Did Yogi do Yoga

By H. Kirk Ranier

As an outsider to the practice of yoga and with a distant, childhood recollection of the animated bear, Yogi, I consider the question: 

Did Yogi do Yoga?  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Bear

Besides the obvious similarity in name is the possibility that Yogi did Yoga; after all, this character needed “more than the average bear” to partake of Jellystone Park’s daily fare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pqyax6gwzQ

Naturally, this bear would have to perform the unnatural; the quick and allusive fleet of foot (or paw) so able to evade Ranger Smith and ensure that the lunch basket reached its sometimes distant, but desired destiny.   

Unlike his protégé, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi’s presence was less desired, downright un-domestic; hence, the need to be quick and intelligent (“smarter than the average bear), and ideally, with the least amount of stress for man and beast. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckleberry_Hound

Yogi might very well do Yoga; not only to relieve his own stress (from a day’s thievery) but to deal with the conscience of his faithful sidekick, Boo-Boo Bear. This regimen or “program” could have (had) some benefits: 

þ  After such stress-relief, the city-dwellers could have been willing to defy the park’s rule “Don’t feed the bears”, and instead, exercise goodwill and grow further appreciation for the wildlife.

þ  Yogi and Boo-Boo could have networked with the Berenstain Bears aligning and leveraging a full complement of bear-related benefits and opportunities beyond convention (the zoo, circus and similar entertainment).  

þ  National and state parks, adopting similar programs, could have raised the bar of the camping experience—and general lifestyle—to a new height of, well let’s say, to the next level, beyond the “bear necessities”.    

In my next posting (and continuing on this theme):  “Did Yogi like Yogurt?” 

As of March 2011, H. Kirk Rainer has written, published the following:  

·         A Once and Always Father - is a dedication to his kids; the content expresses a husband and father’s perspectives on marriage and family, courtships and courts, custody and criminalization; and what has happened with the taking of the time-honored treasures of marriage from that of a contract to the present “relationship of convenience”; and all along, addressing the plight of a parent through family law—in the context, conditions and consequences of uncontested divorce, victim’s rights, and court conduct. 

·         A FATHER AND FUTURE FELON - is loosely based on twelve letters—written from jail—the book is a dedication to fathers and to those who fit similar roles and responsibility.  Drawing from the works of Saint Augustine, the Bible, historical and other-subject resources; each chapter offers alliteration on fatherhood—in a physical setting of St. John’s County (FL) and other detainees that he generally categorizes as “Fellows/Fathers”.

These publications are available at the St. Johns Public Library; e-versions of the books are available at www.alwaysfather.com.

A third book of similar theme is being developed as of 2011; the proposed title comes from the Book of Job:  His Children are far from Safety.  The cover design, as shown at the right, applies safety-orange along with striping and an image of light—all of which is common to safety barricades and other equipment.  More information can be found on the thematic Website at alwaysfather.com and, in addition, has been presented in Video on the author’s face-book account.  The book will be a fictional fable of sort—loosely based on the Book of Job with influences and references still under development.     

He has embarked on a personal crusade aimed, at the least, to enable his own children to know that he still loves and cares for them.  To this purpose, he has gained much support and understanding from such organizations as:  American Coalition for Fathers and Children (acfc.org); Alabama Family Rights Association (alfra.org); Protect Fathers' Right (protectfathersrights.org); National Father Initiative (fatherhood.org); Institute for American Values (AmericanValues.org); and the Florida International University (FIU), "The State of Fatherhood" research.