February 28, 2012

"Why does yoga produce so many philanderers? And why do the resulting uproars leave so many people shocked and distraught?""

"One factor is ignorance," says William J. Broad in the NYT (via Instapundit):
Yoga teachers and how-to books seldom mention that the discipline began as a sex cult — an omission that leaves many practitioners open to libidinal surprise... Since the baby boomers discovered yoga, the arousal, sweating, heavy breathing and states of undress that characterize yoga classes have led to predictable results. In 1995, sex between students and teachers became so prevalent that the California Yoga Teachers Association deplored it as immoral and called for high standards.
Oh, the "ignorance"! And yet... it was "predictable." Hmm. Seems contradictory... and yet, this subtle combination of knowing and not knowing is typical of sexual things. And religious things.

Also in the article:
At Rutgers University, scientists are investigating how yoga and related practices can foster autoerotic bliss. It turns out that some individuals can think themselves into states of sexual ecstasy — a phenomenon known clinically as spontaneous orgasm and popularly as “thinking off.”

The Rutgers scientists use brain scanners to measure the levels of excitement in women and compare their responses with readings from manual stimulation of the genitals. The results demonstrate that both practices light up the brain in characteristic ways and produce significant rises in blood pressure, heart rate and tolerance for pain — what turns out to be a signature of orgasm.
This is the future of sex: The woman, completely inside her own head and the man, over there using a computer monitor to get a look at her private parts:

77 comments:

gerry said...

Where's the dang Orgasmatron when you need it?

Richard Dolan said...

"This is the future of sex"

If only the Shakers had discovered yoga, the possibilities would have been endless.

bagoh20 said...

"Since the baby boomers discovered yoga, the arousal, sweating, heavy breathing and states of undress that characterize yoga classes have led to predictable results."

Yea, but you add in the vegetarian diet and you got farting, which just kills it for me. If I fart in the middle of thinking off, I will just get up and walk out on myself - no goodbye, no call later, nothing. We're done.

rhhardin said...

Thurber and White covered the scientific approach to women in Is Sex Necessary, the chapter on the feminine types.

kjbe said...

While there's a known overlap of sex and the spiritual, if you've practiced yoga for any length of time, to not have sensed some degree of sexual tension in a class... well, you simply weren't paying attention.

John said...

If these people are adults choosing to take a class, why is this a scandal? It is amazing how we infantize adults. If a yoga student wants to get it on with his or her instructor, who cares?

Peter said...

Some places actually offer naked yoga. It sounds like a lot of fun, but remember the Seinfeld episode which drew the distinction between good naked (e.g. hair brushing) and bad naked (e.g. straining to open a jar). Naked yoga is surely in the latter category.

But wait! It now occurs to me that some of the hippie-ish New Wave chicks who are into yoga might also ... you know where I'm going with this.

bagoh20 said...

"Why does yoga produce so many philanderers?

If you think about why the instructor and the students are there - it's all about sex.

edutcher said...

Is this where Gloria Steinbrenner says Althouse needs Meade like a fish needs a vibrator?

traditionalguy said...

Yoga begins as a stretching and hold exercise. But Yoga becomes a method that puts the body in charge while turning off the mind. It becomes a form of self hypnotism.

Turning off the mind is dangerous because that opens up ones soul to other influences during the trance like state, usually accompanied by a chant.

And what is a Chakra supposed to be anyway? What powers does releasing your Chakras release inside your soul?

In addition to desires for uncontrolled sex, serious Yogi practioners usually get a strong aversion to eating meat from Cows.

Bob_R said...

I think this has been happening to fourteen year old males for a long time.

Sorun said...

I don't understand why there's a problem, though I don't get into the spiritual aspects of yoga.

Regular practitioners are generally in good physical condition, even the middle-aged, and that leads to physical attraction which can then lead to sex. Big surprise.

Ann Althouse said...

Gloria Steinbrenner?

You mean George Steinbrenner?

And bring me back some of those cigars in the cedar boxes, you know the ones with the fancy rings? I love those fancy rings. They kind of distract you while you're smoking. The red and yellow are nice. It looks good against the brown of the cigar. The Maduro, I like the Maduro wrapper. The darker the better, that's what I say. Of course, the Claro's good too. That's more of a pale brown, almost like a milky coffee. I find the ring size very confusing. They have it in centimeters which I don't really understand that well...

