Don’t be another spiritual elite.

Alright, let’s get off the spiritual high horse for just a minute.  Just because they aren’t rallying for the left while drinking kombucha and reading texts published by Shambhala Publications with one eye while checking the Huffington Post with the other (or maybe, come to think of it, they are) it doesn’t mean a bro-dude has to embody the spiritually devoid stereo-type I’m sure plenty of us in “yoga-culture” feed into.

As it turns out, just because you’re a bro-dude it doesn’t mean you can’t practice yoga.  What do I mean by “bro-dude?”  As my friend Eric Leven writes, “A “bro” is your quintessential all American frat boy.  You know the guy, (they pretty much all live in Murray Hill and get drinks at Tonic bar/lounge) button-down shirts, works in financial, loves to talk about his frat days and how much he’d drink, get stoned, get laid and listen to heady music (Grateful Dead, Phish, Bob Marley.) These are the characteristics which make up a true bro.”

Let me be honest.  I’ve often caught myself looking down on these frat-kids and investment bankers from high up on the cushion. Having lived in Boulder, CO for roughly six years I was surrounded by fraternities and snowboarders.  I don’t generally think of myself as the type to judge, however, I’m now realizing that my time spent there involved a lot of time learning how to judge.

So I was surprised when I came across an article on the NPR website titled “From Togas to Yoga: Fraternities Try to Alter Image.” Chana Joffe-Walt writes, “Over at George Washington University’s Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter, the brothers are on the basement floor, concentrating on their breathing.”

Visit Lily Kardon’s blog to read the rest of the article.

Lily strongly believes in a joyful lifestyle and holistic approach to living. Whether it’s teaching yoga or cooking for her family, she tries to bring loving kindness into all the things she does!

She enjoys yoga, nutrition, travel, literature, music, and dance.