OPINION
Opinion Column
The Yogarazzi By Ellen O ' Connor
Yoga Magick
If you ’ ve ever gone to a stage version of Peter Pan , you will remember the scene where Tinkerbell is dying . After drinking Captain Hook ’ s poison to save Peter , she withers away while he tearfully implores the audience to save her life . “ If you believe in fairies ,” he pleads ,” clap your hands .” After enthusiastic applause , Tinkerbell is revived . The idea that “ if you believe something will happen , it will ” is called the Tinkerbell Effect , AKA : magical thinking .
It ’ s practically an article of faith in yoga world that if you “ trust ” or “ believe ” or “ dream ” an intention , you can make it happen . Faith and unwavering confidence are all you need . Of course , it helps to add in Ganesh and the right essential oils and crystals . Nothing wrong with that . I have a herd of Ganeshes and gems galore , but they have never given me financial security , svelteness , or eternal life .
I believe yoga is magical – I even wrote a testimonial [ How Yoga Changed Me ], but I can ’ t say I think yoga is necessarily magick .* There are any number of studies and personal anecdotes attesting to yoga ’ s positive effects . Yoga can often help relieve chronic pain , reduce stress , increase energy , improve strength and flexibility , and so much more . Not here to harsh on that . I sincerely believe yoga has changed me and continues to help me . Just giving side-eye to the belief that the practice of yoga and intention will grant all of your wishes . Results may vary .
Some years ago , I dropped into a yoga class at a local gym . The practitioners were mainly fitness junkies unfamiliar with yoga . They were strong , but muscularly tight . They were game , but many poses were unfamiliar . The instructor led everyone to the wall and cheerfully commanded the class to fly into handstand . There was no set up for handstand other than the admonishment “ you have to trust .” That day , trust did not result in many handstands , particularly safely aligned ones .
The pressure to believe is everywhere in modern yoga . If you believe you can handstand , you can do it ! From an instructor ’ s perspective , it ’ s easier to encourage or command than to teach . From a student ’ s perspective , it ’ s easier to “ trust ” you can do it than to learn . However , you can end up physically or psychologically injured if you try to nail a pose when you are not ready , even if you clap a lot , Tinkerbell . You may not have sufficient physical strength and risk injury . Possibly no one has cued the pose in a way that resonates . As Ronald Reagan used to say , “ trust but verify .”
Yoga Magick is not found just on the mat . Classes , workshops , books , webinars , and social media are replete with yoga celebrities and recent teacher training graduates extolling magical thinking or chiding yogis for not believing enough . Health , wealth , love , beauty , and bling come to those who truly believe .
You can shed weight or addiction if you trust on your yoga mat . Yoga magick can give you financial abundance . Inspirational memes adorned with unicorns and stars tell us everything is within our reach . [ Spoiler alert : not everything ].
The world would be less livable if we didn ’ t dream and didn ’ t try to act on those dreams . Too many people are timid or underestimate their talents . They benefit from repostings of unicorns and reminders to think positively . It ’ s not that believing we can make our dreams come true is a bad thing , it ’ s that we need more than belief . We also need luck , support , time , resources , grit , and Plan B . We need more than magical thinking from yoga . We need acceptance . We need contentment . We need to be okay after our trust was betrayed or our dreams never came to be .
In The Pure Heart Of Yoga , Robert Butera describes the honeymoon stage of yoga . In the beginning , you feel good and discover benefits from the practice . After a time , yoga isn ’ t always easy or consistent or convenient . You may feel frustrated by unmet expectations ( like pressing up into handstand ). You may be confronted by physical or emotional pain . After the honeymoon , it ’ s common to stop practicing regularly . It ’ s easier to mistrust and avoid discomfort . Butera says the mistake is to stop practicing . Personal growth comes from courage , discipline , and perseverance .
When you still can ’ t kick your legs up the wall into your dream handstand , when the soul mate you trusted would meet you at Starbucks never materialized , or when the 10 pounds you believed you would drop from Ashtanga remain in your yoga pants , you can ’ t always will these things your way with magical thinking . Maybe no audience has ever not clapped and Tinkerbell has always survived , but she is a fictional fairy . In real life , if your intention is to effortlessly perfect all the poses or to save all the Tinkerbells , your belief in yoga magick is going to be short lived . The real magic of yoga is trusting in your resourcefulness and resiliency . The real magic is in believing you can live a meaningful life whether your dreams are fulfilled in expected ways , unexpected ways , or not at all . ■
* Magick is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will .~ Aleister Crowley
6 INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE 2