Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 PART 2<br><br><br>Western people changed that. Few were comfortable with the traditional guru/teacher relationship and turned a spiritual pursuit into a pay on demand relationship. I'm always amused by western people who are shocked, shocked to discover that their transcendent guru exhibits the human qualities of greed or lust or whatever when it is western people who have factored down what was traditionally a spiritual relationship into the lowest denominator, i.e. a financial transaction.<br><br>And as is the case in all financial transactions, let the buyer beware.<br><br>Jessa, while not minimizing your teacher's deplorable behavior in any way, I hope you take a look at your own motives in getting teacher training. Is it to give your own self-confidence a boost? Is it because you think a piece of paper will help bring in students? A piece of paper might bring in students, but what kind of students? I am reminded of the scene from "The Wizard of OZ" where a medal, a testimonial and a diploma are handed out to the lion, the tin man and the scarecrow. The scarecrow immediately starts spouting the Pythagorean theorem. Most yoga teachers out there, frankly, are just as empty of the knowledge as the straw man. But as the wizard points out: "They've got one thing you haven't got - a diploma!"<br><br>I've been reading Desikacarya's book on Krisnamacharya, SPJ's guru. Krisnamacharya studied in Tibet for 8 years with his guru. At the end of this period, the guru asked only one thing in return from his student, that he go home and become a yoga teacher. Krisnamacharya was devastated. At that time, becoming a yoga teacher meant condemning yourself to a life of poverty. But if he had not done that, yoga would not exist in the west and we would not be having this conversation.<br><br>Find a teacher who honors the traditions of yoga. Yoga is not a commodity. It is not a wise career move. And the yoga will not be televised. Do your practice and all is coming.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>DAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 dan<br><br>I appreciated your eloquent response to Jessa, but It seemed to go a little far when you questioned or rather asked Jessa to question her motives for seeking a certification course in yoga. She seems to be an honest, straight-forward person who would have the same use for a certificate as anyone who received one from SPJ. <br><br>Perhaps, she was mistaken to have thought that anyone who offered a certification course was credible, but that trust and her genuine disappointment in finding out her error plus the quiet questioning of the teacher involved indicates one who is not likely to misuse a certificate. <br><br>It is part of western culture to believe that certification in anything indicates a certain level of competence and that those who certify have a higher level of competence. . So, for Jessa to seek a certification course is a culturally natural thing to do. She was acting responsibily and it seems premature of you to question her motives.<br><br>It is certainly ok to question the idea of any certification, licensing or minimum qualifications including SPJ's or Yoga Journal's. But, if you are against certification, then you also have to say it is ok to receive the go-ahead to teach from anyone. Or, perhaps, that it is ok to certify yourself as many do. This idea of 'official' quality control is a by-product of the branding and trademarking of the various yoga 'schools'. It was not around in the olden days of the guru-kula system that you referred to.<br><br>One other thought on certification: In some areas, one cannot teach yoga at a public venue without a certificate. (that, of course, is to give the employer some wiggle room in case of litigation). This could be the basis of another thread.<br><br>omprem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 Thank you for this most erudite, comprehensive response to a truly universal dilemma among westerners delving into eastern ways. You have the gift of building bridges and of telling the truth in an embracing tone. We are blessed to be in your midst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 Omprem,<br><br>Self questioning as to motive is constantly useful. If ever you have a yoga practice of your own you may discover that intention is everything.<br><br>Whom do we trust? Dan McGuire who goes here by his own name, publishes his picture, honestly states his credentials, and humbly offers apposite advice from his own verifiable experience?<br><br>Or "Omprem," who claims supreme expertise but refuses to tell us his name directly? Who alternatingly pretends to be a disinterested enthusiast objectively praising a commercial yoga studio, and then tells us he is that studio's star Ashtanga instructor (or was it star novice beginner Ashtanga pupil)? Who uses internet anonymity to attack Hindus and African Americans as "contaminants" to his dream of a shiny, happy western yoga world?<br><br>Omprem, if anybody needs to be circumspect as to motive it is you. No one here has asked to be your disciple yet you bombastically demand we accept you as a guru. A guru without disciples is, well ... what is the sound of one hand clapping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 Jessa,<br>I completely agree with Dan's take on this subject and he explained very well this very typical situation of people opening yoga studios who obviously have enthusiasm but don't have the slightest clue of what they are doing.<br><br>Upon first glance at this woman's website, it is crystal clear to me that not only is she completely unqualified to teach ashtanga, she doesn't even know what it is. The fact that she is offering ashtanga teacher certificates to people for $750.00 is ridiculous, absurd and pathetically funny. So I wonder that if this wasn't clear to you why you think that you are going to be a teacher of ashtanga? I'm sorry you had these problems with her but it should come as no surprise given the circumstances. There are 'teachers' like this everywhere and you just have to educate yourself and start studying with someone like Eddie Stern. Make the trip to New York - if you can spend $750.00 on a teacher training course, you can spend $60.00 for a week at a real ashtanga shala and you will get so much more out of it, that is if your motive is to study yoga. There seems to be an unprecedented number of wierdo's out there attracted to teaching yoga - for some reason.<br><br>FBL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 dan - i enjoyed your post. Thanks for doing this thinking for us with so much clarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 >universal dilemma among westerners delving into eastern ways.<br><br>Interesting article on this very subject here....<br><a href=http://www.tricycle.com/currentissue/balanwallace.html target=new>http://www.tricycle.com/currentissue/balanwallace.html</a> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2001 Report Share Posted June 29, 2001 "Western people changed that. Few were comfortable with the traditional guru/teacher relationship and turned a spiritual pursuit into a pay on demand relationship."<br><br>No, Krishnamacharya, Iyengar, PKJ and countless other Indian Yogis all taught for money. <br><br>Whether you look at professional yoga teaching as a good for bad thing is up to you, but the idea of teaching for yoga for money did not start in the West. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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