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Hi All!
Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.
What I’m watching —
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator by Eva Orner
There are some things that really push my buttons: fakery, sexual predation, verbal abuse, boorishness, coarseness, racism, and charlatanism are some that spring to mind right now. Mr. Bikram Choudhury managed to push all those of those buttons for me and then some. From the very first frame I experienced him as repellent, repugnant, revolting — a sleezeball of the first magnitude. And that impression was only reinforced as the film unfolded. What a creep!
However, despite my revulsion for Bikram, the film itself is a must-see for its insights into the human propensity to turn a blind eye to abusive power-mongery and corruption when the apparent product/service benefits are perceived to outweigh the deficits. Bikram was a canny enough marketer to hijack his original yoga teacher’s 26-posture format, add high temperatures and deliver it with a bullying bootcamp smackdown approach. Parading his body around in nothing but a bulging speedo and throwing in outlandish claims was the icing on the cake. Folks flocked to his packed classes — and the teacher trainings which would garner him up to five million dollars a pop.
Charismatic serial-liars can have surprising staying power, as this doc well illustrates. And while Bikram finally had to flee the US, he’s back at it in countries like Mexico and Spain, with a whole new crop of acolytes willingly subjecting themselves to his antics in return for apparent progress on the yogic path…
There is no question that tens if not hundreds of thousands have benefited greatly from the Bikram program. Because, yes, it flat out got and gets results. It’s just sad to see the collateral damage Bikram inflicted in the process of delivering his product.
What I’m reading —
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
I got turned on to Brandon Stanton when listening to the excellent Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis. Stanton is a flat-out brilliant photographer with a fabulous sense of composition and an uncanny ability to pose his subjects in a striking manner. But what sets him apart is his engaged love for those he portrays and the brief commentaries he gleans from these unique characters. The result is an inspirational meditation on and celebration of humanity’s glorious diversity.
What I am putting into my body —
CoQ-10
When my dad was in his late seventies I introduced him to CoQ-10. He liked the consistent energy boost he got from it so much that he would have me ship four bottles of it at a time over to him in the UK. He continued to swear by it until pretty much the time of his death at the age of 91.
I take note of what supplements I seem to have stuck with over the long haul and CoQ-10 is clearly a favored companion. Here’s some of the claimed benefits:
- Improves cardiovascular function
- Boosts energy and stamina
- Supports cognitive function
- Fights free radical damage
- Supports healthy vision and hearing
- Improves oral health
- Promotes smooth, supple skin
Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com