I have a bit of an obsession with the reinterpretation of ideas. Cover songs, the re-imaginings of classic stories in any facet of the entertainment industry, modern takes on famous pieces of art; you name any way you can adapt something and I've probably got a favorite in that medium. It's a love that started at an early age, probably the result of a terrible combination of Disney, Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes, and classic fairy tales. For me there's always something fascinating about seeing not only what pieces of the original make it into the new retelling but how it changes your way of looking at the classic. I know that these types of things can be rather controversial to people, fans or followers that are so attached to the original that any change is viewed as an abomination. Which in many ways I get but by the same token I can't say I've ever really come across a re-interpretation that wasn't done out of respect. An element of the original song or story that stuck with the new artist so much that they felt the need to share their spin and love of it with the world.
The Yoga Hive is one of the few businesses that I've seen advertised in stickers that I actually knew exactly where it was. While I never got the chance to participate in one of their classes I used to live a few blocks away from the studio in Garfield, well this was a couple of apartments ago but I was still familiar with this locale. There are certainly a number of yoga studios around the city and yet this one always kind of stuck out to me. I think a large part of it is the name, with its emphasis on the idea of a hive or community. They always seemed to be a chill location, so I figured it was worth taking the chance to reach out to the studio and find out how they came about with Namaste Yinz. Kimberly, the owner and a teacher at the studio, did end up getting back to me and gave a fairly interesting response about the hashtag featured above. "We are at #yogahivepgh #namasteyinz. I created both of those seven years ago before we opened the studio. It was also a play on a shirt that I had previously seen "namaste, ya'll" It's meant to be fun and playful. And also welcoming to all "yinzers." The hive was created to be a studio for everyone - where everyone and anyone could feel comfortable - whether they were in a t-shirt and shorts or fancy yoga clothes. While yinz has turned into a catch all, kitschy phrase, it's also one that I heard growing up in Pittsburgh. And has become synonymous with being a Pittsburgher. We are a diverse community of teachers and students and we welcome everyone." I know that in many ways, well probably most ways, appropriation would be the better term for this but at the same time I don’t get that sense of blind repurposing from it. Yes any version of Western Yoga is a form of cultural appropriation and the phrase clearly is derived from another but there is that sense of reverence to the originals. Namaste is a respectful Hindu greeting and often used to welcome guests and strangers. So in combination with the yinz, the phrase opens the studio up to the larger local community much like ya’ll does for the Southern end of the country. You can see how they are looking to create a re-interpretation of the larger idea that fits the region. How this emphasis of creating a welcoming community plays into the ability to find acceptance and inner resolve. Clearly all of the teachers of the hive are influenced by the traditions of Yoga but you can see how each one looks to welcome others into the practice with their unique spin.
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Maggie Ondrey
An amateur photographer and writer capturing a small portion of the city. Archives
August 2017
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