The Great Debate: Yoga Pagoda vs Yoga Yurt

So I opened my big fat mouth over at Susan Fox's blog, Love Where You Live, this week.  She asked the question "What do you think of my meditation yoga room?" regarding the possibility of her building a yurt as a meditation/guest house.  If you don't know what a yurt is... read on.

via Wikipedia

According to the great Wikipedia oracle, a yurt "is a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia." (For my college readers: remember Erin from Exiled,  MTV's spin off of My Super Sweet 16, who was sent to Mongolia to live with some gypsies?  One of those.)  The Western version is an adaptation of these structures using high tech materials, less easily movable, and designed for the different weather conditions of its enthusiasts.

via Susan's Blog

Susan is a contributing editor for Traditional Home and owns The Green Plum, a boutique furniture shop, in Salida, Colorado.  So when she posts this question, I am sure she has already done her homework and knows what she wants.  But that has never stopped me from voicing my opinion before, so I went ahead and put my foot in my mouth... as usual.   So my words exactly were "[something nice]...I'd much rather have a pagoda...[more nice stuff]"

So to redeem myself, I have spent the better part of my free time away from my 18 month old son hunting for awesome, mind blowing, knock your socks off examples of fantastically fabulous pagoda buildings that could be used even in the most harsh winter conditions. Indulge me...

credit Burmese pagodas/temples built in the 11th-13th centuries.

Here is my connection between Yoga and the Pagoda, from this point on to be known as the Yoda.  Again, according to the oracle of wiki, what we call a Pagoda is an evolution of the ancient Indian stupa, a structure where sacred relics were kept and venerated.  This concept spread out throughout Asia and its form assumed the characteristics of each new country.

In the western world, the pagoda became popular around the 18th century, when the trade of goods from the far off lands inspired architects and designers as well as the poets and artists of the Romantic era.  These buildings, however, were nothing more than beautiful western structures embellished with some more exotic features such as a curved roofline and hanging cornice.

                                 

credit The Pagoda at Alexandra Park, Oldham, England

Georgian Pagoda at Blackheath, London photographed by the very friendly The Blackheath Bugle

credit Patterson Park Pagoda, Baltimore MD

The conclusion: If one is really inclined to build a pagoda to be used as living quarters in a harsh environment, and one had the means to do it, it can be done.  Just have a fabulous architect draw out a western version befitting your house, and hire one of the fabulous designer bloggers to decorate it. For the rest of us, there are two options:  build your own, here, or buy this gorgeous one from Rowlinson for under 1,200 GBP (under $2,000 US dollars).

I would paint it a fun shade of aqua, or apple green and white, or coral and white.  Hang some pretty  floral fabric panels on the inside.  Stick some incense sticks in a funky chinoiserie container and call it done.

OR...

 credit Napping pagoda in Bali

Susan, darling, can I convince you to build your Yoda at your house here in Galveston and have me over for some Bloody Marys?

AND NOW ON A COMPLETELLY DIFFERENT SUBJECT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK KELLY AT CHATELAINE RANCH FROM OUT OF COLORADO FOR THE MOST LOVELY, SWEET WORDS ABOUT MY BLOG AND MYSELF.  I AM SOOO FLATTERED.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.