Old RPM Daddy said...

"The Rutgers scientists use brain scanners to measure the levels of excitement in women and compare their responses with readings from manual stimulation of the genitals."

As applications to Rutgers shoot up about 200%.

"It turns out that some individuals can think themselves into states of sexual ecstasy — a phenomenon known clinically as spontaneous orgasm and popularly as 'thinking off.'"

As teenage boys nationwide are saying, "I'd totally learn this, but my attention span was completely hosed by my Xbox 360!"

traditionalguy said...

That red brain pic looks like an image of "what she is having" in the famous Sleepless in Seattle scene.

The brain/mind is your main sex organ.

If you abandon your mind, will others that control it thus control sex with you? Hmm, or is that Auhmmm?

Freeman Hunt said...

Why does yoga produce so many philanderers?

(1) It's a sex integrated semi-sport.
(2) As it's not considered by the wider culture to be traditionally masculine, the men attracted to it are going to tend to be more progressive, synonymous here (and most anywhere really) with transgressive.

Then there's the issue of yoga being a bit girly, and so why else would men do it but to seek out sex partners, but one may assume there are male yoga practitioners who would object most stridently to the insinuation that non-competitive slow stretching in tight clothing is not masculine.

I kid, I kid. Who doesn't like Rodney Yee? Oops!

Freeman Hunt said...

This:

It was the affair that put the yoga world in a twist. Rodney Yee, yogi to the stars, who’d told People magazine that his practice was the “backbone” of his marriage, left his wife of 24 years after becoming involved with one of his students, Colleen Saidman. Now Yee, 48, possibly the most popular and prolific (30 home videos!) instructor in the country—extolled on Oprah and by Donna Karan—has moved to East Hampton to be with her. His ex-wife, Donna Fone, with whom he co-owns his famed studio, and his three children remain in Oakland, California. And Saidman, 45, left her husband of 24 years to be with him.

Followed by this:

“There are little things,” concedes Saidman. “Like when Rodney’s away and I’ll have dinner with some guy friends, he goes crazy. And he knows he doesn’t need to.”

Ha ha ha.

I wonder if Yee has ever written in to Prudie.

Thorley Winston said...

Why does yoga produce so many philanderers?
Isn’t this what’s called “begging the question”? Is there any evidence that yoga practioners are more likely to cheat on their spouses or significant others than people who don’t? Or even that yoga is the reason that they do so?

Paddy O said...

I keep saying this to you all, but you don't listen. New Age stuff is a big lie. Every bit of it.

If only someone had a response to this sort of thing. Someone has to say it out loud so that people listen, and have random pictures to look at at the same time! No one is willing to step up and say what I see so clearly.

I'm going to start a blog to do just that, call it virile counterpoint.

paul a'barge said...

Who knows how I can get the job of manually stimulating the ladyparts of subjects in these tests? And does it pay well, or is it all you can eat?

Paddy O said...

Oh, and what if there was word verification required for having a baby. And the word verification then becomes their name, a continuing proof wherever they go that they are human.

We wouldn't need ID cards! And names would be a lot more interesting. "Come over here, Omponsu Eederr Oden!"

SteveR said...

Men are very creative about getting women to have sex with them. Yoga is version 1,788,234.

kjbe said...

There is also a large component of practitioners who are in it strictly for the physical benefit - stretching, balance, flexibility. With all that increased blood flow, well, what'ya expect.

Joe said...

(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)



Womyn in Yoga Pants? Just a suggestion?

Brian Brown said...

Since the baby boomers discovered yoga

And we're shocked it is hyper-sexualized.

EFB said...

Another anti-yoga article from the Times. What's their deal? I've been doing yoga regularly for about 7 years and haven't experienced anything ever that the Times wants to use to deride it.


To the person who says yoga is dangerous because it's about turning off the mind - are you able to turn off your mind? That's crazy talk. I've never been put in a trance doing yoga! But yoga has taught me about the connection between body and mind as many sports would.

