gdp's Comments

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : If It's My Body, Then Why Can't I Sell It? ~ Mel Johnson

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Thanks for the comment. I actually agree with your refinements to my argument in principle. I like that you replaced "prostitution" with "waiting tables" because that mentality is one of the ways I came to my "take the morality out of it" idea. Often people have to do work they don't always like, but my point in challenging the legality of prostitution has more to do with protecting women than anything else, and that includes protecting the ones who don't really like it. I entertain and ask people to entertain the idea of being realistic about prostitution. It isn't going away. Not ever. So, let's protect those girls who are out there whether they like being out there or not. I hadn't heard of "The Sessions", but I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the suggestion. :) Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : If It's My Body, Then Why Can't I Sell It? ~ Mel Johnson

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:17:37 +0000

Hey Nate, I guess what I'm looking for is better than what we have. I definitely like the idea of "cleaner and less dangerous", but you're probably right that the outcome will be mixed. Prostitutes still have to overcome social stigmas. I do believe that legalization could only be beneficial. Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : If It's My Body, Then Why Can't I Sell It? ~ Mel Johnson

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:57:02 +0000

Hey Sara, And thanks for that. I kinda feel that way, too... like it's the final frontier of compassion. :) Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : If It's My Body, Then Why Can't I Sell It? ~ Mel Johnson

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:56:01 +0000

Hey Jamie, I totally agree with you that you're a feminist and a true feminist at that. So happy to read there are others in my corner fighting the lost feminists. ;) Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : If It's My Body, Then Why Can't I Sell It? ~ Mel Johnson

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:54:52 +0000

Hey Lisa, I'm sorry if my distinguishing between trafficking and prostitution wasn't clearer for you, but my intent was absolutely to make that distinction. I don't believe I oversimplified prostitution at all, but I did simply say that women who make the choice for people to pay them for sex should not be criminalized. Victims are victims, and frankly, even the ones who are not prostituting themselves by choice are victims of a system that criminalizes them. Not fair and not okay. Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Will the Real Yoga Please Stand Up? ~ Mel Johnson

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:18:31 +0000

It was meant to be funny. I have tons of respect for both Iyengar and MJ. :)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Ten Steps to Eating Perfectly.

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:50:16 +0000

And Śākyamuni's advice was to follow the Middle Path, but even Buddhists seem to forget this. Your exercise in mowing the lawn made you think, which is the point, but to quit mowing the lawn is to forget the Middle Path. :)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 32 Truths Every Adult Should Know.

Sat, 8 Dec 2012 01:06:53 +0000

I would imagine Waylon Lewis takes issue with #30. ;)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 10 Things I Would like to Tell my 20-Year-Old Self. ~ Jennifer Spesia

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:45 +0000

Curses. I did this in my 30s and 40s. Awesome advice, though. :)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The Secret Teaching of Parenting.

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:29:20 +0000

Hey Jason, Thanks for the response, but "truth" isn't relative and opinions are often exactly that: relative and subjective. Like you said, your experience. Not fact. Not truth. A belief. Just like my opinion (what you perhaps considered to be shaming and blaming) that the beginning of your video was disappointing. Some people likely found it inspiring. I don't think I've ever been called "passive". I was fairly direct with you. I will, however, credit you for the part of your advice that can (perhaps) be considered universally helpful: that we can learn from children. I disagree that you are not "whole" (what on earth does that mean???) but I would agree with you that you can grow by learning and watching children. Maybe I'm just pickier with language. Keep in mind that you can also be deceived and manipulated by them and get blinded by and lost in your love for them. Children are constantly looking for ways to be in charge. I've read the peer reviewed studies. Try to remember that we're animals and sometimes act that way. Your children are no exception. Let me guess... your children aren't teenagers. My advice (and I'm no expert)? Being sensitive is nice, but being on the ball is more important when you're trying to rear and prepare children for the realities of life. Just wait till they're teenagers and then see how you feel. ;) Cheers, Mel

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The Secret Teaching of Parenting.

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:43:35 +0000

So, my adopted sister whose father molested her and mother died of breast cancer... they were her soul path? She needed THAT family? Do you understand that what you're saying about "soul path" is a belief? Not a fact? Not much different from believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny? I'm having legitimate difficulty as a new stepmother and when I saw the headline of this article I thought I would get sound advice... especially after reading your credentials at the bottom. What a disappointment.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : "To live in the hearts we leave behind is to live forever." ~ Christopher Hitchens

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:43:53 +0000

"RIP" to Christopher Hitchens' death seems kinda silly. He was an atheist. Just sayin'. ;)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : "I refuse to have elephant feet." Protect yourself against Uggs. {Funny}

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:35:36 +0000

This was awesome. And hilarious. I remember what seems like a million years ago when Uggs were a brilliant Australian invention for surfers to keep their feet warm after getting out of the cold water... I know because I surf and I had a pair. When I moved to Northern California in 2004 I saw SoCal transplant girls wearing them with mini skirts. Pretty sure they weren't surfers. Maybe these East Coast Starbucks girls surf???

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Editor's Letter: "If today is the last day of my life, I'd want to pass on just a few things."

Fri, 2 Sep 2011 17:32:45 +0000

Cheers to that... and thanks for ALL your hard work. ej has been a great inspiration for me. I've been practicing yoga for a while and realized after reading oodles of ej articles it was time for me to give back & write. I now offer a weekly "yoga opinion" piece to Northern Virginia http://lorton.patch.com/articles/me-myself-irene (my latest). I lived in California with a strong yoga community and I'm hoping to bring some of that laid-back mentality to the NorVa readers. Perhaps in a similar spirit to your bringing Shambhala Sun Summer Camp mentality to your readers? Thanks again for all you do with your youthful and wise spirit. Cheers & Namastes P.S. Joseph Campbell is my co-pilot. ;)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Playboy Yoga.

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:44:47 +0000

Oh, and any reference to breath might be nice, eh?

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Playboy Yoga.

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:40:44 +0000

I agree... although I giggled at the boob closeups and porn music. The only part about her instruction that seemed awkward was the use of first person singular. Dunno if I've heard a teacher say "I" so much, but then again, she IS the one instructing. Might as well refer to herself. (???)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Dare you to watch this video without smiling.

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 12:19:19 +0000

Smile? I think I just peed in my pants a widdwle bit... :)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Don't read this. Read a book.

Sun, 29 May 2011 14:12:45 +0000

Just put down Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses (five stars) and picked up Caveman Logic: The Persistence of Primitive Thinking in a Modern World (both on Kindle)... but I gotta read my daily ej. ;)

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : I Thought Samadhi was Found Somewhere Between the Sheets & Pincha Mayurasana.

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:15:17 +0000

i am a western woman who has a menstrual cycle. i will be crazy at LEAST once a month from age 10 to age 50. (yes, i started early. lucky me.) my weird culture has told me to suppress my natural rhythm... so that i can function in the workplace without choking someone. why do women flock to yoga? maybe it's a simple, drug-free replacement for prozac? works for me. thanks to the author for being human. cheers & namastes.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Broke Teacher.

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:40:27 +0000

and i agree with you. my massage therapist (a man) upon realizing i didn't have enough cash with me said, "do you need a lower price?" (is he serious?) i scolded him on devaluing himself and used my credit card. ;) i was simply arguing that those with an abundance of testosterone (versus estrogen) tend to be less-ruled by emotion, but (caveat) by no means are immune to letting their emotions run their minds. brian is great... and so is alexandra (yin-yang). cheers & namastes.