Guest guest Posted August 17, 2003 Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 "Something kinda funny and sad at the same time: evidently, there are times when Guruji is teaching (he teaches a led class every Friday now) when he falls asleep, and Sharath either has to wake him up (whereupon he sometimes starts recounting...) or Sharath takes over." What is sad about that? It is actually quite awsome that an 88 year old man is still teaching and imparting his wisdom to anybody who drops by Gokalum..... Isn't it more marvelous that he can still has the energy that he does? So what if he catches a little shut eye, now and again. You, like many of the yoga tourists, have obviously missed the point of Guruji. Perhaps you would be better studying acrobatics with David Swenson. BTW, there was never a handstand in navasana...It is an artifice added by his western students. David happens to be good at it and has re written history. Senor Pinche Wey ashtanga yoga, "ImpliedPresence" <hmmmmmmm@o...> wrote: > Actually, David Swenson and his wife, Shelly, were in Mysore this past year. > David stayed for a month or so, and Shelly was there 3+months; both studied > with Guruji while they were there. > > At a recent training with David, he talked about the way he learned ashtanga > and the way it is taught now... and how there are differences not only > between then and now, but among people who have studied with Guruji/Sharath > at different times. > > Some examples: 1 - in Primary Series, no longer is a handstand taught > between each navasana; 2 - at one time, there were only two versions of > badha konasana, and now there are three. There are many more examples. > > Also, David said that there were times when he was in Mysore when he did his > practice the way in which he was taught, which differs from the way it is > taught now, but he was not "corrected..." Therefore, it seems that there > are acceptable alternatives to the exact way in which the series are taught > today. > > Another example of a difference between then and now: David Williams was > taught the standing sequence without parivritta parsvakonasana. He said > Ganga White added it in. > > To me, it seems like we're all playing "telephone," with no "winner." > Again, imho, the idea is not to get every toe and finger, etc., exactly as > Guruji says in any given day, but to be in our breath and with our bandhas > as mindfully as possible. > > Something kinda funny and sad at the same time: evidently, there are times > when Guruji is teaching (he teaches a led class every Friday now) when he > falls asleep, and Sharath either has to wake him up (whereupon he sometimes > starts recounting...) or Sharath takes over. > > Just thought I'd pass along the info and my 2+ cents. > > : ) > > > > Message: 9 > Mon, 11 Aug 2003 09:37:54 -0700 > Bill Gray <billg@j...> > RE: some questions... > > how do you know how serious of a student david swenson is and why does it > matter how long he has been with patabhi jois. > > jivamukti yoga rocks and david is awesome and creative yoga is not > antithetical to ashtanga at all. > > i just wonder why some asthanga people need to be so elitist sometimes. > yoga is about expansiveness, not about narrow interpretations. > > > funkybadlady [no_reply] > Monday, August 11, 2003 8:11 AM > ashtanga yoga > Re: ashtanga yoga some questions... > > > Great, except for the fact that Jivamukti Yoga is not Ashtanga so > the book wouldn't really help directly, and that David Swensen > has not been a serious student of Pattabhi Jois for a very long > time and his book with all of the modifications presents a > teaching method that is antithetical to the principals of Ashtanga. > It is fine if you want to do David Swensen Yoga. > > Only in extreme cases would I recommend this, but I think John > Scott's DVD is probably the best way to get it without access to > any sort of teacher. Also get the Yoga Works Primary Series > tape so you can actually see how the practice is put together and > what you are working towards. > > FBL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 Hey, The Senor is back ...... ashtanga yoga, senor_pinche_wey <no_reply> wrote: > "Something kinda funny and sad at the same time: evidently, there are > times > when Guruji is teaching (he teaches a led class every Friday now) > when he > falls asleep, and Sharath either has to wake him up (whereupon he > sometimes > starts recounting...) or Sharath takes over." > > > What is sad about that? It is actually quite awsome that an 88 year > old man is still teaching and imparting his wisdom to anybody who > drops by Gokalum..... > > Isn't it more marvelous that he can still has the energy that he > does? So what if he catches a little shut eye, now and again. > > You, like many of the yoga tourists, have obviously missed the point > of Guruji. Perhaps you would be better studying acrobatics with > David Swenson. BTW, there was never a handstand in navasana...It is > an artifice added by his western students. David happens to be good > at it and has re written history. > > Senor Pinche Wey > > > ashtanga yoga, "ImpliedPresence" > <hmmmmmmm@o...