Question about teaching certificatio

[Guest guest]

And what if they were only taught by a Rodny Yee

tape in a tiny studio apartment like me? And what if

the only yoga class they ever went to was the one in

the YWCA? What more if that person, like me eats

pepperoni pizza and has a steady diet of pork rinds and

mountain dew....WHAT IF? <br><br>Surely this goes to show

you that by now everyone and their mother has heard

of yoga. Nevermind the "gurus" and teachers. You get

them in the tape that they come in or in the class

that you take.<br><br><br>Namaste,<br>Barbs

[Guest guest]

What do you think? Guruji is alive and well. Why

would anyone truly interested in Ashtanga want or care

to get a "teaching certification" from anyone but

Guruji? What is the point? Actually no, they are not

"qualified to certify others." Sharath will eventually

become the director of the Ashtanga Yoga research

institute and then also the only person to bless anyone to

teach. Becoming a teacher really isn't your decision

anyway. Once you study long enough with the guru, then it

becomes a question. Tim teaches a teacher training

class/workshop but he does not "certify" anyone to teach

ashtanga. You should ask him diredctly about this if you

are curious. Just as student are at many levels of

experience and ability, so are teachers. Personally, I would

move to another part of the country rather than take

class with anyone other than the most devoted students

of Guruji if not Guruji himself. These people are

"certified to teach" because they have spent years studying

as students with Guruji and continue (supposedly) to

do so. <br>FBL<br><br>PS Read the essay on becoming

a teacher on the ashtanga web page.

[Guest guest]

Cchapman,<br>This is exactly the dilemma I was

discussing with a friend the other day.<br>If people think

there is disagreement about poses now, just wait until

Gurujii departs this world! Will Sharath, then be the

only person able to certify teachers?<br>I think

ashtanga, whether some like it or not, is going to undergo

a lot of changes, so let's not get too hung up on

exactitude in posture. There are and will be other, more

important things to tackle in my opinion.<br>twochant

[Guest guest]

FBL,<br>What great insight about becoming a

certified teacher! Yes, I think teachers themselves are at

many levels of experience & ability. This is why I

don't balk at Shri Larry....he is at a different level

of experience, but he does have something to

teach.<br>As far as ashtanga is concerned: (and this is

something I have pondered for more than 19 years) does

ashtanga have to maintain an exact sequence or can it

undergo changes and still be considered ashtanga? What

really makes ashtanga...is it the sequence or the

effect?<br>I recently spent some time practicing with Tim

Miller and he actually throws in some other postures out

of sequence! When a qualified ashtanga teacher

reaches a certain level he has the right to exercise his

freedom sometimes! It shows boldness and

courage.<br>twochant

[Guest guest]

Can you mention even one good reason why Ashtanga

would undergo 'a lot' of changes? Ashtanga is quite an

exact system, the differences in postures as taught by

different certified teachers have only minor superficial

differences. Position of the heel in the Marichyasana sequence

being one example.

[Guest guest]

What's going to probably happen is that Sarath

will head up the Mysore Institute and will "certify"

folks to teach. There will always be people trained to

carry on the tradition of teaching astanga vinyasa

along the style of KPJ. I say "along the style" rather

than "in," since I know of no two certified astanga

teachers who teach in exactly the same

manner.<br><br>Those who are presently certified will also train

students to teach, and they will produce some exellent

teachers. There are many folks teaching astanga today that

you won't find on any special list, but they do know

how to teach, they do know how to adjust, and they

have outstanding personal practices.<br><br>What will

also happen is that lots of "hybrid" astanga teachers

will start schools. I think this is a good thing, as

long as they don't make false claims about themselves

and don't hurt anyone. Obviously, there are just too

few certified teachers right now, as anyone reading

this board over the last year can readily see. Even

Larryyoga is way better than no yoga at all.<br><br>What's

also going to happen is that a few teachers will be

crummy for one reason or another. Some people, no matter

who they've studied with or how good their personal

practice is, just can't teach very well. Or, people

develop their own tastes and preferences, and maybe

prejudices, for what's the Best Way to Proceed. I've gotten

that way myself. The more you practice, the more

discriminating you become.