Yes. There is a lot of new age hocus pocus going on, which I simply ignore. You take from it what you want.

Synova said...

Why does it have to do with Yoga and not have to do with the sort of person who is attracted to Yoga?

Who says it's the Yoga anyway? Maybe it's tofu.

It's hardly likely that Yoga gives a better "mind off" than a good romance novel. I'm willing to put money on the notion that Yoga and romances don't have much of an overlap of women.

wild chicken said...

This idea reminds me of Walker Percy's Love in the Ruins. One storyline is about a Masters & Johnson type sex lab, where scientists observe couples doing it and the woman's physical reactions. All very clinical. And sterile.

KCFleming said...

Do women seriously have orgasms thinking about that little green puppet from Star Wars?




Oh, never mind.

William said...

So typical. A few years ago, my back went out. The physical therapist, a hairy, overweight Russian emigre, gave me a few yoga exercises to keep my back flexible. I do them with fair regularity. To date I have not experienced any of these side effects.

Wince said...

This is the future of sex: The woman, completely inside her own head and the man, over there using a computer monitor to get a look at her private parts.

With all that technology and distance inbetween, at least you are unlikely to get "the tap".

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you could write the same article about the local L.A. Fitness club.

I took a yoga class for about a year and a half -- with my wife. For us, it was purely about maintaining flexibility and strength. Most of the class was women in their late 30[s, or early 40's, and there were 3 other husband/wife coulples.

The instructor was a woman, who weighed at least 220, but she was flexible and strong as hell. There was minimimal to no chanting, and the music she played was mostly 80's remixes that were slow and calming, but sort of odd. A good example would be Susanna and the Magical Orchesta's cover of "Love will Tear us Apart Again."

We usually stopped at take out place next door for buffalo wings on our way home.

That is my vision of yoga.

ricpic said...

It turns out that some individuals can think themselves into states of sexual arousal...

Some individuals? That would be every male with a pulse.

Henry said...

Why does yoga produce so many philanderers?

I really don't see anything in the article to justify the claim.

You might as well ask "Why does celebrity produce so many philanderers?"

Or, if life were a John Cheever novel, "Why does the suburbs produce so many philanderers."

MadisonMan said...

Who knows how I can get the job of manually stimulating the ladyparts of subjects in these tests?

It helps to become a Madison city Alderman.

Titus said...

I do Yoga often and the last thing I think about is sex.

Yoga hurts and you are focused on trying to hit a position.

I think about sex a lot but during Yoga is not that time.

Although, there are a bunch of gals who's tits slip out during class, which is fun, but still when you are in a downward facing dog you don't really care that much. Someone always farts in class which kind of is a turn off.

tits.

Wince said...

On a related note, even though I doubt he is practicing yoga...

Stephen Hawking went to a sex club: University says physicist visited California swingers' club with friends

KCFleming said...

Why do so many philanderers practice yoga?

Is it a Willie Sutton thing?

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

And all this time I thought women like yoga because it was easier than actual exercise. Not to mention it also provides an excuse to buy flattering athletic wear.

bgates said...

Oh, the "ignorance"! And yet... it was "predictable."

Terrific. The last time the NYT started writing stories about predictably ignorant baby boomer women "thinking" their way to orgasm, we got trillion dollar deficits and the Islamist Spring.

Roger J. said...

I took up yoga with my lady friend a year ago--I have enjoyed it even though my instructor was apparently related to Don Tomas de Torquemada--from what I have seen thus far, the stretching is theraputic, and may improve my balance. So far, except for some physical discomfort the day after, yoga seems to be a good thing.

LarryK said...

Sometimes yoga is harder - much harder - than "actual exercise." There are a lot of varieties of yoga and some are incredibly athletic - Ashtanga and Rocket, to name just two. Yoga is not just stretching and meditation - it can be jumping into and out of very difficult poses in a fluid way, which requires strength, stamina, and agility as well as flexibility.

Yoga is also never intended to "put the body in charge while turning off the mind." That description may be closer to the opposite of the truth; the reality is more like the mind subtly controlling the body, as "it" is put into unusual and difficult positions that it naturally resists. Over time, this does slow the mind and leads it to observe and direct the body more carefully, but it really is a mind-body connection, not the surrender of either to the other.

