In my circle of yogi friends I have heard a lot about dating and not dating a fellow yogi.  As someone who just recently got out of a pretty good relationship due to circumstances having very little to do with yoga at all, it made me wonder: What must it be like from the other side of things?  Sure I was always bummed when my B.F. didn’t know what I was talking about when I mentioned simple yogic terms like tadasana or even savasana, but what must it have been like for him putting up with my strange Sanskrit mumblings?

So with those wheels a-turing I compiled this list: The Pros and Cons of Dating a Yogi. What all you mainstream peeps can expect from your more yogic half… After all, if Alec Baldwin’s marrying his yoga teacher it must be worth investigating, right?

Pro: We are a peaceful people
As far as being high maintenance goes and speaking in slightly stereotyped terms, we’re laid back.  We typically spend at least an hour a day focusing only on our breath and movements and other such mumbo-jumbo, so yes, we’re an easy-going kind of crowd.  You’re likely to get a little less drama from us… or at least I like to think so.

Con: We are a flakey people
Speaking as someone who was not a yogi when I first began working with them I can assure you yogis don’t tend to be the most punctual or reliable group.  ”I’ll call you later,” could mean I’ll run into you in a week if I can find time between inversion workshops.  And “I’ll be right there” may mean, as soon as I finish this chapter in The Science Of Yoga. While we’re excellent company when you can nail us down, the nailing us down part can be challenging… which brings me to my next point.

Pro: You should have sex with a yogi/ni before you die
I don’t need to get crass – many of us are pretty flexible.  And have you seen yogi bodies? Use your imagination, gang.

Con: We may come with dietary restrictions
While I’m happy to eat a Cheeseburger (and you can’t get any less raw, vegan or vegetarian than a cheeseburger) that doesn’t go for all of us.  If we’re not damning dairy farmers or shouting about seven-winged-chickens in cages we may be lecturing you about the many health benefits of chia seeds, how to prepare them and what they go best with.  It may be good for our digestive tracks, bodies and the environment, but if you’re not used to it, well it can get a little wearisome.  The best way to shut us up is to order the steak as rare as it comes and tell us to enjoy our salad, chia seeds and kale.

Pro: We come with very thoughtful advice
There’s something about listening to gurus & teachers that just chills a person out.  If there’s one thing I have learned from yoga it’s that controlling how you react to things is a must.  So when you come to us with complaints about your boss or problems with your parents we’re likely to have some really meaningful stuff to say.  While not all of us will quote The Yoga Sutras at you, we probably will lend you some fairly thoughtful advice that we picked up while on our mats.

Con: Sometimes our music taste is weird
My music library consists mostly of MGMT, Blink 182, The Eagles and Young the Giant, but that doesn’t mean I don’t rock out to MC Yogi or Krishna Das when I feel so inclined. We’ll often say things to you like: “Hey hun, wanna check out this great Kirtan over the weekend?” Just know that if you say yes you’re going to feel 1) pretty out of place and 2) fairly ridiculous. The first time singing Kirtan is awkward to say the least but by the 3rd or 4th time you’ll be dancing away with us (hold the kool-aid comments).

Pro: We’re all about comfort
We are unlikely to demand you throw on your nicest pair of dancing shoes for a night out on the town.  A lot of us tend towards the barefooted option and we southern and tropical yogis consider it a job perk to wear exclusively flip-flops.  That doesn’t mean that we’re incapable of wearing nice shoes or fancy clothes (I rock 4-inch stilettos on weekend nights for shizzle), but we’re usually pretty happy to throw on a pair of stretchy pants, a loose-fitting top and call it a day.

Con: You better be down with natural products
Speaking as someone who buys their detergent at Target, like a normal person, I have to warn you many yogis like the all natural way of things.  So if you hop into your honey’s shower only to realize they wash their hair with vegan butter and use salt as deodorant, don’t be alarmed.  Just make it clear that you prefer your Herbal Essence hair styling products and call it a day.  After all, if they’re any kind of yogi at all they’ll realize it’s all One.

So there you have it, just a couple perks and pitfalls of dating a yogi.  I can’t promise you that these are true for all of us (some aren’t even true for me), but you get the idea.  To be honest, we’re all just people and sometimes the calmest seeming yogi is really the one bursting with crazy on the inside; you never can tell until you take us to dinner and see what you’re getting yourself into.

Lifestyle, Yoga

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April 6, 2012

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