So we just saw this in a cab on the way home from teaching yoga (hey, it was late) and almost choked on our coconut water. ‘Look! Chopra meditation in a cab!’ we thought, half expecting Tara Stiles to waltz on screen next. We were intrigued to discover who might be lurking under that ominous looking hoodie, and needless to say, 50 Cent is probably one of the last cards we’d expect to be pulled from the deck of Who’s Sweating on Chopra’s Chakras Now.
So it’s not a led meditation, but an ad for 50 Cent’s Street King energy shots.
What is Street King? Your guess is as good as ours, which is a concoction of B6, B12, 50’s sweat (after drinking 10 expressos), pure gold alchemized from the gun shells of the 9 bullets that strick him in 2000, and of course a dash of highly concentrated Formula 50 Vitamin Water (diluted with vodka and adrenaline). Well, Deepak seems to enjoy it.
Does 50 Cent do yoga? He did say he’d try it when he’s really rich. Think he’s rich enough yet?
Funny side note: when the candles blew out we actually thought that was caused by a fart. Is that wrong?
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Earlier…
In his native India, they laugh at that Deepak Chopra. A lot.
DC is what happens when you attempt to put a New-Age spin to a 5000-year-old Eastern Wisdom, for there is nothing New-Age about Hinduism.
Hinduism is very old, very wise, and yet, very relevant. DC, on the other hand, is just plain old.
To be fair he’s sort of a walking punchline in the US as well. And Hinduism is more-or-less totally irrelevant to my life.
JeffreyD,
If you are practising Yoga, you are already sampling Hinduism. Yoga is a subset of Hinduism. Thought you should know this.
I am disappointed in Chopra. He is looking to me to be more interested in $ and fame than his message. Between him and Bikram, yoga’s commercialism is becoming obnoxious. Maybe its time to give up yoga.
I think that’s quite the ridiculous statement, “…time to give up yoga.” If yoga helps you center yourself and makes you feel good than why would you stop? Yoga’s commercialization is what happens when any market gets popularized/emerges, businesses enter to make money. If you’re into yoga because of its status and commercial appeal, then yes, you should give it up…because anytime you jump on a bandwagon or fad you’ll eventually get tired of it or become disappointed.
No it isn’t. It’s time to go underground and off-the-radar with yoga. But then, I consider myself fortunate that a fad did not bring me to yoga in the first place.
Yoga will still be around long after the hucksters and clowns have made their 1849 Gold Rush money …
Genevieve, stay the course.
Remember, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are the Real Deal.
In the modern era, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his luminous disciples like Guruji BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, TKV Desikachar, Indra Devi have faithfully interpreted the original Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Their Schools of Yoga are genuine.
They teach Patanjali-Yoga and also don’t shy away from stating what Patanjali laid down, in just so many words – that a Yogi must practise Ahimsa, and is therefore required to be vegetarian.
All the other hyphenated Yoga-fads like “Power-Yoga”, “Christian-Yoga” are just so much lightweight chaff.
There’s a new Yoga-fraud born every day (mostly in the West), but these will blow away in the wind, once the people tune in to the Real Deal.
The commercialism of what is called “yoga” in the West has been obnoxious for a long time. Yoga is still Yoga, however. There are many ways to practice—all eight limbs, not just asana—without having to get caught up in the yoga celebrity hype. Practice on your own. Also, there are committed teachers out there who are not seeking fame and recognition, teachers who are genuinely committed to Yoga as a tool for waking up. You probably won’t find them in the swankiest, most popular studios, but they are out there.
Deepak shillin’ for an energy drink. one of the aspects of the Kali Yuga is when shit is passed off as truth.
mo money mo money mo money for Deepak and Fiddy…..
i thought it was funny. come on yogis, let’s not take ourselves and yoga so damn seriously.
you mistake seriousness for serious backlash…
Hi Hayley,
I’m with you on this one. (A sense of) humour development would be just as valuable for the the folks on this post who are so serious about their spiritual development.
Thank you all for your view points.
I will never give up my personal yoga practice, as it is my spiritual path. However, I can choose more wisely in what I support that is tied to yoga from a consumer stance. I am glad that some of you understood my comment and hope that we all begin to choose simplicity in our lives in general.
I understand your point, Genevieve, however, perhaps us yogis and yoginis can benefit from such links, as it can help make meditation and yoga more mainstream, and perhaps generate new and increased interest from those otherwise excluded from these practices, rather than isolating them from the rest of society. That said, I fully see, and could argue the other viewpoint too! Namaste!
“help make meditation and yoga more mainstream”
what would help make it “mainstream” was if either one took a % of the profit and put it towards a charity that actually helps to try to make yoga and meditation “mainstream.”
profit v. prophet
I was curious so Goggle was my friend….check it out…. Fiddy has a foundation…. http://www.streetking.com/giving-back/
I see your point about mainstreaming yoga/meditation. Making it more acceptable, accessible to everyone. Personally, I am committed to this as I provide my yoga teaching services without expecting dollar compensation. I am idealistic, I know, because I feel yoga/meditation are for everyone, even those without financial resources. I also know that yoga teachers have expenses and need to make a living.
Where I lose this is thru the overt consumerism such as what Chopra/Fiddy have done. I have a sense of humor and see the humor in the ad, but I know that it wasn’t designed for that. As long as you laugh all the way to the store and by the product, then the advertising worked. I guess I am just too old school to be able to take this type of” yogatisment’ without a deeper look.