Yoga and Martial Arts

Satellite photo.

Recently I traveled to the East Coast, where several people assumed I was way into the LOHAS lifestyle because I live in Portland. I am a dorky LOHAS kind of guy, but if it helps elevate my sustainiblity cred because I live in Portland, go ahead and knock yourself out.


Today was some high-water mark in self-reflective LOHASian revelry when a yoga teacher remarked that kids can't really practice yoga because they're too social. She explained that when most adults do yoga they sink into themselves in a quasi-meditative state of repressed anxiety and suppressed flatulence and often don't want to interact with other human beings.

That is totally me. I do yoga to get the back to stop hurting. When the pain recedes I just want to soak in the good feeling without distraction. Let the other guy compare sticky mats or tell the tale of the mung bean that got away.

The teacher continued that in her mind the activity for kids that is equivalent to adult yoga is martial arts.The kids learn respect, self control, and discipline (in theory).

The teacher did not know my kids are big into martial arts. All this made me think that I need to start preparing the kids how to safely journey outside our LOHAS bubble.