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Astanga & Iyengar

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The Iyengar method is neither "wonderful for

those who enjoy being intellectually entertained", nor

"lousy for yoga". It's simply a different style of hatha

yoga, which follows its own traditions. Iyengar Yoga is

yoga with a capital Y just like Astanga Yoga is, both

approaches have their own merits.<br><br>However, I agree

with Lu that B.K.S. Iyengar has done much more to

popularize his method, so that everyone can profit from it,

than K.P. Jois has done. Indeed, from the point of

view of someone who, like me, has practised Iyengar

Yoga for many years, Astanga Yoga looks like a rather

elitist and exclusive practice.<br><br>And of course, in

Iyengar as in Astanga Yoga, you will find good teachers

as well as less good ones, be they certified or not.

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Well said, Shining Skull! I wonder if some of the

popularity of the Iyengar method is not so much due to Mr.

Iyengar's own efforts, but possibly those of his senior

students in other countries. I know that some of P. Jois'

students here in the U.S. offer teacher training programs,

but I think that even the most well respected,

reputable teachers only offer a two week course. More is

definitely needed.<br><br>The question shouldn't be Iyengar

v. Ashtanga. Both traditions are valuable in their

own ways and appeal to different audiences or even

the same audience in different ways. A strong Iyengar

background can definitely improve your asanas and prevent

injury. I've noticed though that Ashtangis seem to

progress more quickly into the more difficult asana, even

if their form isn't always Iyengar perfect. (I know

the difficulty of the asana isn't supposed to be the

goal, yadda yadda.)<br><br>Again the question shouldn't

be Iyengar v. Ashtanga (or Bikram or Sivananda or

Anusara etc.) It should be Yoga v. those stupid health

club weekend training programs that teach aerobics

instructors to teach this half assed facsimile of yoga just

because its popular. My mother-in-law asked me to

recommend a yoga video. I don't care if she buys Patricia

Walden's video or David Swenson's video. Just please,

please, please don't buy Denise Austin's!!!! <br><br>Why

worry about calling David Life or Beryl Bender Birch

(or any other yoga teacher who even half way gets it)

a yoga criminal, when there are TRUE charlatans out

there making a yoga video this week, a kickboxing video

next week and a pilates video the week after that? I

think most of us who read this board regularly are so

deep into our own practices and petty distinctions

about who is the most authentic teachers that we don't

even realize the TRULY abominable exploitation of yoga

that going on out there in medialand. YJ's "Mad about

Yoga" column with the "celebrity yogis" is a perfect

example. Should we do yoga just because the famous people

do? Does that make it cool?<br><br>I'm off on a rant,

but before I sign off, let me say that the people who

are doing yoga for reasons other than the fact that

they think they'll have a great butt or that Courtney

Love does it need to get it together and stop

quarrelling amongst them (our) selves. Without meaning to

sound like a conspiracy theorist, there is a much

greater danger out there than whether someone made a typo

in their book or the good ole days in Mysore.

<br>P.S. I think that DL and BBB are not yoga criminals. I

just used them as examples because their names appear

on this board a lot.

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I don't think I could have stated this better. I

get very irritated by people who practice a

watered-down version of yoga at their gym and all of the

sudden there is a "yoga craze" in the US. I think that

is what this current "yoga craze" is really about.

Will it pass? that's a good question. An ashtanga

practice is a serious commitment and you have to be very

devoted and REALLY love it to stick w/ it....not go to

yoga class once a week at your gym. My viewpoint isn't

very yogic but I'm working on it.

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understand your point of view. have experienced

some real horror shows at gyms -- clueless instructors

gleefully showing people how to injure themselves, students

enthusiastically following.<br><br>on the other hand (if i may

equivocate in that self-relaxing way i have) overall most

teachers are committed and knowledgeable and getting

better all the time; and how great is it that more and

more anybody who wants to can get at least an

introductory knowledge of the treasure that is

yoga?<br><br>years ago when i first did yoga on the warm-up mat at

the 23rd street ymca, nyc, i was actually told to

stop because some members were offended (legs over the

head in plow were too much for somebody i

guess).<br><br>change is good.

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