And while yoga obviously comes from the East, the general notion of melding mind and body and getting them to work together is hardly new-agey bullshit - a healthy mind in a sound body was the ancient Greek ideal as well.

So does all this additional focus on and understanding of the body lead to more interest in sex? I'm sure it varies by person, but I've never found that to be the case. Good sex is about losing control; yoga is more about gaining control and a type of discipline (Kundalini may be an exception).

In my experience, nothing increases sex drive like six straight drinks leading up to last call. Compared to that, a yoga class is like a visit to church.

BarrySanders20 said...

I think of sex when I watch my wife yoga at home, what with the tight clothes and stretched out legs and such.

No sign so far that it works to get her going.

Titus, aren't farts just advertising for gay men?

Christy said...

Well, dayummm! I became interested in yoga when I was 19 and the first book I pick up on the subject (wasn't a yoga studio on every corner then) heavily emphasized the celibacy component of the discipline. Lost all interest, forever. Drat!

The Crack Emcee said...

Here's the money quote:

"To denounce the philanderers would be to admit years of empty study and devotion. So many women ended up blaming themselves. Sorting out the realities took years and sometimes decades of pain and reflection, counseling and psychotherapy."

Kit,

While there's a known overlap of sex and the spiritual,...

There is not - that's just more NewAge cult flapdoodle designed to get somebody in bed - and preferably your children.

I swear, you people will fall for anything, mostly because you don't challenge what you "believe",...

The Crack Emcee said...

Sorun,

I don't understand why there's a problem, though I don't get into the spiritual aspects of yoga.

There are no "spiritual aspects" - it's exercise, remember?

The fact nobody can keep that story straight should tell you what the problem is,...

The Crack Emcee said...

Paddy O,

I keep saying this to you all, but you don't listen. New Age stuff is a big lie. Every bit of it.

If only someone had a response to this sort of thing. Someone has to say it out loud so that people listen, and have random pictures to look at at the same time! No one is willing to step up and say what I see so clearly.

I'm going to start a blog to do just that, call it virile counterpoint.


ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

The Crack Emcee said...

EFB,

Yes. There is a lot of new age hocus pocus going on, which I simply ignore.

And because you "simply ignore" it, your visible participation in it isn't assisting in others being caught in it's web, right? Is that how it "works"?

How perfectly,...simple,...

JAL said...

Please.

Stop making me laugh. I have fractured ribs and am trying to avoid anything that sets of the muscle spasms.

Stop it, I tell you.

JAL said...

Not you, Crack.

JAL said...

Some of the comments lead me to believe some of the commenters did not read the article.

Also, I just screwed up the first captcha word and it went through anyway. How's that supposed to work again? Maybe I'm being graded on trying?

Michael Haz said...

Mrs Haz has a date with Rodney Yee in our exercise room every morning before breakfast.

I'd better peek in there and see what's going on. All that groaning makes me suspicious. And other stuff.

Anonymous said...

I really hate this new captcha system. In all of the years I have been commenting here, I never lost a comment to WV. I have lost several. I post, they appear in the comments section, with my avatar, then I return later and they are gone. Is anyone having this problem (BTW I am hitting publish, not preview)

Joe Schmoe said...

No one is willing to step up and say what I see so clearly.

I haven't read beyond Paddy O's post; just wanted to add that isn't this Crack Emcee's raison d'etre? I think his life's work is to tear down New Ageism.

When I saw this post my first thought was that this is grade A Crack-bait. Ann is lobbing in a pitch for him to crush.

Joe Schmoe said...

Oops. I get it now. Joke's on me. Good one Paddy.

Anthony said...

Well, yoga attracts a lot of SNAGs which a lot of a certain type of woman -- those who do yoga -- find attractive. And let's face it, a lot of those poses, especially when done by hot babes in tight little outfits are jus' plain erotic.

I once got in trouble for calling it 'fauxercise' so I for one am probably not going to be scoring in such a class anytime soon.

The Crack Emcee said...