> wrote: > > Actually, David Swenson and his wife, Shelly, were in Mysore this > past year. > > David stayed for a month or so, and Shelly was there 3+months; both > studied > > with Guruji while they were there. > > > > At a recent training with David, he talked about the way he learned > ashtanga > > and the way it is taught now... and how there are differences not > only > > between then and now, but among people who have studied with > Guruji/Sharath > > at different times. > > > > Some examples: 1 - in Primary Series, no longer is a handstand > taught > > between each navasana; 2 - at one time, there were only two > versions of > > badha konasana, and now there are three. There are many more > examples. > > > > Also, David said that there were times when he was in Mysore when > he did his > > practice the way in which he was taught, which differs from the way > it is > > taught now, but he was not "corrected..." Therefore, it seems that > there > > are acceptable alternatives to the exact way in which the series > are taught > > today. > > > > Another example of a difference between then and now: David > Williams was > > taught the standing sequence without parivritta parsvakonasana. He > said > > Ganga White added it in. > > > > To me, it seems like we're all playing "telephone," with > no "winner." > > Again, imho, the idea is not to get every toe and finger, etc., > exactly as > > Guruji says in any given day, but to be in our breath and with our > bandhas > > as mindfully as possible. > > > > Something kinda funny and sad at the same time: evidently, there > are times > > when Guruji is teaching (he teaches a led class every Friday now) > when he > > falls asleep, and Sharath either has to wake him up (whereupon he > sometimes > > starts recounting...) or Sharath takes over. > > > > Just thought I'd pass along the info and my 2+ cents. > > > > : ) > > > > > > > > Message: 9 > > Mon, 11 Aug 2003 09:37:54 -0700 > > Bill Gray <billg@j...> > > RE: some questions... > > > > how do you know how serious of a student david swenson is and why > does it > > matter how long he has been with patabhi jois. > > > > jivamukti yoga rocks and david is awesome and creative yoga is not > > antithetical to ashtanga at all. > > > > i just wonder why some asthanga people need to be so elitist > sometimes. > > yoga is about expansiveness, not about narrow interpretations. > > > > > > funkybadlady [no_reply] > > Monday, August 11, 2003 8:11 AM > > ashtanga yoga > > Re: ashtanga yoga some questions... > > > > > > Great, except for the fact that Jivamukti Yoga is not Ashtanga so > > the book wouldn't really help directly, and that David Swensen > > has not been a serious student of Pattabhi Jois for a very long > > time and his book with all of the modifications presents a > > teaching method that is antithetical to the principals of Ashtanga. > > It is fine if you want to do David Swensen Yoga. > > > > Only in extreme cases would I recommend this, but I think John > > Scott's DVD is probably the best way to get it without access to > > any sort of teacher. Also get the Yoga Works Primary Series > > tape so you can actually see how the practice is put together and > > what you are working towards. > > > > FBL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 senor i'm a month late on this discussion, but. What would navasana be without a little fun in handstand? Just kidding! OK, seriously, didnt the handstand come from pulling up into lolasana and then pulling that up into handstand (without of course touching the floor)? Good you're still protecting the tradition el senor! Otherwise we would have shelley be the crown-guru of ashtanga. t > What is sad about that? It is actually quite awsome that an 88 year > old man is still teaching and imparting his wisdom to anybody who > drops by Gokalum..... > > Isn't it more marvelous that he can still has the energy that he > does? So what if he catches a little shut eye, now and again. > > You, like many of the yoga tourists, have obviously missed the point > of Guruji. Perhaps you would be better studying acrobatics with > David Swenson. BTW, there was never a handstand in navasana...It is > an artifice added by his western students. David happens to be good > at it and has re written history. > > Senor Pinche Wey > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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