I love my regular asana practice. Asana are the physical poses of yoga.

Many people don’t realize that yoga is much more than the physical practice. There are, depending on the practice 7 to 9 limbs of yoga which includes how we treat other people and much more.

I also love freestyle conscious dance. I use conscious dance as a tool in my work as a movement based theater actor.

People often ask me if I teach yoga or if I make the fan veils I dance with.

Why can’t I just be a person who loves yoga? And with years of practice some poses I am in this moment able to execute skillfully.

Why can’t I be a person who just loves to dance and uses dance as a vehicle to bring people together?

Our culture trains us to expect to be sold to. To expect to be able to consume to buy to take to own.

This week thousands of people will come together for a festival in the desert of Reno Nevada called Burning man. A festival where once you get in there is no exchange of western money for anything. People have to bring everything and it’s a gifting society. Sharing gifts.

It’s radical beautiful annoying and freeing.

I’ve been to the Burning Amanda festival twice 8 years ago. It shifted my perspective.

I love consuming as any average American does and at the Alsace time I appreciate the power of gifting…sharing beyond currency.

I can’t tell you how many people ask me if I teach yoga or if I make the fan veils I dance with.

What if more of us could let go of the idea that we have to sell what we love to do?

What if we did physical practices just because they made us feel…good?

Now I am extremely lucky because right now I am getting paid to do one of the things I love to do for a living. And as I am able to take care of myself….I’m doing my yoga and other hobbies and with time comes skill. As I become more skilled the pressure of should arises from well meaning people who see and love what I’m doing.

Some say they live vicariously through the photos they see of me online. Sometimes they send unsolicited advice.

They “should” on me.

“You should teach yoga”

“You should sell those flags”

10 years ago I would listen to this unsolicited advice and the venture would fail.

I’ve finally learned to JSU’s smile and nod beyond the you shoulds and ground into my freedom.

I know what I should be doing and I’m doing it. And I’m so busy doing what I gotta do I don’t even think to give unsolicited advice to others.

I’m too busy taking care of me.

Liberated. Joyous and…free.

Ase

J9