Although us yoga bloggers are normally content to humbly toil away in unremunerated obscurity, occasionally little perks get thrown our way: offers of meditation books to review, early news flashes of cool new yoga products to endorse, and so forth and so on.
Normally, of course, I maintain what I fondly imagine to be my non-commercialized street cred, and just send a nice note back to such email proffers politely declining my opportunity to help publicize said commodity in my little corner of the blogosphere.
But every once in awhile, something comes along that’s just too good to refuse.
Because lo and behold: What do I find in my inbox today but a nice little note from “Krystal” of the “Leela Outreach Team” telling me about a brand new Xbox Live game designed by Deepak Chopra!
Say what?!
As the mother of a teenage boy who (OK, hem, I’m about to lose all my yogic credibility here) totally enjoys playing Call of Duty on Xbox with his friends, I have to say that I find this whole idea immensely humorous. (Although I have a worried suspicion that around 89% of my YM readers may be feeling more horrified right now instead.)
Deepak on Xbox?!
Oooo kay . . . I mean, he is rather the commercial wizard after all, sooo . . . should I really be surprised?
At any rate, curiosity piqued, I zipped over to the site and checked out the “Leela” video. And . . . . found it pretty super-fun seeming – kinds of wacky flashback crossover of my trippy high school days with my new 21st century social media Mom with Xbox playing sons sort of way.
I love this promo video (cue sultry New Age-y voiceover): “Balance. The. Creative Forces. That Shape the Earth.”
Cue dramatic final sales pitch wrap-up:
“7 Chakras. 7 Movements. Over 40 Levels of Game Play.”
Oh yeah! Woot! I’m ready to go . . .
Except, I know from my kids that new Xbox games cost upwards of 50 bucks and there’s no way I’m shelling out like that . . . all this volunteer yoga teaching in jails and blogging leaves one a bit short on the cash money . . .
But maybe Deepak will send me a free game since I blogged about it??
Not that I’m selling out or anything! (cough) Honestly (and no, I’m not being ironic), I think that this looks like a fun and intriguing twist on the world of video gaming. Really, I do. Although I suspect that anything beyond such vanilla items as “Wii Fit” might be anathema to much of the yoga crowd – but perhaps not!
I mean, why should we be sticks in the mud? And why not give our fellow citizens (whoops, I mean consumers) a chance to learn something about the Chakra system while bouncing balls of light between our hands and throwing fireballs at our TV screens?
Have I lost my mind? Or does this sound like good clean 21st century yoga fun to you too?
Cause if someone will spring for the game, I’m ready to play . . .
…goofy to the max, Carol! That video was just funny. If people like it, I suppose it could open up the Xbox to a whole new crowd! Including you!
Any video game that engages one's "third eye chakra" is awesome by me! Haha, I love your take on this. I received the same press release and was so shocked that I couldn't even look at the trailer (not that I'm any stranger to blog selling out ~ sometimes, I just can't resist the free stuff!). This is just too absurd to take seriously, and Deepak has definitely embraced Spirituality 2.0, with his iPhone apps, Twitter wisdom, etc. 21st century yoga video game fun is fine with me! Just remember, it's all fun and games until someone ends up with a ball of light in their eye…
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At first I thought you were thinking it was a good game to distract your son from blowing up people's heads but that would just be wishful thinking.
And then I thought it was just directed at stoners which is where the good clean fun comes in.
But then I figured 40 levels might reveal something that is not obvious at first and that is why someone will pay Mr. Chopra $50.00 bucks for it.
So please ask for a promo copy and let us know.
Love this blog. Just posted to StumbleUpon. I urge everyone to routinely post and like things on StumbleUpon. Sometimes a blog takes off and sometimes nothing happens, but it's clear to me that the more we all do it the better we will attract new readers for all our sites. Great blogs like this deserve a really large audience!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/yogamodern.com/cat…
Bob W.
Editor, Elephant Journal http://bit.ly/avpOmI
Unlike with Facebook or even Twitter, you never have to worry on StumbleUpon whether you might irritate someone by posting a blog. That's what everyone comes there for–to find new blogs they would not have seen already. That's it's unique attraction for posting your blogs.
Bob
All,
The folks who wrote the script for the game: incredible, gifted yoga teachers.
The folks who produced and designed the game: genius creatives who poured their hearts into the project for 2+ years.
The intent behind the game: to MAYBE steer a few kids away from the violence of the guns and into their own hearts. To MAYBE get a few families playing and chilling together.
Please know that this is intended to uplift; what would happen if families talked about these energy centers in their bodies, the purpose of each one – even talked about their breathing, their intentions, their gratitude?
And here is a very real kid with a very real review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_caAUXF-vNY
With so much respect,
Elena Brower