Yoga Totes and Bags: Meeting a Bag Lady at Ma’s India
February 9, 2010 on 3:00 pm
While shopping in Ma’s India after darshan, I met this lady who referred to herself humorously as a “bag lady.” Seeing she was in her early 40’s, I inquired of her how she had come to view herself as this “bag lady.” She quickly laughed and gestured to the three bags and yoga totes she planned to purchase. I responded, “Well, I guess you’re living up to your name.” She told me that she was a world traveler and sometime early in her travels, she had become interested in bags and yoga totes. She told me that some people collect frogs and other people collect pigs, but for her it’s always been about bags and yoga totes. “I guess it’s because I am always carrying something larger than fits in a purse.”
And now, she said, “It’s become both spiritual and ecological to buy bags and yoga totes such as these. I am very against of course using plastic as we have been told they do not decompose and are polluting our oceans as well as our landfills, and so I buy these wonderful bags and yoga totes for grocery shopping and other miscellaneous purposes.
She further said that she had chosen these bags and yoga totes for various reasons in particular. “I am particularly in love with this Ganesh Shoulder Bag because of its wide shoulder strap. This yoga tote has a hidden zipper compartment under the flap. That makes it even more useful. And I do so love this bright orange color, the color of sanyas.” (As a note, sanyas is another name for renunciate.) “This yoga tote is so comfortable and capacious she added, with Ganesh as its design. While I might not be enamored of frogs and pigs, I do love the symbolism of elephants, those wonderful beings, both for their intelligence and loyalty to their families. And I do know that Ganesh is the remover of obstacles, so I am doubly blessed with this yoga tote and bag.
“This Om Yoga Tote Bag – 18 “inches”, she gestured to, “I plan to use for shopping. It is boldly black and gold with the wonderful Om sign on. I think it’s a very attractive yoga tote for grocery shopping and when I go to the beach it not only holds my bathing suit, cap, lotion and lunch, but reminds me to meditate on “Om” while I am sunbathing.” 
Continuing, this remarkable lady pointed to the Ganesh, Nataraj and Kali (tie-dyed) Yoga Tote –18-inch bags. “These bags and yoga totes with their long double handles are great for not only my grocery shopping, picking up a few items, but also when I go to my yoga classes and take my water bottles, change of clothes and various other asundry choices. The tie-dyed presentation brings me back to the 60’s and 70’s and I do love that these spiritual figures adorn these yoga totes and bags.”
She then turned to me and said, “Now, do you see why I consider myself a “bag lady?” I could not refute her appraisal of herself in the light of overwhelming evidence of her selection of yoga tote bags, and congratulated her on her choices.
I also referred her to some favorite choices of mine amongst the yoga totes and bags. I told her that I preferred the Shiva Yoga Tote Bag because it doubles as a very attractive spiritual purse in which to put my makeup and other small items. I also appreciate that this yoga tote is made of sturdy denim with the image of Shiva on water resistant vinyl with a closing zipper.
I have found that these bright colors of Shiva on the yoga tote and bag always attract attention and give me the opportunity to share my favorite contemplative, Shiva, whose renunciation was also marked by his infinite compassion for humanity.
And for a very reasonable price, I recommended the Small Om Drawstring Bags which are great for putting gifts such as bracelets or rings in, or even carrying your signature cards or makeup if you are going to a party, and don’t want to wear a yoga tote bag. These come both in satin and cotton.
Then, last but not least, there are the beautifully colored black, purple, turquoise and red Embroidered Om Bags, which are made of four by five inch satin, and will accompany with grace any outfit one may wear. Either makeup or malas will find a satisfactory resting place within these intricately designed pouches.
I must add that the “Bag Lady” congratulated me on my choices also. And what I learned from her is that one doesn’t need to be despairing of becoming a bag lady if these are some of your choices of yoga totes and bags. A happy time was had at Ma’s India that day of shared bags and yoga totes. Om Namah Shiva Ki Jai!