Joe Schmoe,

I haven't read beyond Paddy O's post; just wanted to add that isn't this Crack Emcee's raison d'etre? I think his life's work is to tear down New Ageism.

Well, they are labeling it a cult and (barely) discussing the mental problems that can come from being in one - as I've always said - so tearing it down seems to be in order, no?

When I saw this post my first thought was that this is grade A Crack-bait. Ann is lobbing in a pitch for him to crush.

Naw, I sent her a link last night, but she went for Insty instead. Probably because I called the participants "whores." Hey - I know how cults "work" and whoring is all it is in the end.

Expect another NYT article on that in about 10 years or so,...

Sorun said...

The Puritans believed there were similar dangers with mixed-sex dancing.

Paddy O said...

The most famous practitioner I know is Sting, and I can't say anything about possible philadering, he has been married to the same lady for quite a while.

Just throwing that out there.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Ignorance and bliss in the same post. About sex.

I think we can all see where your subconscious is leading you.

The Crack Emcee said...

Paddy O,

The most famous practitioner I know is Sting, and I can't say anything about possible philadering, he has been married to the same lady for quite a while.

Just throwing that out there.


He's your typical cult hypocrite (look under the section on fraud) he's on his "second wife," and, by his own admission, keeps a firm eye on the first,....

Ann Althouse said...

"To denounce the philanderers would be to admit years of empty study and devotion. So many women ended up blaming themselves."

Huh? I don't get it. Adult women who have sexual affairs should take responsibility for their own actions. Of course, they should "blame" themselves.

So they find the "authority figure" sexy and they have sex with him. That's an old, old story.

The Crack Emcee said...

Ann Althouse,

Huh? I don't get it. Adult women who have sexual affairs should take responsibility for their own actions. Of course, they should "blame" themselves.

These weren't "affairs," it was manipulation, with everything happening in a haze of "spirituality" that never existed.

So they find the "authority figure" sexy and they have sex with him. That's an old, old story.

You REALLY don't know how cults work, do you?

The Crack Emcee said...

Ann,

The difference in what you're describing and what the reality is can be seen in the link, above, where I talk of the mental problems derived from being in a cult.

Ann Althouse said...

They are adults. People are responsible for their own religious fervor. Unless they are trapped somewhere like the people who went to Jonestown, they are responsible.

Doesn't mean that other people aren't bad, but you have to pay attention, use your brain, and exercise judgment.

If we're not going to say that people can and must do that, then what is freedom for?

The Crack Emcee said...

Ann Althouse,

They are adults. People are responsible for their own religious fervor. Unless they are trapped somewhere like the people who went to Jonestown, they are responsible.

Not exactly - and especially in a cult-derived culture. Who's to say they're wrong, when everyone seems to agree, and anyone who doesn't is excluded? How do they know? If Oprah says a skeptic is an "energy vampire," well, fuck, that places your friend against just the richest and most famous and powerful woman on the planet. Who is the average person going to listen to?

Doesn't mean that other people aren't bad, but you have to pay attention, use your brain, and exercise judgment.

Cults don't allow judgment. John Travolta allowed his own son to die rather than challenge his indoctrination - and then looked to Scientology for comfort. Scientology is an "open" cult - there's no need for trapping anyone - the cage is placed in your mind. And anyone who tries to open it is violating religious freedom. Ever read Catch-22 or One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest?

If we're not going to say that people can and must do that, then what is freedom for?

At this point, I don't know. It's all gone so far now. The cults have intertwined, forming a matrix around society that makes it hard for people to understand what's what. Here's two links that outline the problem:

My hero: Black Lightning: The One Man Who Knew

The warning: Yoga, Meditation, And Useful Idiots

We're now surrounded,...

The Crack Emcee said...

Cultism's "works" - in a "free" and "democratic" society:

As much as Hitler can be portrayed as the very embodiment of madness, his cronies and associates were perhaps even more unhinged. Himmler and his exotic pursuits point to a complex mixture of political ideas, prejudices, and mysticism that made up the potent and lethal brew—a Satansbräu, in fact—that fueled the Nazi movement.

Flash forward to today: Everybody Into The Pool,...

