Prana - remember why we practice yoga

[Guest guest]

This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and negative responses

on this , and I am unhappy to see them. I don't myself believe in

many " spiritual " aspects of yoga. (Actually I don't believe in much that claims

to be spiritual at all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose of

practicing yoga is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if

you wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret that word

" better " , I am sure it works for you.

 

But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others. I don't

believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who spontaneously evaporate

into a miasma of beautiful light when they die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa.

But there are ways of responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be

forgotten even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

 

Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical thinking. But let

us also not forget why we are practicing yoga... When someone is wrong, yes, you

should correct them. But there are kind ways to do it...

 

Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey " on our

lovely group.

 

xxx

[Guest guest]

First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

 

Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

tell you why.

 

Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

 

PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

please feel free to " correct " him.

 

Love & Light,

 

Laura

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

On 12 Apr 2010, at 15:30, A <alice wrote:

 

> This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and

> negative responses on this , and I am unhappy to see

> them. I don't myself believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga.

> (Actually I don't believe in much that claims to be spiritual at

> all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose of practicing yoga

> is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if you

> wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret

> that word " better " , I am sure it works for you.

>

> But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others.

> I don't believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who

> spontaneously evaporate into a miasma of beautiful light when they

> die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa. But there are ways of

> responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be forgotten

> even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

>

> Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical

> thinking. But let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga...

> When someone is wrong, yes, you should correct them. But there are

> kind ways to do it...

>

> Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey "

> on our lovely group.

>

> xxx

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I'm going to stop short of " flamey " as I don't believe the intent was to

assault the poster. Instead, it was a bluntly-worded reaction to the story

itself. Perhaps a bit rudely worded and from that perspective, I applaud

Alice Triple-X for her soothing and reasonable observation below.

 

We are all products of our environment, at least in part. Differing cultures

produce differing vocabularies and boundaries. One of the greatest values

I've obtained from lists is the exploration of other lifestyles and,

especially, communication patterns. I second the thought that critical

thinking always has a place alongside courtesy and empathy,.

 

D

 

On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 9:30 AM, A <alice wrote:

 

 

This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and negative

responses on this , and I am unhappy to see them. I don't myself

believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga. (Actually I don't believe in

much that claims to be spiritual at all.) But I do sincerely believe that

the purpose of practicing yoga is to become a better person - physically and

mentally and if you wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to

interpret that word " better " , I am sure it works for you.

 

But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others. I don't

believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who spontaneously

evaporate into a miasma of beautiful light when they die. Or the Easter

bunny. Or Santa. But there are ways of responding, with kindness and

dignity, that should not be forgotten even if the person is expressing a

view that needs correcting.

 

Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical thinking. But

let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga... When someone is wrong,

yes, you should correct them. But there are kind ways to do it...

 

Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey " on our

lovely group.

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

It is understandable that someone who does not connect with the spiritual aspect

of the practice finds Guruji's advice to be inscrutable. Viewed as an exercise

regimen, much of the Guru's information must seem senseless. To those of us who

find higher purpose than toning our muscles in the practice, that same

information becomes priceless.

 

Not meant in a nasty way, truly, just a different perspective one might

consider.

 

ashtangayoga , " A " <alice wrote:

>

> This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and negative

responses on this , and I am unhappy to see them. I don't myself

believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga. (Actually I don't believe in much

that claims to be spiritual at all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose

of practicing yoga is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if

you wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret that word

" better " , I am sure it works for you.

>

> But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others. I don't

believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who spontaneously evaporate

into a miasma of beautiful light when they die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa.

But there are ways of responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be

forgotten even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

>

> Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical thinking. But

let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga... When someone is wrong, yes,

you should correct them. But there are kind ways to do it...

>

> Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey " on our

lovely group.

>

> xxx

>

[Guest guest]

Apologies for my spelling mistakes; I typed it from my iPhone.

 

Laura

 

 

 

 

On 13 Apr 2010, at 12:28, Laura J Valle wrote:

 

> First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

> his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

> it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

> and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

> beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

> beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

> will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

>

> Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

> knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

> for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

> practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

> practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

> tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

> tell you why.

>

> Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

> attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

> may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

> do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

> with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

> 40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

>

> PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

> please feel free to " correct " him.

>

> Love & Light,

>

> Laura

>

> Sent from my iPhone

>

> On 12 Apr 2010, at 15:30, A <alice wrote:

>

> > This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and

> > negative responses on this , and I am unhappy to see

> > them. I don't myself believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga.

> > (Actually I don't believe in much that claims to be spiritual at

> > all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose of practicing yoga

> > is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if you

> > wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret

> > that word " better " , I am sure it works for you.

> >

> > But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others.

> > I don't believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who

> > spontaneously evaporate into a miasma of beautiful light when they

> > die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa. But there are ways of

> > responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be forgotten

> > even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

> >

> > Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical

> > thinking. But let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga...

> > When someone is wrong, yes, you should correct them. But there are

> > kind ways to do it...

> >

> > Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey "

> > on our lovely group.

> >

> > xxx

> >

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

I believe it was the " overnight " part that was questioned, Laura. More

gradual changes in color are indeed on record.

 

D

 

 

On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 6:28 AM, Laura J Valle <laurajvalle wrote:

 

 

First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

 

Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

tell you why.

 

Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

 

PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

please feel free to " correct " him.

 

Love & Light,

 

Laura

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Laura, thank you so much for that....

