What's Up with the Traveling Self-Righteous Yoga Crusaders?

When I was invited to the farewell party of my friend, I narrated in my yeah but people post the quite alarming rise of the self-righteous positive-thinking traveling yogis. They consist mainly of the young, pretty and bendy white middle-class who are trying to 'find their purpose' by traveling and integrating with other cultures. Perhaps you don't get that type in your area but in a more touristic place where traveling culture is so big, you will likely encounter these self-righteous yoga crusaders. Excuse the hatred, but with all honesty, I just have enough. I happen to be unlucky to be meeting this type of people all the time and be their target. Oh on a spiritual point of view, it is my fault because I cannot see through them. You can't blame me if I now try to avoid this group of people to avoid further disappointment through real-life bashing. Sure I know, not all of them yeah? But I do not want to waste mental energy anymore trying to differentiate each one of them. Not that I'm generalizing, It is just hard to point out who stands out these days. They all claimed to be 'different', otherwise known as 'holier than thou'.

Two types of the self-righteous yoga crusaders:

• They look down their noses at others
• They look holier than thou and compare themselves with those they deem less worthy

Let's face the reality, the whole eastern philosophy has been completely bastardized and used for neoliberal propaganda. Yoga and spirituality are supposed to be the way to make a difference. But it turns out, radical self-love only perpetuates oppression, racism, inequality, and injustice. Another way to otherize people. Most of those who view themselves as healers, yogis or spiritual teachers are doing something dangerous subconsciously, spreading further divide and aggression under the guise of love and light.

Now I don't want to be a hypocrite here and say that I have never tried yoga and be an oh-so spiritual lady. I am just as broken and empty just like most of the traveling yogis. Oh yes, I did try joining a spiritual community in some remote area in Brazil where I was amongst the self-righteous, snobby yogis. They are not arrogant, they will only point out that they are better than you, that's all. My first yoga experience, I just farted loudly in the middle of a very calm yoga crowd and peaceful moment. So I stopped and realized that it's not for me. But surely my disinterest has something to do with not wanting to belong and be further disappointed.

I read some crazy yoga-bashing on Youtube and how the Balinese people are getting so sick of the self-righteous traveling yogis. But in the end, as always, the locals are only getting accused of being jealous. Why do people when called out think that others are only jealous of their privilege and status? Have they never been called out and oppressed in their entire molly-coddled lives? Then it sucks to be them.

Just because you're a bendy traveling vegan does not make you superior to the rest. Wear the vegan t-shirt and yoga pants by all means, but it does not give you any right to disrespect and look down on others. It does not mean your country does not do any shit to the world on a massive scale. These yoga crusaders should be aware of their own shit before they start traveling or going around pointing the flaws of the natives. I've seen this utter ignorance myself. The people have already suffered destructive colonialism, neocolonialism, and centuries-old oppression and yet here they are again, subconsciously repeating the history.

There seems to be a passionate, perverse joy that can be found from yoga and feeling oh-so-superior to those being denounced. Those pretty, shallow airheads do the trick. Are they some social rejects in their own societies and the only way to feel better and validate themselves is to travel in some posh yoga $5000+ retreat somewhere in Bali? And look down on locals for their disgusting ways that are so inferior to the so-called civilized western society. If you are indeed better, why travel halfway across the world to cure purposelessness and depression brought about by culturally conditioned empty lives.

I don't mean to add up to the full-throttle yoga sutra negativity and trash the yoga fanatics, I just need to say what the masses don't know behind those glorified traveling bloggers and yogis. Most importantly, I need to release this hatred slowly brewing by speaking my mind, not necessarily synonymous to hate speech or political incorrectness. I understand that travelers need a proper job aside from teaching English. They are too good for dishwashing and nanny jobs. These jobs are reserved for those who genuinely need to make a living and not to travel around the world to do yoga. Most of the yoga centers that hire high paying yoga teachers are owned by neocolonialists who market themselves as soulless sellouts and neoliberal automatons. There's no yogic spirituality anymore, only another form of cultural appropriators and colonialist exploiters.

I have few real friends and you should know why by now. But I do have a lot of enemies (government, tyrannical powermongers, oppressive ruling elite, yeah but people, holier than thou people, neocolonialists, and cockroaches) and no I will not love them, hell! But I know them clearly. And if we want 'change', like real change, know thy enemy as they say. And yes, so many of them, such a select club of those with real virtue! Maybe change starts when you start recognizing your own freedom. When you are no longer afraid to freely express and be yourself to the world.