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I'm not sure but I think this all started with a bunch of hot chicks doing downward facing dog. NTTAWWT

The Crack Emcee said...

I love how nobody sees this:

Yoga is a way of life, the uniting of the body, mind and spirit.

Where have we heard that "mind, body and spirit" mantra before?

It seems so familiar,...

Rosalyn C. said...

First of all, what people are calling "yoga," what is now popular in the West, is only one type of six systems of yoga. I see you are discussing the physical version, called Hatha Yoga.

The word Yoga means union of the mind and body with the transcendent self, which system you follow depends on your own propensities. Elite athletes often describe experiencing ecstatic states of awareness; they would be described as Hatha Yogis.

There is also a Yoga called Bhakti Yoga -- the Yoga of selfless love, compassion, humility, purity. It is essentially following the 'First Commandment,' "to love God with all your heart, mind and soul." Catholic saints, Jewish Ztadeks, Christian missionaries are all following the principles of Bhakti Yoga.

None of these Yogas are necessarily "new age" cults. They are ancient spiritual practices which have been followed by sincere adherents throughout the centuries.

It's kind of ridiculous to dismiss the actual practice of Yoga with the current fitness craze using Hatha Yoga which has developed as a business. It's even more ridiculous to connect Yoga to the sexual activities that go on in these health clubs, which is no different than what you might find in dance classes or art classes, and the hero worship that is directed towards the teacher. These yoga instructors are really just fake gurus and sadly the students don't know the difference.

David said...

Crack said: Scientology is an "open" cult - there's no need for trapping anyone - the cage is placed in your mind.

And you are the one who places it there. We imprison ourselves with all sorts of beliefs on all manner of subjects. It's very hard to pull away from these powerful lures. Even in Jonestown most did not need a gun at their head to agree to drink the cool aid.

The Crack Emcee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Crack Emcee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Crack Emcee said...

R. Chatt,

First of all, what people are calling "yoga," what is now popular in the West, is only one type of six systems of yoga. I see you are discussing the physical version, called Hatha Yoga.

I love people like you, or the folks who will argue endlessly about the "science" of climate change, who don't realize how far down the rabbit hole they already are through even holding such "knowledge."



The word Yoga means union of the mind and body with the transcendent self, which system you follow depends on your own propensities. Elite athletes often describe experiencing ecstatic states of awareness; they would be described as Hatha Yogis.

Fine - I'll stick with running and other forms of P.E. that have nothing manipulatively "spiritual" attached to them.



There is also a Yoga called Bhakti Yoga -- the Yoga of selfless love, compassion, humility, purity. It is essentially following the 'First Commandment,' "to love God with all your heart, mind and soul." Catholic saints, Jewish Ztadeks, Christian missionaries are all following the principles of Bhakti Yoga.

There's also having a head full of complicated nonsense cluttering up your existence to the point of madness (you did say a simple athlete can get to the same place as a yogi, right?)



None of these Yogas are necessarily "new age" cults. They are ancient spiritual practices which have been followed by sincere adherents throughout the centuries.

For the umpteenth time - NewAge (rhymes with "sewage") has nothing to do with when something was invented, but indicates a way of "thinking" that eshews common sense and critical judgment.



It's kind of ridiculous to dismiss the actual practice of Yoga with the current fitness craze using Hatha Yoga which has developed as a business. It's even more ridiculous to connect Yoga to the sexual activities that go on in these health clubs, which is no different than what you might find in dance classes or art classes, and the hero worship that is directed towards the teacher. These yoga instructors are really just fake gurus and sadly the students don't know the difference.

Just as it's "kind of ridiculous" to dismiss the sex cults yoga sprang from, or the myriad of tales about sexual exploitation - and many other forms - that have emerged from the (unnecessary) practice.

I am an artist in good health. I can dance. But I find no connection what-so-ever between what yoga and what I do. I've been worshipped by many but I actively put an end to it. There is nothing "normal" about doing otherwise - it is a sign of extreme insecurity to do so. All so-called "gurus" are fakes. no one knows the difference because, like so-called "psychics," all such liars purport to be real. And it's bad for business to say otherwise.

We are Americans. We are supposed to stand on our own two feet - not our heads. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool, and a liar, hoping you are the same to yourself.

