Be aware that like the Yin and the
Yang, the Alpha and the Omega, there are also polar
opposites with people practicing in the Yoga Scene. They are affectionately known as the Yip
and the Yog.
Simply put, the Yip is the yogically hip; the purveyor of
the cool, tight and trendy pimp chic look of contemporary yoga. Fed by the Yoga Industrial Marketing and
Merchandising Complex (YIMMCo), these yogis have evolved the simple
needs of yoga into an alt-yogic lifestyle. Too
hip to read yoga magazines (though they tend to sneak peeks from time
to time to verify how ahead of the yoga curve they are) they seek out
their too cool and post-mod ideas on Buddhist web sites.
The Yog on the
other hand is “not”. They, most likely,
are beginner yogis that have not been tainted by the YIMMCo as of yet. In certain urban yoga studios, the Yog will be
made to feel unwelcome and may even be discouraged from pursuing Yoga. They may, however, be given the advice to
check out the Yoga Fashion
page of the YogaDawg website
before going back to a yoga class.
To help guide you on your path to Yoga Yipness,
the following is a handy guide to refer to when confronted with choices
in the Yoga World.
Yoga Music:
YIP - Dave Stringer, David Newman, Deva Premal
YOG - Krishna Das, Enya, Yanni
Style of Yoga:
YIP Male – Ashtanga
YIP Female – Jivamukti
YOG – Iyengar, Anusara, Bikram or
Generic Vinyassa
Yoga Clothing:
YIP – YogaDawg Gear or
anything designed by independent, gay yoga clothes designers living in
the East Village of NYC or in a pince, Lululemon.
YOG - Yoga clothing line from Target or Walmart.
Yoga Mat:
YIP Female – The Purple Manduka or the YogaDawg
Natural HempYoga SuperMat
Yog – Pastel colored PVC mat from Target or a
Pilate mat.
Yoga Accessories:
YIP - Mala (worn on wrist), Co-exist or Free Tibet bumper sticker on Prius, top shelf Kombucha, has the smell of Dr. Bronner’s and essential oils, altar (sacred space) on dashboard, Tibetan prayer flag in home studio, a year pass to a trendy and expensive yoga studio, Sanskrit name such as Shanti or Shakti, lives in LA or NYC
YOG – A rosary worn around neck, My Other Car Is A Yoga Mat bumper sticker on SUV, water in an eco friendly, reusable water bottle, vision boards, has the smell of sage incense, feathers or dream catcher hanging from rearview mirror (or hanging from their ears), DVDs from current yoga stars, normal name such as Brad or Buffy, lives somewhere other then LA or NYC.
Tattoos:
YIP - Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu
symbols or any symbols from an obscure Eastern based religion.
YOG – Om symbol or anything
other then the above or worse, none at all.
Religious Affiliation:
YIP – Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu
or any obscure Eastern religion.
YOG – Wicca, any
Judeo-Christian religion or New Age belief.
Reading Material:
YIP – The Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali, Light on Yoga, and Yoga Enquirer.
YOG – Anything by Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, and Yoga Journal.
Age Limit:
YIP– 21 through 32
YOG – Other then above
Special Note: Yips can morph
into YogaDawgs after the age of thirty-two. Though not considered as
hip as a Yip, YogaDawgs are still quite respected in the Yip community.
Special Note 2: YogaDawgs will
continue to maintain this designation and respect from the Yip
community as long as they refrain from any of the following:
1. Moves to the suburbs
2. Works in an office
3. Works as an accountant, engineer,
programmer or salesperson
4. Lives with a partner that does one of the
above
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