Oops!
And so it seems, GLBL Yoga organizers have decided to pull the plug on what could have been the world’s largest crowd-funded yoga class set for NYC’s Central Park, August 16th. Needless to say, they did not reach their goal of raising $675,000 of donations to hold the event (just $14,000 had been raised as of July 16th). Shocker.
Via the GLBL Yoga website:
Unfortunately, we have decided to postpone the GLBL YOGA event scheduled for August 16, 2012 in New York.
The mission and the overall concept of GLBL YOGA were embraced with great excitement and enthusiasm. However, our experiment with crowd-funding the event did not meet our ambitious expectations. As a result, we’re going to take some time to rethink our strategy and model, and we will return with renewed purpose in the summer of 2013.
We deeply believe that GLBL YOGA can be a tremendous catalyst, using the power of yoga to foster unity and community around the world. We’re grateful for your support, and we look forward to seeing you next summer.
In the meantime, we will be providing a full refund to all donors. Thank you and namaste.
The announcement came just 4 days before their (now disappeared) Indiegogo campaign was out of time. As it turns out you can’t bring excitement and enthusiasm to the bank.
Is this idea of the largest class held in Central Park doomed or what? First it’s rained out, and now they can’t figure out how to get over half a million dollars from the yoga community. Go figure. Of course we’re curious what strategies they will attempt for next year, but we won’t hold our breath.
We have to admit it’s a little sad, though. Poor fellas with lofty ambitions. And all the supporters who were excited about the big ‘ol yoga party and the defenders who claimed skeptics just wanted attention. Don’t be too upset though, now you’ll just have to continue with your plans of doing free yoga in the free park for free. Enjoy!
——
Earlier…
- Take Two – World’s Largest Yoga Class Set For August 16th, NYC (they just need $675,000 of your help)
- What They Don’t Tell You Before You Sign Up for Yoga Teacher Training
- Superhero Yoga from the Land of Geekdom
- Man in the Mirror: Reflections on an Enlightening Prankster
- Esoteric Yoga Revealed, How Do You Feel?
So if they had raised over 1/2 million dollars, what would it go towards? Was it for a charity?
They are returning the money. Some of it was for charity – that was a sales point , of course – some was pure profit – and some was to compensate the “Four Salesmen of the Yogalypse.” You have no idea how painful it is to suffer from Adulation Deficit Disorder (ADD). It’s also highly contagious. More than half the American yoga community is infected now, and there’s no known cure besides total abstinence. The good news? A recent study that shows that if you swear off yoga for a year and do real community service, the disease starts to go into remission.
At what point did yoga stop being about self actualization and start being about money, posing for Yoga Journal, and wearing Lululemon?
The moment it set foot on US spoil.
Is there anything stopping people from showing up in Central Park on August 16th, practicing really free yoga and spontaneously creating a community of their own choosing? Cost – $0. Could be a lot more exciting than the original, costly, planned event.
Sounds marvelous. I took yoga-in-the-park once.
That’s what parks are for. Just remember yr sunscreen.
Depending on how it is organized and the size of the crowd, possibly a permit.
If these celebrities wanted to demonstrate something resembling true grace and humility – and a modicum of spiritual leadership — they would say.
The universe has spoken. We have $14,000 to work with. What can we do with that? We have committed to showing up. Yoga is about “presence.” It’s not about “absence.”
We’ll donate our time, and still pay for the permit and the sound system, and do nothing but yoga all day – which was the real purpose anyway. There will be no bands, no concessions — except maybe some water trucks.
It would be a marvelous gesture. If nothing else, you’d be heeding the the ancient credo: the show must go on.
(Don’t worry, the points you’ll earn will probably rebound to your financial advantage, too).
The fact that the organizers cancelled overnight is a bigger insult than having tried to put this event on to begin with.
Thanks for making crystal clear what we already knew about GLBL and everyone involved in this event. This was about “you” – not “us.” Yoga for the 1%.
Part of making a spiritual call – and having a spiritual calling – is heeding your “calling” — no matter what.
It’s service — not caprice. It’s not just your “gig.” And it’s certainly not “yours.”
Wonderfully put. Would you like to write and work with us? OccupyYoga… For the 99%. Yoga for freedom. (free!).
“Four Salesmen of the Yogalypse.”
Classic! When those four start donating their ‘talent fees’ I may listen to what they have to say……
Over in India, Baba Ramdev daily teaches similar LARGE OUTDOOR Yoga-classes, at different venues all over India – except, Baba Ramdev’s classes are absolutely FREE !! That’s right !
Baba Ramdev is selflessly giving it away, exactly as the wise Hindu sage Rishi Patanjali meant for Yoga to be disseminated, for the good of all mankind.
Famous Last Words:
“The reason why we’re doing [GLBL], and the people with whom we’re doing this, this is for a damn good reason. We are raising money, we are getting people together to celebrate, to be grateful, and there is absolutely NOTHING that will stop that.”
Elena Brower, interview with Jennifer Cusano, Managing Editor, Yoganonymous.
http://www.yoganonymous.com/elena-brower-interview-there-is-absolutely-nothing-that-will-stop-that-on-glbl-yoga-more/
I bet Brower’s mentor John Friend would still show up. Call him what you like, he wasn’t a Solar “Flame-Out”!
Can’t wait to read Cusano’s breathless post-mortem.
Yoga teachers have to learn not to make promises they can’t keep.
In the business world–the real commercial world, there is a legally binding term for an unkept promise. It’s called “specific performance”.
The term comes from contract law.
That’s why they show up when there is corporate sponsorship. Even if they would have made more money teaching Mr. and Mrs. Moneybags private tandem lessons.
Which is what they suddenly freed themselves up for, now …
John Friend, at this point, couldn’t afford to suck like that.
Thing is, he didn’t stick his neck out on this one.
This could presage the fall of the ‘yoga empire” as we know it.