Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

poweryoga/ashtangayoga

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

Guest guest

You will find your answer here ;

 

http://pub42.ezboard.com/fyoga84291frm9.showMessage?topicI

D=6.topic

 

 

 

ashtangayoga, "mabe61" <mabe61> wrote:

> Hello!

> I live in Stockholm,Sweden and have been practicing ashtanga

for

> almost three years.In Stockholm several healthclubs are now

offering

> poweryoga and my question is:What is the difference between

the two?

> I have asked people and the anwers have varied from "the

same practice

> with an american name" to a "workoutyoga without the depth of

> ashtanga".I would really like to share your opinions on

this.Thankyou!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Power yoga is pilfered (stolen) ashtanga, watered down to

appeal to the masses. Which is not to say that people like Baron

"power journey" Baptiste or Beryl Bender Bitch or any fitness

instructor with "certification" to teach or even Jivamukti don't have

good stuff to share. But it's pretty much ashtanga derived. Best

to stick with the original- which is not to say it can't be fun to take

a vinyasa playclass once in a while, mix it up a bit.

 

Best, Tina.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Hello Everyone!

This thread has caused me to actually join and come out of

lurkdom. :)

 

The term "Power Yoga" was coined by Beryl Bender Birch in her 1995

book "Power Yoga." In that book, "Power" refers to the power within,

not what the media and mainstream America has come to assume to what

this use of the word "Power" refers.

 

Birch herself makes it very clear that when SHE uses the word "Power"

in relationship to a practice, she refers ONLY to the Ashtanga

Primary Series. Unfortunately, she was slow to copyright this

phrase, (who knew?) and another yogi grabbed it, the media jumped on

it, gyms across the country joined the bandwagon and now we have a

general literary misuse of a term and its original meaning is

shrouded in error.

 

(If anyone has read "The Ugly American" you'll recognize President

Johnson's misuse of that title, and how it came to be a cultural

reference, although the actual literary reference would have been a

compliment to the American people.)

 

Anyway, as another poster stated, generally so-called "Power" yoga is

usually a watered down version of the Primary Series, or something

geared to the no-pain-no-gain gym crowd who THINKS they've discovered

and are now "doing" yoga. <snort> These are the people who hurt

themselves because they so infrequently listen to their bodies. (Oh

oh, I feel a rant coming on!)

 

Granted, if you like the gym mentality totally bereft of any

spirituality, Power Yoga "Boot Camps" would be right up your alley.

If you prefer to seek the Power within, Ashtanga would be a great

path, as it is mine, given the meditational qualities of one in

Dharana, working towards Samadhi.

 

Just wanted to be accurate, given the misuse of the word "Power" most

often found in the context of this type of discussion!

 

Namaste, all :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Ashtangi by choice,

That was well put. Namaste!

ashtangayoga, "ashtangibychoice" <AshtangiByChoice@Y...>

wrote:

> Hello Everyone!

> This thread has caused me to actually join and come out of

> lurkdom. :)

>

> The term "Power Yoga" was coined by Beryl Bender Birch in her 1995

> book "Power Yoga." In that book, "Power" refers to the power

within,

> not what the media and mainstream America has come to assume to

what

> this use of the word "Power" refers.

>

> Birch herself makes it very clear that when SHE uses the

word "Power"

> in relationship to a practice, she refers ONLY to the Ashtanga

> Primary Series. Unfortunately, she was slow to copyright this

> phrase, (who knew?) and another yogi grabbed it, the media jumped

on

> it, gyms across the country joined the bandwagon and now we have a

> general literary misuse of a term and its original meaning is

> shrouded in error.

>

> (If anyone has read "The Ugly American" you'll recognize President

> Johnson's misuse of that title, and how it came to be a cultural

> reference, although the actual literary reference would have been a

> compliment to the American people.)

>

> Anyway, as another poster stated, generally so-called "Power" yoga

is

> usually a watered down version of the Primary Series, or something

> geared to the no-pain-no-gain gym crowd who THINKS they've

discovered

> and are now "doing" yoga. <snort> These are the people who hurt

> themselves because they so infrequently listen to their bodies.

(Oh

> oh, I feel a rant coming on!)

>

> Granted, if you like the gym mentality totally bereft of any

> spirituality, Power Yoga "Boot Camps" would be right up your

alley.

> If you prefer to seek the Power within, Ashtanga would be a great

> path, as it is mine, given the meditational qualities of one in

> Dharana, working towards Samadhi.

>

> Just wanted to be accurate, given the misuse of the word "Power"

most

> often found in the context of this type of discussion!

>

> Namaste, all :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

>

> The term "Power Yoga" was coined by Beryl Bender Birch in her 1995

> book "Power Yoga." In that book, "Power" refers to the power

within,

> not what the media and mainstream America has come to assume to

what

> this use of the word "Power" refers.

 

I just had a long conversation with Bryan Kest about the term power

yoga. He told me how he coined the phrase before Beryl Berch did. He

had studied ashtanga with Jois and others in India and in Hawaii.

He was having an intense, sweaty yoga session with a businessman. The

man looked up and said "this is power yoga." The name stuck with his

work which he considers a combo of viniyoga, ashtanga, and Iyengar

yoga. He made videos that are copyright 1995 under the name Power

Yoga with Warner Bros. Birch independently named her work power yoga.

Since that time, many people have picked it up. Bryan intended the

term to be power yoga as in empowering versus aerobic yoga.

Bryan is a California based teacher who studied with Jois at the

beginning of his popularity, sometimes being the only person in the

class.

 

He is joining the Yoga.com board of advisors with Patricia

Walden who has already joined.

 

Shannon Brophy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...