Crazy is the new Normal

I find myself in this mood where I can’t stop thinking about the ridiculousness of our way of life. I stand here, on one of London’s underground platforms, ever so patiently waiting for a train to come, wondering to myself: ‘what is normal’?

Is it just me – am I the only one feeling a little weird in this world? Catching myself neurotically wondering whether I should behave somewhat differently and perhaps even feel more ‘appropriate’? Am I alone in this? Somehow I am not convinced that I am.

So, back to the flow of my thoughts as I wait for my train, observing all these people staring at one spot on the ground. I check the spot they are looking at once, twice, a zillion times but it doesn’t impress me much. I can see headphones in some of their ears – I’m guessing they are listening to music… but their bodies are stiff. Then I wonder… how does one listen to music and manage to keep their body so rigid? That takes discipline for sure.

My mind becomes curious about the office outfit. ‘Hm…’, – my funny mind reflects: ‘I thought that most of us didn’t really like wearing a school uniform’. Did you ever notice that it looks like a school uniform? So… really, we are going to school for most of our childhood, wearing uncomfortable clothes, waiting for the freedom to wear what we want and spend our time as we desire when we grow up. And when we grow up, we choose to wear the same uniform, just few sizes bigger, choose to go to a school like regime… and…

…and what I think next makes me chuckle to myself. I remember this joke I read ages ago on facebook: ‘Let’s have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride stationary bicycles’. I just love my mind when it entertains me with a joke like this. It surely sums up the realisations I had so well. Thank you mind for your entertainment and insight and…. I am back to my body.

I find myself feeling an itch to move, to stretch, to stomp my feet to the beautiful track that is so generously playing through my cheap ‘not-so-smart’ headphones. And so… I allow my body to move, allow my body to stretch, allow my cheeks to blush in this sunset rosy colour as a few people are distracted from their careful observing of the ‘boring spot’.

Suddenly, I am feeling overwhelmed with an urge to practise my handstands. But how do I do it? What will all those people think of me waiting for a train upside down? This just looks crazy! But wait a minute… I come to the same question as I started with this small journey of my mind: what is normal? What is normal for me? For me, normal is being healthy. Being healthy is being content. Being content is being able to express my truth. The truth of my ‘crazy is the new normal’ realisation wants to be expressed through a handstand practise on the London underground platform. Maybe it is not a Ghandi’s speech but it is a speech enough to distract a few beautiful people from a boring spot, to spectate a learning in practise and perhaps inspire a few souls to be a truer and beautifully weird versions of themselves.

I notice a few people smiling, and I just love inspiring a life-enhancing smile. I can see the train approaching, and I finish my beautiful socially awkward yoga practise and board. A few passengers approach me for a chat, thanking me for sparkling up a vibe on the platform. I reflect to myself: this is yoga practise after all. I was able to express my truth, reach out, so somebody recognizes my speech and is able to approach me. So here we are sharing a moment together and exchanging a good laugh. This is the creation of London community in action.

And this is how I started doing yoga and talking to strangers in social settings. Let me know if you want to join me in playing yoga or doing some funky things that inspire us as urban beings to share these moments together. I would love to hear your stories too! So should you feel inspired, do take time to write a small scribble to me.
Loads of love and a feeling of big gratitude to all of you that join in in our weirdness.

Your ‘crazy normal’ yogini