Yoga teaching issues (3)

[Guest guest]

Long soliloquy on teaching, part

3:<br><br>"CONTROL IN THE CLASSROOM"<br>I don't think either teacher

or student should be dogmatic about minor points of

technique or alignment. An example, naming names just to

illustrate the example: David Swenson in his new book says

the toes of the bent leg point to the side in

Janusirsasana B; Lino Miele teaches toes pointing forward. They

are both very advanced practitioners who I'm sure

have thought about what they say and have reasons for

it. Maybe they learned this from Guruji at different

times; maybe they each came to a different conclusions

based on their own experience. With my level of

experience I wouldn't presume to say if either, both or

neither of them is right or whether this particular point

really mattters at all. <br><br>I would suggest that in

this kind of situation, if people have different

opinions about fine points of asanas or adjustments, the

teacher should be the one who has sufficient experience

to know what matters and what doesn't, when to

insist and when to shrug and practice non-attachment.

<br><br>SKIPPING THE "HARD BITS"<br>I would also be interested in

people's opinions on what seems to be a very common

teaching practice - teaching most of primary series but

missing out a few asanas that could maybe be thought

risky for beginner's knees or necks (e.g. Marichyasana

B & D, Setubandasana)<br><br>Betty, am I right in

thinking you are American? Your perspective on "the

burgeoning number of Ashtanga yoga teachers" is very

different from mine in Europe, where I would say there

still quite a shortage. I come from England, where

there is a strong astanga scene in London and a few

other cities, but there are still large areas and major

cities with nobody teaching. I'm now living in Germany

where, as far as I'm aware from people I know and

searches on the web, there are about three or four astanga

teachers in the entire country. (And none whatsoever last

December/January, because they were all in India studying with

Pattabhi Jois or Lino Miele). For my first six months in

Munich - the third or fourth biggest city in Germany -

there was no astanga teacher and I ended up going to an

iyengar class (which I learned a lot from but didn't

really enjoy)<br><br>Alan

[Guest guest]

<<SKIPPING THE "HARD BITS"<br> I would also

be interested in people's opinions on what seems to

be a very common teaching practice - teaching most

of primary series but<br> missing out a few asanas

that could maybe be thought risky for beginner's knees

or necks (e.g. Marichyasana B & D,

Setubandasana)>><br><br>Very dangerous and against Guruji's teaching.

Believe

me I hated Maricy D, Supta Kurmasana, Janu C etc. I

also felt that my body wasn't desinged that way.

Fortunately, I had a teacher who was strict yet concerned that

the practice be taught according to Guruji's precepts

and now those postures are a breeze and I love them.

<br><br>Guruji says that each posture prepares one for the

following posture. "Posture perfect...you do next...Primary

perfect...you do intermediate"<br><br>Why do the charlatan

teachers like Larry etc. insist on over-teaching their

students? Probably because the uninformed yoga consumer

wants the western concept of "progress" and is ego

driven.<br><br>Forget about what Leno and David Swenson say, unless

they are your teacher. Guruji is alive and so is

Sharat. Ask them if you have any questions.<br><br>SPW

[Guest guest]

Senor,<br><br>Interesting response, thanks. In

four years I've gone from "Maricy D - obviously

impossible" to "Maricy D - maybe this year".

<br><br>Actually, I do study with Lino fairly frequently -which is

great - and my regular teacher is a pupil of his, so I

tend to end up doing most of my practice with the

details he teaches. That doesn't mean I believe his is

the only valid opinion. <br><br>And - here I think

our attitudes are probably different - I don't

actually believe that one person can possibly have the

only valid opinion about anything, in any

circumstances. Even if that one person is Guruji.<br><br>(Jeez,

I seem to be making a lot of noise in this forum

this week. Probably because my mind is unsettled from

practicing on the New Moon on Tuesday.)<br><br>Alan

[Guest guest]

Jeez, you make it sound like we can all just pop

over to India or SoCal any time the spirit moves us,

oh, and while we're at it, let's just grab ourselves

one-a-them prison rugs too. Life don't work that way.

<br><br>I mean, the implication here is that we're all

learning "bad" yoga, not the true Ashtanga. Are you saying

that, senor? I know Im new here, so maybe you can tell

me a little about yourself and your practice and

your background so that I can understand how you can

claim such things. <br><br>To me this smacks of

"neeener neeener youuuu haven't stuuuddddieeed with

Guuuuurrrrrruuuujiiii ... Ha Ha!" I mean, I've heard there's some

amount of clique-ishness amongst those who have been to

Mysore, but I've met one or two who went there, and

they've been just terrific in opening the practice of

Ashtanga to me .. quite the contrary experience to those

rumblings I've heard. <br><br>Seems to go against the whole

idea of how yoga affects and imbues one's life too.

<br><br>Hey, but that's just me.<br><br>Christina

[Guest guest]

Gonna reply to my own message here

.....<br><br>Just went through some older messages on the board,

and I see now that this is your trip, Senor. So be

it. I appreciate the fact that you want to preserve

Ashtanga, and perhaps for you that means slamming certain

teachers. That information has its uses, I will admit.

However, you are allowing it to carry over in the way you

talk to new practioners of Ashtanga, and you are very

offputting to those of us who are trying to learn and become

a part of this (not just this club, but

Ashtanga in general). So remember this:<br><br>Everyone

wants the door to shut right after they have gone

through it. You were new yourself, once. Perhaps there

are those who for one reason or another consider the

way *you* learned or *your* practice, to be impure.

<br><br>Again, I will say that I find it terribly amusing that

particular aspect of practicing yoga which seems to show one

that what you find when you turn inward can be applied

outward with lovely, life-changing results seems to have

completely eluded you, Ashtanga adept that I'm sure you are.

<br><br>Christina

[Guest guest]

Hi Chistina, <br>I appreciate your thoughts on

the practice. I just wanted to say that not every one

who studies in Mysore or teaches Ashtanga has these

exclusive opinions. Many are open and helpful and have very

broad backgrounds in yoga and life. I think they are

just less vocal and post less messages! "Correct"

practice should enhance compassion so that "everywhere you

look you see God" I wish you happy practice in India

the US or where ever you are.