tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post3083543891227557594..comments2024-03-21T00:30:14.738-07:00Comments on Yoga in the Dragon's Den: Practice, nuclear plants, and being an assholeNobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-82879774257988585422011-03-18T12:34:12.671-07:002011-03-18T12:34:12.671-07:00Yes, Kristen, the fight against the asshole nature...Yes, Kristen, the fight against the asshole nature is ongoing for most of us (and no, it's not our true nature :-)). May the Force be with us in this endeavor.Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-55872906948902315452011-03-17T17:44:03.330-07:002011-03-17T17:44:03.330-07:00Well, I can certainly relate. I have been fighting...Well, I can certainly relate. I have been fighting my asshole nature ( which I agree is not our true nature at all ) a lot recently. KristenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-58094562892859776092011-03-17T14:57:08.460-07:002011-03-17T14:57:08.460-07:00Hello Yyogini, "I've been to yoga classes...Hello Yyogini, "I've been to yoga classes where I wish I could get my 90 minutes back." Well, fortunately for me, I've yet to be in such a class (although I have been in classes where certain students or the teacher do or say things that really bring out my asshole nature). But yes, I definitely agree with you that a good yoga practice gives us the tools we need to better deal with the negativities that we encounter in life.Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-53604381999645552282011-03-17T14:27:09.568-07:002011-03-17T14:27:09.568-07:00I certainly feel like an asshole most of the time,...I certainly feel like an asshole most of the time, and not every yoga practice makes me feel good either. I've been to yoga classes where I wish I could get my 90 minutes back. But I think a good yoga practice does provide us with temporary relief so we can better deal with all the negativities in life.Yoginihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09483919150641771008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-74993627634272444632011-03-17T14:17:44.406-07:002011-03-17T14:17:44.406-07:00Hello Megan, thanks for your insightful point. I s...Hello Megan, thanks for your insightful point. I should have made this clearer, but I don't think that human nature = asshole nature either. And I also don't think that this is what David Williams has in mind. My personal view is that being the kind of beings that we are, we have the potential to both be really wonderful people and be assholes. Our yoga practice can be seen as a form of training that allows us to bring out our better natures rather than our asshole natures. <br /><br />As Aristotle says, "moral virtue comes about as a result of habit... [n]either by nature, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.”<br /><br />This being the case, he continues, "states of character arise out of like activities. This is why the activities we exhibit must be of a certain kind; it is because the states of character correspond to the differences between these. It makes no small difference, then, whether we form habits of one kind or of another... it makes a very great difference, or rather all the difference."<br /><br />Thanks for giving me an excuse to quote Aristotle :-) And I apologize for being didactic. But seriously, I think Aristotle's on to something: We can see our yoga practice as a continual process of forming habits that are conducive to (rather than detract from) living well with our fellow beings in this world.Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-70914105491372669792011-03-17T13:43:15.582-07:002011-03-17T13:43:15.582-07:00Great post, but I'm not sure that human nature...Great post, but I'm not sure that human nature = asshole nature. I like to think that happens with conditioning. Regardless, I loved the David Williams quote. So true!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094174577863519854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-43550895738084515402011-03-17T13:22:17.955-07:002011-03-17T13:22:17.955-07:00Thanks, s.f., I really love the closing chant too....Thanks, s.f., I really love the closing chant too. It's really short and sweet. <br /><br />Thanks, Claudia. Yes, I'll think of Japan tomorrow morning when I do my closing chant :-)Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-59721090777602690882011-03-17T13:06:57.251-07:002011-03-17T13:06:57.251-07:00Nobel, you are not, none of us are, we are all hum...Nobel, you are not, none of us are, we are all human, we feel compassion.... oops maybe I am now going into sermonizing...<br /><br />We all want Japan to be well, and I like that you included the closing chant there, good call :-)Claudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06609779915009954933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-29166760082343779792011-03-17T11:56:17.236-07:002011-03-17T11:56:17.236-07:00Very nice sermon. It helped me. I'm glad we cl...Very nice sermon. It helped me. I'm glad we close like this after our daily practice. It can't hurt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com