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As a discerning observer in the world, maybe you have already noticed that the internet is now an overcrowded hub of short and long-form advertisements disguised as vlogs and other forms of “content” pretending to be information-sharing. In the span of less than 20 years, our species has transformed a limitless public space (with the potential to elevate and educate billions of people) into an endless marketplace designed to fuel an uncontrolled and unintelligent craving to unnecessarily consume more to benefit just a few.
From the images and videos that are created, advertised, and monetized on social media, to the stealthy cryptocurrency schemes that are shared in the comments section of YouTube videos–posing as “regular people exchanging opinions”–to the outright spreading of misinformation for entertainment value (as conspiracy theorists and others watch their unhinged, fear-inducing, ideas spread as fast as an influencer’s derrière on the latest fad injections), the line has been significantly blurred between fantasy and Reality more today than ever before.
The unfortunate result of this type of mindless consumption is the intoxication and dulling-down of the mind, causing many to now consider themselves addicted to indulgence in even the trashiest types of thought-forms in the form of digital “content.”
Everywhere you look, you can observe subscribers waiting impatiently for their favorite salesperson to drop a new video, posing in thumbnails with all of the “identity” cues that signal being a part of a special and stereotypical market demographic of one variety or another, and thusly leading many to solidify their bondage to ego concepts, taking them further away from themselves and Reality.
People performing simple online searches in 2023 are now first offered the curated perspective of the status-quo-maintaining, “all-knowing,” Wikipedia with every inquiry, followed by “answers” from major corporations. When you ask a question, you are presented with disjointed and “appetite-wetting” information not to truly inform nor expand your mind in any real way, but to be told what to think and (more importantly) what to buy, as search results on things as simple as “butter” provide options to “click now to get it on your doorstep in 30 minutes.”
Through It All, However, The Yogi’s Timeless Prescription For Fighting Ignorance And Its Accompaniments Still Remains The Same
Fortunately, there is hope for Yogis who truly seek to develop their minds, learn something important, and to come into their True Self and Reality in this lifetime as opposed to getting lost in the warped nightmare-fantasy of destructive greed that has enslaved our species for centuries. And that hope is something as old, and as simple, as getting a good teacher, having a focused Sangha, practicing regularly, and, as my auntie used to always loudly suggest to my cousin (and all other children nearby who would listen) in Jamaican Patois, to “pick up a book!”
…A Truthful one. A book that will help you to break the bonds of illusion that has most trapped in calamitous Karmic bondage.
Will you be picking up a credible book as a part of your Niyama practice and actually thinking about the information that is being shared there as you work on perfecting your understanding by developing critical thinking, discernment, and effective analytical skills that you can then practically apply to your observation of yourself and the world in order to adequately practice what is needed to become Liberated from social entrapment, beautiful Creator?
If not, I would strongly recommend starting today.
Always remember that beyond the sea of noise and product options for you to get lost in consuming online, the ancient Gurukul structure (even when translated into the digital age) still works well for your progress on the Yogic Path. The analog “right teacher,” “right books,” “right community,” and “right practice,” are still highly powerful means by which you can go far in your practice and actually expand and sharpen your awareness/mind for desired results on your journey back home to your Self.
Please keep in mind that consumption without conscious/intentional focus will not get you anywhere useful in Yoga or in any other endeavor.
Practice and effective integration of right knowledge are still the cornerstones for progress on this inward path.
So, today, I invite you to ask yourself what it is that you truly value, beautiful Creator. Are these things aligned with your lived values and goals as a Yogi? Are you working on your Buddhi, or just buying the latest product to simply develop and promote your booty for animal entrapment within Maya?
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Thank you for reading.
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Investigating multi-dimensional holistic wellness as an inter-disciplinary artist and Yoga-Meditation writer, thinker, and practitioner. Doing experientially-based self-agency work grounded in research, reflection, and practice.