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It is my distinct understanding that Guruji did not "stop practicing

asana because of a family tragedy." He practiced asana for

more than, I believe 40 or 50 years or so. He will be 88 years old

in a few weeks.

 

Part of Ashtanga practice eventually involves pranayama

meditation and recitation of sanskrit texts. Students must

become physically healthy before learning pranayama because

of it's extrordinary power. It takes more time that we Western

students think it should take to "become healthy." Usually it

takes 5-10 years of daily asana practice. Students in the west

learn half of the primary series in a few months and they want to

know when they can learn pranayama and the intermediate

series. When you are ready, it will be revealed to you. Guruji

has a daily practice that takes about two hours or so, from what I

have been told, and then he teaches for four or five hours. It

involves prananyama and recitation and prayers, (probably for

the happiness of his family and students and the world, which

would include all of your sorry impatient, demanding, asses

wouldn't it?)

 

He practices, as we try to, a spiritual program, which asks that

we do not stop practicing when the going gets rough. Rather, it

is the time when practice becomes deeper and more fruitful. I

am certain that this is what happened for him.

 

I would be very surprised if a family tragedy would not effect a

spiritual practice. However, until we have practiced asana for 40

years, we will never know what the next step will be until we get

there.

 

Next time you are having trouble getting to practice, remember

that a sweet old man in M ysore, India who is your teacher, or

your yoga teacher's teacher (let's hope) has prayed for your

happiness, contentment and success already this morning

before you even woke up, and know that he really meant it and

wants you to be successful.

 

I wouldn't hold your breath for another tour. Usually there is a

beginning group that only does up to navasana as well as a full

primary group. Also Guruji loves beginners. He is very attentive

to those having trouble and pays very little attention to the likes of

me who can do all of primary unassisted. We are a dime a

dozen.

 

When you go to a Guruji workshop, get in line, say thank you and

ask him about his daily practice and when he stopped doing

asana. He will at least answer you with a smile. If all you get is

a smile, go ask Sharath.

 

Peace and Love,

funkybadlady

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Lovely posting FBL, thank you.

> Next time you are having trouble getting to practice, remember

> that a sweet old man in M ysore, India who is your teacher, or

> your yoga teacher's teacher (let's hope) has prayed for your

> happiness, contentment and success already this morning

> before you even woke up, and know that he really meant it and

> wants you to be successful.

.... your teacher, or your teacher's teacher (both of the above) or

your teacher's grandfather. Although Guruji was in the room when I was

in Mysore, it was Sharath who actually spent time working with me. And

I have no problem with that - Sharath is a truly brilliant yoga teacher.

 

However, it is my understanding that (quite apart from whether or not

he "needed" to do it any more) it *was* his son's death that caused

Pattabhi Jois to cease his asana practice. It was explained to me as

some kind of idea that, if you involuntarily lose someone you love,

you should also voluntarily relinquish something you love. It

certainly isn't the case that senior yogis don't ever do asana

practice in their old age - Pattabhi Jois' teacher Krishnamacharya did

(see numerous photos in his son Desikachar's book Heart of Yoga); and

I've seen BKS Iyengar on TV demonstrating very advanced asanas at age

80+. I don't think this makes either Krishnamacharya or Iyengar

somehow "better" or Pattabhi Jois somehow "worse" - just an observation.

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Yeah, I have heard this too, but I wanted to say that he did not

stop because he was "indulging in his emotions" or something

like that, in other words, saying that one stopped asana practice

because something terrible happened might be understood to

mean it was done for selfish reasons - out of anger or grief or

resentment - I think the idea is that Guruji did not relinquish his

spiritual practice just because God was working in his life in a

way with which he did not agree.

 

I have seen many, many people quit, change or make excuses

for changing or ending a spiritual practice because things still

happened in their lives that they did not want to see, or the

practice brought on changes that they did not want to see... God

keeps working in your life no matter what you do, yoga brings

you closer to God's will for you and that sometimes takes

shapes that you could never have imagined for yourself. Whether

you like the shapes or not is insignificant because, well, it's not

about you (surprise!). Ultimately it is about becoming fit in order

to be of service to God and others. I am no good to you unless

my own house is in order and I am healthy and able to be of

service. You do the work and the results are out of your hands.

 

It was his son's death that precipitated a change but the

important thing is that he has never relinquished his spiritual

practice, devotion to God and service to others as his primary

purpose.

 

fbl

 

 

) it *was* his son's death that caused

> Pattabhi Jois to cease his asana practice. It was explained to

me as

> some kind of idea that, if you involuntarily lose someone you

love,

> you should also voluntarily relinquish something you love.

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-Peace and Love??!!!!

HAH!

 

 

-- In ashtangayoga, funkybadlady <no_reply> wrote:

> It is my distinct understanding that Guruji did not "stop

practicing

> asana because of a family tragedy." He practiced asana for

> more than, I believe 40 or 50 years or so. He will be 88 years old

> in a few weeks.

>

> Part of Ashtanga practice eventually involves pranayama

> meditation and recitation of sanskrit texts. Students must

> become physically healthy before learning pranayama because

> of it's extrordinary power. It takes more time that we Western

> students think it should take to "become healthy." Usually it

> takes 5-10 years of daily asana practice. Students in the west

> learn half of the primary series in a few months and they want to

> know when they can learn pranayama and the intermediate

> series. When you are ready, it will be revealed to you. Guruji

> has a daily practice that takes about two hours or so, from what I

> have been told, and then he teaches for four or five hours. It

> involves prananyama and recitation and prayers, (probably for

> the happiness of his family and students and the world, which

> would include all of your sorry impatient, demanding, asses

> wouldn't it?)

>

> He practices, as we try to, a spiritual program, which asks that

> we do not stop practicing when the going gets rough. Rather, it

> is the time when practice becomes deeper and more fruitful. I

> am certain that this is what happened for him.

>

> I would be very surprised if a family tragedy would not effect a

> spiritual practice. However, until we have practiced asana for 40

> years, we will never know what the next step will be until we get

> there.

>

> Next time you are having trouble getting to practice, remember

> that a sweet old man in M ysore, India who is your teacher, or

> your yoga teacher's teacher (let's hope) has prayed for your

> happiness, contentment and success already this morning

> before you even woke up, and know that he really meant it and

> wants you to be successful.

>

> I wouldn't hold your breath for another tour. Usually there is a

> beginning group that only does up to navasana as well as a full

> primary group. Also Guruji loves beginners. He is very attentive

> to those having trouble and pays very little attention to the likes

of

> me who can do all of primary unassisted. We are a dime a

> dozen.

>

> When you go to a Guruji workshop, get in line, say thank you and

> ask him about his daily practice and when he stopped doing

> asana. He will at least answer you with a smile. If all you get

is

> a smile, go ask Sharath.

>

> Peace and Love,

> funkybadlady

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> the important thing is that he has never relinquished his spiritual

> practice, devotion to God and service to others as his primary

> purpose.

 

I totally agree with that, and with the rest of your message

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