Just when you think it can’t get any better, beloved DC area yoga teacher, Greg Marzullo, has done us all a favor and written quite possibly the best yoga guidebook… for the rest all of us.
Finally! A yoga book that I can sneakily suggest to my “non yoga” friends! Bad Yogi: A Guidebook for the Rest of Us, addresses all the things you want to talk about or say, but haven’t had the nerve. It’s intelligently written, totally accessible and covers what it really means to be a “yogi” and practice in modern day. And no, it’s not just about stretchy pants and Namaste-ing.
Greg pushes the boundaries when speaking on philosophy, stories and common yogic misnomers; which totally had me hooked. I enthusiastically read the book over a weekend (I could easily have finished in a day, but intentionally dragged it out because I didn’t want it to be over).
Check out my seven favorite take away tips and excerpts from Bad Yogi and let me know what you think!
(Warning: light profanity below. Bad yogi, duh.)
1. Saddle up and welcome your dark side.
Nothing comes easy. We know this. All too often our own ego (the “should of,” “could of,” “I’m not good enough”) get’s in the way of being our best Self. To live and love with no excuses or regrets, there are times we “have to notch the arrow and kill the thing that’s killing us.” If we want peace, “it’s time we all saddle up and prepare for war,” (with ourselves/our ego).
2. Enlightenment. It’s not that awesome.
Some might think enlightenment or the path to enlightenment is filled with sparkles and rainbows. “I’m not sure what enlightenment looks like, but I suspect we’ll be covered with scars when we get there.”
3. Do you like sex? Me too!
Who says yogis shouldn’t have sex? If you want sex, seek yoga. After all, yoga means union and “bringing two into one.” Is there any better way to define/express union than through sex? “Coming into union with God is… nothing short of a sheet-shredding orgasmic love fest.” Whoa.
(photo cred: sculpture of a man pleasing three women, while standing on his head. It is believed that this is a combination of Yoga, Tantric Sex and Kama Sutra. Raksha Kumar)
4. Stepping in dog shit will get you closer to God.
It’s all good and great when we are looking at a “blossoming rose or spectacular sunrise,” but what about when “we’re scraping dog shit off our shoe?” We can’t find what we are looking for (God, love, enlightenment, peace, etc.), if we aren’t willing to dig through some shit along the way.
5. Don’t fuck with magical women (or your ego). Just don’t.
There’s a popular yogic story about a demon named Mahisasura. Mahisasura thought he was the shit by asking Brahma, to make him immortal; specifically he asked that no man ever be able to kill him, which would allow him to rule all the worlds. Little did he know that there was a bad ass Goddess in town, Durga. This dude let his ego, greed and pride take over and found out that hard way that that’s a horrible idea. Durga slayed him… and laughed… and drank wine… while doing it. Jokes on you (a.k.a. your ego) pal. <– hmmm… there’s that ‘e’ word again.
6. News Flash: your yoga studio membership doesn’t make you a better person.
I know, shocker. Just because you take yoga classes, do juice cleanses and make a killer vegan cheesecake, doesn’t “absolve you from [your] sins.” I’ll leave it at that. You’ll have to read the book for more.
7. Always. Go. For. Broke.
Be you, be true. “If you’re a lover, be a lover. If you’re a fighter, be a fighter.” Whatever it is, “opt for brutal honesty” and always “go for broke.”
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If you haven’t snagged Bad Yogi yet, do it NOW! You can also get a copy at Greg’s next book release/Q&A/book signing event in North Bethesda, MD on Sat, Nov 21. Meet the author, ask questions & join the #badyogi revolution!
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Greg Marzullo, RYT-500, teacher the physical practice and philosophy of yoga in the Washington, D.C. area, leading classes, workshops, international retreats and large public events, including yoga on the National Mall, which regularly draws thousands of practitioners. For the past twenty years, Greg has studied worldwide spiritual traditions and mythology with Tibetan dharma teachers, shamans from around the world and yogic scholars. For more information, visit gonataraj.com.