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My Television Gets Me

Friday, December 17, 2021

I don't typically watch any network TV but, on occasion, I'll switch over to traditional network television.  I was watching Wheel of Fortune last night (as one does), and the commercials/advertisements during this show always give me a chuckle.  The commercials are, very obviously, geared towards an age demographic.

Advertising, and advertisements, have always been interesting to me but, at its core, advertising is the art of manipulation.  In 30 seconds or less a commercial can show us a harrowing tale of loss, resilience, and overcoming challenges; you can be brought to tears with the emotional surge that a well-crafted advertisement creates.  29 of those 30 seconds are designed to build you up emotionally, and make you feel and think a certain way and then, BAM!......in that last second, the veil is dropped, and you're told to, "try the new bacon double cheeseburger"......"take this years SUV out for a test drive"......"stop spending your money on those other other skin care routines, and try this skin care routine that's totally different from those other skin care routines".  It's like my television understands me, and gets me.

Screens (our televisions, phones, desktops, tablets, etc), can be wonderful educational tools, or can be hypnotizing bear traps that track your clicks, your dwell time on a site and, more than likely, your facial expressions through the cameras installed on your devices (#conspiracytheory).  

How does all of this tie into a yoga practice?  I've said it many times, that a daily practice can help you sort through what is real and what is fake.  Your practice will train you to keep your mind still, while the world bounces on around you, like a pinball machine.  Don't expect the world to change its course anytime soon (if ever).  That's not cause for despair, but it should be a cue to anyone that you will never find peace in the world...the world will try and sell you things to get your money and then forget you.  One can find peace within, with the aid of your practice, on your mat.

Time to begin....

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