WHY BAD?

The most commonly asked questions we receive are, “Why bad people?”, “Am I bad enough?”, “Bad in life or bad at yoga?”, “How are you bad?”.

The answer is that we used the term “bad” in our name as a response to what we noticed happening in the yoga community and more specifically in the (at the time, small) retreat community.

Everything seemed to be just a little too serious and as a result we felt that people were being left out. It had become a little too intimidating to walk into a yoga class as a new beginner. Even a seasoned yoga practitioner might feel that they weren’t dedicated enough to commit to a weeklong retreat. Maybe they worried that they would get there and feel that they were in way too deep.  

We had been practicing and teaching for a quite a while when we came up with this idea….and name. We had dipped into the more serious aspects of the practice and sure, we saw the value there. But what we especially realized is that we were part of a very, very small community and that meant there were tons of people being excluded.

A lot of people take our name to mean that our trips are for major partiers or people that don’t even do yoga.

It’s really not that extreme.

Number one, we love yoga and the point will always be the practice and getting more people practicing.  If you are already practicing, the purpose is to give you new tools to stay interested and healthy and inspired.

But we did need to find a way to make everyone feel equally included. We want every post and email blast to feel as though it’s a personal invitation to all, that anyone can be a part of anything that we are doing.

The “bad” person is simply anyone willing to look into things a little bit deeper than the way it is handed to them. Someone willing to break the rules a little bit (respectfully). It’s anyone that wants to be involved and that certainly doesn’t exclude those of the small community we started out in.

So what are we doing to keep it bad in 2016? To keep you and us interested? To keep everyone practicing well, to rebel just enough against some of the new norms, to push the envelope, to stay in sunshine? 

First, a short word on resolutions. Because that’s what our promises to you are right?

To resolve something is to state that there was once a problem, conflict or deficit of something necessary.

Sometimes these are obvious and quite simple. Sometimes though they can be a bit forced which is maybe why resolutions don’t always stick.  You force yourself to state a problem and then force the program to fix it. It lacks conviction. So just a few days in, your mind goes, “What the heck! This wasn’t even a big issue before. Why are we doing this?!”

So this year we are going to sit and reflect. To allow the shifts to come to you rather then searching for them so aggressively. Then, you actually give yourself the time to accept it and you can move forward with your solutions. 

Having taught yoga for a number of years now, we know that every January the room will be packed with eager “resolutioners”.  We’ve heard promises to do yoga every day for the year. All sorts of poses are being guaranteed.  Come February though, the numbers begin to dwindle…just a little.

The standard is just set so highly out of the actual reality of one’s life.  There is value to a challenge, but it’s got to be one rooted in reality. Take the time to sit. Don’t search. Sit and focus. The necessary realistic actions will come. 

That is the “bad person’s” approach. A willingness to go the extra mile. 

Secondly, be light hearted. Have fun. Get the people around you involved.

YFBP resolutions:

* teach more local YFBP classes

* support and promote yoga events outside of our own

* give more compliments 

* partner with the unassuming

* collaborate with the unexpected

* jump more rope

* become more educated on presidential candidates

* cook more at home

* go without nail polish

* leave iPhone away from bed

xo