Viral Video

I admit it, I'm a wanna be yogi. I also appreciate the female form, sensuous dancing and the occasional well-made porn. Well, maybe a little more than occasionally...

When the first Equinox yoga video came out earlier this year, I was torn with how to feel. The feminist part of me wanted to be shocked and appalled that an activity I love was being demonstrated by a woman in her underwear, especially with a man lying in a bed behind her. But at the same time, she was beautiful, confident, and teaching valuable yoga skills, even if she was sexualizing the experience. I never made a decision about how I felt, and eventually forgot about the video in general.

This video was posted today: Balancing Act on the Equinox website, of the same teacher with her new husband. All I have to say about it is, wow. The trust between the couple is amazing. I don't know of anyone I would trust to hold me up with just their feet while I contort my legs in the air, even after some drinks. They were able to make it look like a sensuous experience and demonstrate their bond even without making eye contact. I truly enjoyed the experience of watching them move together with such strength and grace. They may have been sexualizing yoga, but they were doing it in a way that showed strength and demonstrating challenging poses.

In contrast, videos like Diplo's Set it Off are visually, and somewhat sexually, appealing, but are too staged and practiced for me. I'd rather see a woman with her hair in a messy ponytail and minimal makeup than dressed to the nines with tons of makeup and stilettos. Plus, there is the added appeal of the couple using each other as props, rather than an inanimate object. Maybe growing up has something to do with it, but I get more of a thrill witnessing the connection between two beautiful people.

Reviews of 'Balancing Act' have been mixed. Some people are still scandalized by the idea of yoga in a bra in panties, while others really enjoyed the video. On the other hand, everything I can find about 'Set it Off' talks about how amazing the pole dancers are. The differences in each video's audience is very apparent after reading these reviews. I guess the yoga crowd still doesn't listen to techno or electronica!