Namaste Horror Story in LA
In high school, I spent a good amount of time watching movies during classes. I remember when The Odyssey came out as a mini-series in 1997 and we watched that. I remember watching Romeo & Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film), and I remember watching Frankenstein among many other Horror, Mystery, and Suspense films which was the name of one of the elective classes I chose at some point. I think I enjoyed the class...honestly, I don't really remember much of it, I mean high school was over 20 years ago.
I still watch horror movies, I love all of Jordan Peele's stuff and I am generally easily convinced to watch movies regardless of the genre. I've been really excited by the come-up of comedy/horror and horror satire films that speak to culture and cultural phenomenons (read more on this in the final section of the blog: Ram Navami: How Yoga's Politicization Shapes Festivities in South Asia.
Movies are quite the industry in LA. I'm actually writing this note to you from the set of a movie that I'm consulting on for [drumroll please] the yoga bits! Which is so unbelievably LA right?
The yoga industry is also really huge in LA. Not just the practice of yoga, but the dominant culture elements of yoga are everywhere. When I get asked to participate in events or teach at festivals, I try to do the full due diligence to ensure that I'll be mentally and emotionally safe from said dominant culture BS which many of us are subjected to in our everyday work in yoga. Sometimes I can suss out when an opportunity will be a good one, and sometimes I'm landed in the middle of an experience, wondering how I even got there.
Last year, I was at a festival teaching a yoga class, a workshop, and sitting on a panel. My themes and topics were pre-approved and I'd had several planning meetings with the organizers to understand the culture, problem areas, and ongoing culture shifts with the organization. I felt good about the offer and the circumstances and was excited and open to the experience while being especially delighted I was able to participate with a few of my peers, them also being on the schedule.
While facilitating breakout groups for discussion time, one of the attendees came up to ask me a question. Throughout my talk, she had seemed to be paying close attention and nodding her head with a combination of fascination and deep interest in the content I offered. When she walked up to me she said,
"I have been studying and practicing yoga for the last 40-50 years and I love everything you've been saying. I have one question though, I keep hearing you say nuh-muh-ste and I've never heard it pronounced that way all this time.
I learned it and say it 'Na-Maas-Tay.' Is that wrong?"
Y'all. I had not expected that. I mean the question itself was so trivial. And she was so earnest in asking for clarity. And although the conversation wrapped up quickly, it stayed with me. It's wild to me, coming from the Midwest & East Coast, the differences in the yoga appropriation and reclamation conversation.
Just like how different it is each time I teach the So You Want to Chant Om & Namaste Workshops. Except with the workshops I always get surprised and learn something new in a deep and deliberate way. I love that.
The conversation I had with the student at the festival was different for a number of reasons. It had a different kind of deep and profound impact on me that continues to shape my understanding of the industry landscape here in LA even while it was offered with such an innocent and curious intention.
I'll leave you with a few things.
1. How would you categorize the festival weekend if it were you? Would you try categorize it within the world of horror movies and if so, what sub-genre would the experience land in: horror satire, horror/comedy, folk horror, psychological horror, paranormal, apocalyptic, science fiction or any other choice?
2. Here's a look at my own short film titled, "Your Questions about Chanting Om and Namaste", watch here
In this 30 minute explainer I answer questions like:
I want to learn, I will not use om or namaste until I feel confident that it’s appropriate for me to use them and I fully understand their contexts in my yoga practice as a white person.
Want to share this information with our team of teachers
This is a topic I’ve been wanting to learn more about for a while.
Currently completing 200HR YTT and want to be culturally informed
To learn more & connect with myself, ancestors and ancestral traditions in a good way
Candidly, I’ve been out of practice for several years now. I’ve been pretty consumed by work and it’s had a detrimental impact on my physical and mental health. Id like to just start over and really immerse myself in my practice. I’d like to best educate myself on the true culture of yoga and ensure I am practicing in a respectful and nuanced manner that doesn’t appropriate it in any way.
About So You Want to Chant Om & Namaste? Workshops
I'm interested in the workshops!
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Warmly,
Tejal
P.S. I'd love to hear from you about my share - click reply or send me an anonymous note here.
Click here to read more info about the workshops
