Bliss Miss

By Kristen Dollard

A conversation with renowned yoga teacher Seane Corn

Q: Do you have any inspiration for days when we just don’t feel like getting on the mat?

A: Just give yourself permission to do 15 minutes. Say, “All right, I’m going to do a couple of sun salutes, a couple of standing poses, an inversion, and I’m good to go.” And leave it alone. Don’t beat yourself up because you didn’t do an hour.

Q: To some, yoga means living in a pure, spiritual realm. Can you be committed to yoga and, at the same time, live in the “real world”?

A: Believe me, in my 20s I wore the mala [prayer] beads and the hemp skirts and tie-dyed T-shirts. I played out all of it. Eventually balance took over, and I started realizing you can live in the material, physical world—you just do it consciously. There is a feeling in the yoga community that there’s some great blessing in being broke and destitute. I don’t agree.

Q: Do you have material-world weaknesses?  

A: I love to shop. I buy myself one beautiful bag a year. It’s very meditative for me, and once in a while, if I get a pair of shoes, a fabulous pair of pants, or a great moisturizer for a ridiculous amount of money, I don’t punish myself for it.

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