the role of an Ashtang teacher?

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

 

I was wondering if anybody could offer some advice. I have been doing

Iyengar yoga for three years, and recently started with ashtanga. I like it

so much more as it is more dynamic and therefore better suits my

personality. I go to classes in this new school in town and I don't know

what I experience there is normal for ashtanga class, or not. The teacher

just says the names of poses, sometimes mentiones breathing and "gaze" as

well, but in fact does not take time to explain anything. He seems to

assist only flexible people who are advanced and can do everything. I am

flexible too, but need some assistance with some poses or need to learn

easier versions of others which I am not strong enough to do (like those

involving lots of arms strength).

 

Another problem is the question of safety. Once he came up to me and asked

- do you feel safe to do it? I said - no. So he walked off and I set there

waiting for the next pose. Is it normal? With my Iyengar teachers they

would insist on me trying new things offering support and assuring they were

there for me so I felt safe trying. I have never had any injury. Here I

have this feeling my safety is only my resposibility, if I get injured - bad

luck, girl.

 

This school is upscale and it does cost a lot of money (I have heard - more

than classes in NY, and this is China) so I am also surprised there are 12

people packed in a small room what makes doing some poses impossible without

people bumping into each other. Again - is it a standard setting of

ashtanga class?

 

I would appreciate your comments.

thanks,

Edyta

[Guest guest]

Edyta,

 

There is a concern for safety in Ashtanga, too. Many Ashtanga

schools are very good at this, but it may feel a little different

from the Iyengar approach. Teachers do/are supposed to adjust you

for safety, but they often do it with less talk about it and want the

student to be able to practice without fear. It may be that your

teacher sees you and sees that you are fine and lets you be.

However, it may also be that in the led class, he doesn't have time

to do this and maintain the flow of the class, as discussed in the

previous e-mails - look for a Mysore-style Ashtanga class, you will

receive more individual attention and be taught postures from the

ground up in a methodical and gradual system.

 

There are different approaches regarding the period among different

teachers and styles of yoga, but in Ashtanga, taking the period off

altogether is strongly advised. In Ashtanga, you should take at least

the 3 heaviest days of the period off from practice completely, not

just from inversions. So if your teacher didn't mention this in

class, it may be because he didn't expect anyone with their periods

to actually be there. This would definitely be something helpful to

tell someone new to the class.

 

Namaste.

 

--- Krakowiecka Edyta wrote:

 

What I miss so far is emphisis on safety - it was a big deal during

my Iyengar classes. To the point we were asked not to do reversed

poses when having period. I have heard there are different

approaches among teachers to that issue, what do you think?

 

thanks again,

Edyta