On a recent night out with new friends visiting from a different country, I was asked the usual question: "Where's a good place to go to hang out?" The query came at 10 PM on a Tuesday night, at a time when I am usually happily reading in bed, with Mozart softly playing in the background. But tonight, we are gloriously celebrating the camaraderie that comes with a shared passion: yoga. You see, we are all yoga teachers. Some of us own studios in Manila and most were in town for just a week, visiting Bangkok for a workshop with a legendary yoga personality. So, a quiet night at home will not do. The out-of-towners want to be impressed and I must deliver.
I decided to recommend a posh hotel in the heart of downtown. After a quick cab ride, we were standing in front of the imposing sliver of a building, with jazz softly humming out of the lobby bar. After the staff informed us that although we were most welcomed to stay on the ground floor, the hotel offers two other lounges, with the champagne bar, the crown jewel of the establishment, glittering on the outdoor 25th floor deck.
"That sounds perfect," purred a first-time visitor to Thailand. "When is the next time that I will be here, right? So, let's treat ourselves." So off we went, up the elevator crowded with what we agreed were Russian tourists, chatting to each other merrily. An attendant greeted us as we arrived at our destination. We still had to climb a few flights of stairs, through artfully lit hallways decorated with edgy, cryptic modern art ("The Entrails of My Wedding Dress, mixed media, 2009" was my favorite). After a few more minutes, the eastern exposure of Bangkok was at our feet, and we were shown our table in the pleasantly cool and breezy evening.
I was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, as it had been so long since I've been out, and the company was so much fun! Through I was observing a rising feeling of intimidation and just a whiff of anxiety, as the venue seems outrageously expensive. I often think about yoga philosophy and I had a moment of illumination, as what I was experiencing are classic symptoms of the dance between raga and dvesha.
"Raga" can be understood as excessive attachment to pleasure, whereas the avoidance of pain is known as "dvesha." These seemingly natural human characteristics can create quite an imbalance if one is unconsciously feeding such desires. Over time, the ego expands as we add to our long list of likes and dislikes, and we come to know ourselves not as a divine expression but rather as a reactive machine, constantly responding to external stimuli. It is raga at work when I felt the rush of admiration of the gorgeous setting; it is dvesha when I want to escape the seemingly unaffordable location. Raga can provide a platform for greed, lust and addiction, where fear, regret and hatred are the realms of dvesha.
So when I realized what was going on in my mind, I smiled at myself and decided to let the universe take its course. When a member of our party asked for water and the immaculate waiter presented us with a 450 THB (15 USD) bottle, the same woman who wanted to treat herself quickly suggested that we go back down to earth. So we took the elevator back down to reality and ordered a first bottle of red for slightly more than the price of water in heaven. Three more bottles later, I was grateful to be in the company of yogis who are always, consciously or not, practicing the art of balance (though not necessarily in moderation).
May you rise above the petty details of living and fully express yourself in life. Om Shanti Om.
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