The condition of India - and the fact the majority of that country's educated class no longer bothers with this foolishness - should be enough to tell anyone there's absolutely nothing for an American to gain from it (that, as you said, we haven't discovered through our own means) than the ability to lose your head up your ass.

And, seeing how that is the case, yoga is merely a sign of one's oikophobia.

Meade said...

Brian Regan - Yoga.

Rosalyn C. said...

@Crack Emcee I have a sense your mission to debunk "all things Eastern" is more a personal vendetta than something rational and objective. The fact that you brought up global warming is a clue. I'm sorry your wife left you, but I doubt it was the meditation.

Your other arguments are inaccurate. For instance, India is becoming a financial powerhouse and the practice of hatha yoga is also becoming more popular these days. There is a huge movement to bring meditation into the modern era as well.

Yes, there was a long period when there was a belief that spirituality and materialism were mutually exclusive. But that opinion was thoroughly debunked.

Yes, you are right, spiritual seeking is not for everyone. That was the inherent danger of bringing out the practice of yoga to the west -- that the people practicing it would activate sexual energies and not have the moral code to go along with it. Or in the case of meditation, that some people would use it as an escape and become unbalanced.

Of course there have been many true gurus who are virtually unknown to Western popular culture. See: Ramakrishna and Vivikananda and the Vedanta Society. No I'm not a member there but I have been to their retreat house in Marin, CA. Very lovely, practical, and very self sufficient people

The Crack Emcee said...

R. Chatt,

I've made the point many times that, once someone brings my wife into it, I know they're scum without a leg to stand on. How you got from global warming to my divorce can only be fathomed through the idiotic expressway - which must be quite wide - through what passes for your piss-poor mind.

That said, India is no more "becoming" a financial powerhouse than China which, despite the fears of folks with little exposure to the outside world, is a backwater stuck even further in the rearview than last century. And your saying yoga and meditation are "becoming more popular" indicates you know they aren't mainstream in India, so you've revealed you're a liar as well.

Give it up, kid, you can't tangle with me.

Yes, there was a long period when there was a belief that spirituality and materialism were mutually exclusive. But that opinion was thoroughly debunked.

Proof, asshole. Your saying it doesn't make it so.

Yes, you are right, spiritual seeking is not for everyone. That was the inherent danger of bringing out the practice of yoga to the west -- that the people practicing it would activate sexual energies and not have the moral code to go along with it. Or in the case of meditation, that some people would use it as an escape and become unbalanced.

Ahh, so after saying, "It's,...ridiculous to connect Yoga to the sexual activities that go on,..." now you claim the "danger" (your word) was "the people practicing it would activate sexual energies,..." Tell me, liar, who exactly was soooo concerned about this, hmmm?

Of course there have been many true gurus who are virtually unknown to Western popular culture. See: Ramakrishna and Vivikananda and the Vedanta Society. No I'm not a member there but I have been to their retreat house in Marin, CA. Very lovely, practical, and very self sufficient people

Do you seriously take me for as big a fool as you are? That would be the Vedanta Society out of Santa Barbara, California, which was made popular in America, partially, through the writings of that occult con man, Aldous "Doors Of Perception" Huxley, AKA L. Ron Hubbard's old roommate. It's roots are in the delusional work of Helena Blavatsky AKA " The Mother Of NewAge" and - lookee, lookee - an inspiration to Hitler and Himmler. From the link:

Heinrich Himmler, the chief of the Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel, meaning “protection squadron”), was a devoted follower of the racial theories of Blavatsky and based the design of the SS on her teachings and on those of Aleister Crowley and the Templars, the band of 12th-century knights who protected the pilgrims of the crusades.

As such, Vendata A) has little grounding in Indian "spiritual" culture but in the lies Blavatsky told while there, and B) exposes you as a liar - again - for denying there's anything NewAge going on in American yoga and that this crap is "ancient" when Blavatsky died in 1891.

And as far as those " lovely, practical, and very self sufficient people" you hung out with? Go back and hang with them some more:

You are so blindingly stupid, hateful, and below talking to, it's now painful to consider I even have to share blog space with you.