wear store to get something quick before the limited edition sale ends (for the fourth time this year) you will miss out.

Being authentic. How does this stop us being authentic? Inadvertently, we are adapting ourselves towards our propaganda, and being a little less unique. Or hiding our special uniqueness. How does this internal battle of not listening to our true selves feel? Well, maybe a little anxious, or depressed.

I’m finding it more and more obvious, particularly on a certain social media site, that there is no longer a Yoga teacher that isn’t propped up by advertising; a bracelet, a brand of clothing, a Retreat. I’m also finding it a little depressing that only the impressive handstand, or some inverted variation is being shown. What has happened to Yoga, because of advertising and social media? For me, it feels it has lost some authenticity in the world.

Yoga is old. Many thousands of years old.

Yoga was originally only done by men.

Physical practise of Yoga was only taken to the body would be open to sit comfortably in meditation. Meditation was the end goal- the true objective.

Yoga is steeped in Hinduism- take the Om symbol for example; this is believed to be the sound that happened when the world was created. It is a pure link to the most divine souls.

Namaste.

The western world has really butchered Namaste, and I still can’t understand why we have interpreted it as a spiritual word. The meaning of Namaste in India (its’ roots) is simply Hello, or Goodbye. It’s even a casual ‘see you later’ phrase in modern India. And yet, westernised interpretation of this word is around ‘I bow to you. The inner me, sees the inner you.’ The word Namaste has lost its actual meaning in our modern Yoga.

I really feel a battle for being authentic- particularly on behalf of my children. How do you buy girls clothes that aren’t covered in flowers or sparkles? Or allow television programmes that don’t have other stereotypes that they don’t need to have fed to their subconscious about what it means to be their gender? Children are such beautiful little sponges for information. And if they can’t grow into who they want to be, because we as their carers have been fed certain ideas about what to expect/allow, then surely we are riddling them with our own anxiety/ depression from a young age.

Don’t wear clothes. Wear clothes. Don’t stay up late, or stay up all night. Eat the goddamn cake. Don’t feel that the Sun is the only wonderful weather. Cut your hair off- or don’t and never get it cut. I don’t care- but stop restricting yourself on what you feel you should be doing, because the only battle here should be between the consumers and the advertisers, not your inner child and your inner voice.

Hari Aum Tat Sat