David Williams workshops

[Guest guest]

What follows is my account from memory and notes I took; please don't take

it as "the gospel according to David Williams," because it's not. It's from

my perception and memory, and because someone asked for info, I thought I'd

share what I can.

 

I've been to two David Williams workshops in the past two years, and I

enjoyed them both. He comes from a perspective of having been one of the

first two (the other being Norman Allen) westerners to learn from Jois. He

also has the perspective of having "lived the yoga" for the past 30 years,

the last 12 or so in which he didn't teach classes; he just did his yoga,

swam in the ocean and did some bodywork on the side. During that time, he

thought a lot about ashtanga, including his disappointments in people

learning ashtanga and getting hurt. That's partly what prompted him to

"come out of hiding" (so to speak) and to teach what he has learned.

 

For example: he has a "fix" for the Primary Series sequence... ie., because

the Primary Series is full of forward bends, he thinks it's more balanced

when you add breaths to up dog in the vinyasas (ie., he has you breathe 5

breaths in each up dog in each vinyasa). Also, as he was first taught, he

only teaches vinyasas between each asana, not between each side of each

asana. It's not that he thinks it's "wrong" to do vinyasa between each side

(right/left) of each asana, but that it's not necessary, especially when

first teaching someone the series.

 

David Williams also does not focus on form/alignment. He suggests that, by

practicing every day, one will gradually improve your alignment naturally.

He's "not picky" about where yogis put their hands, etc., either... It's

not that there are no "rules"/guidelines, but he doesn't focus on that part

of one's practice.

 

For me, his breath count was a bit fast (eg., in utthita hasta

pandanghustasana, I was on breath #2, and he was counting #5), but again,

for beginners, perhaps it fit better... although I still consider myself a

beginner, too.... and the rate at which people breathe varies greatly.

 

A couple more things: David Williams does not adjust people. He thinks

it's too easy to hurt someone that way, and he has many students who have

learned the Primary and Intermediate Series from him without him touching

them during their practices. David doesn't think it's "wrong" to adjust

people, but he chooses not to and doesn't think it's necessary, and he's

heard of many instances when people were severely hurt by teachers'

adjustments.

 

At the first workshop (2+years ago), on the day of doing the Intermediate

Series, we went through most of the postures, and those people who could not

do the asanas that occur later on in the series, just stopped and watched.

At the second workshop, we stopped at leg-behind-the-head pose. David said

he didn't think it was necessary to go on because of the varied levels of

people at the workshop. Also, I think we were running short on time.

 

David teaches nauli kriya at his workshops (ie., a standing abdominal

exercise in which one lifts/lowers one's abdomen repeatedly, and then rolls

the abdomen side to side repeatedly; it was written up in Yoga Journal some

time this past year), and I find this exercise extremely helpful. After two

years of practicing it, it's not only helped my yoga tremendously, but it

has helped my singing, too.

 

I enjoyed both workshops immensely. Hearing David Williams' perspectives

and his history with ashtanga was really interesting.

 

If you're looking for someone who has regularly & recently trained with

Jois, however, David Williams is not this person. While I cannot say that

David has been to India since the last workshop I attended (last August), up

until then, he had not been there in recent years.

 

I found his workshops very valuable and enjoyable. He's very open and

helpful, too, and will answer emails as well.

 

 

>Message: 9

Wed, 21 Jan 2004 10:20:59 +0000

Prima <primafacie

Re: Arturo - Vinyasa & David Williams

 

Hi Arturo ­ slightly off-topic, but I notice you said you attended a

workshop with David Williams. He¹s coming to the UK for the first time in

years and years and I¹m thinking about attending. Would you recommend it?

I ask as I¹ve been having serious trouble getting any opinions on David

Williams due to the fact that he does far less workshops than most of the

top teachers around the globe.

 

How does he compare to the other ashtangi¹s you¹ve studied with?

 

Thanks - p