FM
productive to pay our bills but that’s not the whole point of life. The
point is to feel amazing!So, what is yoga for you?
Yoga is joy in this moment of being alive. It’s the simplicity of
taking one breath and knowing that the entire potentiality of life is
contained in that.And your daily practice?
I like to stretch every day. But I ask my body first. I don’t push myself.
In the early days, I smashed up my body. What I was doing was
contortionism. I was hypermobile, so people thought I was a great
yogi. I wasn’t. I was a complete idiot.
Most yoga teachers of my age – I’m 58 – have had a hip or
shoulder operation. Me too. I went to a yoga festival in Israel in May,
just after the operation, and I was using a crutch. I was about to go
out on stage and my ego told me not to use the crutch. I thought,
“No, I’m going to use it.”
I know all about being an egomaniac. Most yoga teachers are.
That’s why I always put myself down. There’s nothing wonderful
about me but I do things that make me feel wonderful.What’s your view of the world of yoga today?
Crap! I think it’s the most egocentric, selfish pursuit next to the world
of fashion right now. We have millions of yogis who do nothing for
our world and it’s falling apart.Really, what’s yoga doing?
Yoga today is naïve. It’s very primitive. People don’t think very much.
They’d rather just do the position. They’re wondering if their mat
matches their Lycra. I mean, who cares?
If I see another person on Facebook up a mountain in a yoga
pose, I’m going to throw up. It’s ridiculous.What do you see as the future of yoga?
I would take away the word “yoga”. It’s become an abortion. When
you say yoga, I don’t know what you’re talking about anymore. I talk
about human evolution, but I don’t see much of it around. I mean,
I’m a Jew and I’m appalled at what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.
If all the yogis around the world, and we’re talking millions of
people pretending to be spiritual - all with their little Buddhas in their
toilets - haven’t got the wherewithal to deal with our own planet as a
species, none of us are going to survive.
Yoga has to get off the mat and, I don’t know, go into old age
homes. If you want to reach nirvana, get off your mat and go and
make an old person feel better. If your head’s up your ass you’re not
going to do it.What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, as part of my outer work, I’m bringing native Americans
together with Palestinians. People whose only crime was that they
were on a piece of land first.
I’m continuing to try and set an example, to show people they’re
the trailblazer of their own lives. I want you to find your own way.
Vive la différence. We are the gods in human form. And if we really
want to discover our own godliness, we need to help someone else.
When I’m working with people who are in need, the joy of making
a difference in their lives is probably the most selfish thing I can do
because guess who gets all the joy? Me.Find out more about Yogabeats and how you can get involved at
yogabeats.com