Casey Palmer: a Proto Punk Pioneer in Portland
As you’re quickly becoming aware, We, in our little Ashtanga Yoga Land, have a culture. This word stems from the Latin meaning “to cultivate or to toil over.”
And, this cultivation of the soil, slowly became a cultivation of the mind.
This is were we get the word ‘cult’ from.. which is to say, “cultivated, or inhabited.”
In a way, our work in yoga, leads our mind to become inhabited. We become Self-possessed.
Without really sitting down to talk with Casey Palmer before now, what we noticed immediately, is that we share a common experience and culture. In fact, meeting him in this podcast was like meeting a family member, a twin, a lost older brother. Something akin to when Arjuna meets Karna for the first time and recognizes him immediately.
Casey is a ‘Gen-Xer’ — a punk, ‘Do-It-Yourselfer.’ Fiercely independent and skeptical of hierarchies and monetization of that which is pure and authentic.
You see, we Gen-Xers often adhere to this ethos in spite of ourselves— we’re armed and ready to cut off our nose to spite our face.
Why do we do this?
Well, let me introduce you to Lloyd Dobler.
The quote from the movie, Say Anything, “I don’t want to produce anything sold, bought or produced” is so woven into the fabric of our personality that Harmony and Casey didn’t even register it as a pop culture quote (and really, what could be more Gen-X?) - It is simply who we are.
As the Buddha says “Nothing is permanent, except change”
Please sit and listen to a fascinating discussion on a number of different topics like the culture in Mysore, holding multiple frames of consideration for Pattabhi Jois, growing up in Alaska, leading a yoga community as as an anarchist collective, and whether we can really hold onto anything for more than a passing moment in time.
Or as Lloyd Dobler, our fearless Gen-X archetype says,
“I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. I just want to love your daughter, and I think Kickboxing might be the sport of the future.”
As we all now know… Lloyd’s vision has come true.
The Finding Harmony Podcast is hosted, edited and produced by Harmony Slater and co-hosted by Russell Case.
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Opening and closing music compliments of my dear friend teaching Ashtanga yoga in Eindhoven, Nick Evans, with his band “dawnSong” from the album “for Morgan.”
Listen to the entire album on Spotify - Click Here.
To purchase your own copy - Click Here.