 

ashtangayoga , Laura J Valle <laurajvalle wrote:

>

> First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

> his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

> it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

> and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

> beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

> beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

> will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

>

> Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

> knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

> for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

> practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

> practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

> tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

> tell you why.

>

> Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

> attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

> may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

> do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

> with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

> 40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

>

> PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

> please feel free to " correct " him.

>

> Love & Light,

>

> Laura

>

> Sent from my iPhone

>

> On 12 Apr 2010, at 15:30, A <alice wrote:

>

> > This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and

> > negative responses on this , and I am unhappy to see

> > them. I don't myself believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga.

> > (Actually I don't believe in much that claims to be spiritual at

> > all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose of practicing yoga

> > is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if you

> > wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret

> > that word " better " , I am sure it works for you.

> >

> > But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others.

> > I don't believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who

> > spontaneously evaporate into a miasma of beautiful light when they

> > die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa. But there are ways of

> > responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be forgotten

> > even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

> >

> > Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical

> > thinking. But let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga...

> > When someone is wrong, yes, you should correct them. But there are

> > kind ways to do it...

> >

> > Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey "

> > on our lovely group.

> >

> > xxx

> >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

To be honest, I wasn't saying that I didn't connect to yoga, just that we should

be nice to one another.

 

ashtangayoga , charlierom2003 <no_reply wrote:

>

> It is understandable that someone who does not connect with the spiritual

aspect of the practice finds Guruji's advice to be inscrutable. Viewed as an

exercise regimen, much of the Guru's information must seem senseless. To those

of us who find higher purpose than toning our muscles in the practice, that same

information becomes priceless.

>

> Not meant in a nasty way, truly, just a different perspective one might

consider.

>

> ashtangayoga , " A " <alice@> wrote:

> >

> > This is the first time I have ever come across aggressive and negative

responses on this , and I am unhappy to see them. I don't myself

believe in many " spiritual " aspects of yoga. (Actually I don't believe in much

that claims to be spiritual at all.) But I do sincerely believe that the purpose

of practicing yoga is to become a better person - physically and mentally and if

you wish spiritually, and indeed, however else you wish to interpret that word

" better " , I am sure it works for you.

> >

> > But the best way of judging our progress is in how we treat others. I don't

believe in hair turning white over night, or yogis who spontaneously evaporate

into a miasma of beautiful light when they die. Or the Easter bunny. Or Santa.

But there are ways of responding, with kindness and dignity, that should not be

forgotten even if the person is expressing a view that needs correcting.

> >

> > Let us not - as Tom Hunter wisely says - suspend our critical thinking. But

let us also not forget why we are practicing yoga... When someone is wrong, yes,

you should correct them. But there are kind ways to do it...

> >

> > Sorry for the lecture. Was just a bit sad to see something " flamey " on our

lovely group.

> >

> > xxx

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I never said overnight. I am not sure how that got started. I said,

he said his hair changed color/went grey whilst doing pranayama.

 

 

 

Laura

 

 

 

 

On 14 Apr 2010, at 00:55, Darrell King wrote:

 

> I believe it was the " overnight " part that was questioned, Laura. More

> gradual changes in color are indeed on record.

>

> D

>

> On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 6:28 AM, Laura J Valle <laurajvalle

> wrote:

>

> First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

> his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

> it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

> and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

> beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

> beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

> will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

>

> Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

> knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

> for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

> practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

> practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

> tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

> tell you why.

>

> Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

> attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

> may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

> do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

> with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

> 40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

>

> PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

> please feel free to " correct " him.

>

> Love & Light,

>

> Laura

>

>

[Guest guest]

> there are also things that happen that are beyond scientific explanation.

 

No, there aren't. Science simply hasn't explained them yet.

 

> Further, if you do some research you

> will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

 

I never denied that; but the hair grows out in the new colour. Existing hair

cannot turn grey or any other colour unless one dyes it. It has already been

explained in a previous post that the original poster mistyped & did not mean to

imply that.

 

> Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

> attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> this board?

 

I may be wrong, but I am assuming this comment is directed at me. I never

attacked nor belittled anyone. Saying, " I call bullshit " on something is a

perfectly friendly way of saying one doesn't buy it. & not taking a kissing

feet/hero worship approach to Guruji is in no way " speaking against " him or

Ashtanga. Ashtanga isn't a religion; & , unlike following a religion, it doesn't

require leaving your brain at the door.

 

I wasn't aware that one had to be a brainwashed, brain-dead cult member to be on

this board. My mistake, apparently.

 

Amanda

[Guest guest]

Amanda,

 

I am not sure why you are so negative or unkind. I certainly am not

brainwashed or brain dead. As I said, I am a midwife working on my

doctorate and I do believe in science but as another board member said

so eloquently, there are things in yoga that cannot be measured,

quantified or explained - like the chakras or other energy meridians

in the body.

 

I am not here to argue or put down others. I only was sharing my

experience and the knowledge that was passed down to me by a well-

respected yoga teacher.

 

Wishing you much peace, love and light.

 

 

Laura

 

 

 

 

On 15 Apr 2010, at 05:05, rowenakirk wrote:

 

> > there are also things that happen that are beyond scientific

> explanation.

>

> No, there aren't. Science simply hasn't explained them yet.

>

> > Further, if you do some research you

> > will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> > fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

>

> I never denied that; but the hair grows out in the new colour.

> Existing hair cannot turn grey or any other colour unless one dyes

> it. It has already been explained in a previous post that the

> original poster mistyped & did not mean to imply that.

>

> > Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> > speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along

> with

> > attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> > yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> > practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> > this board?

>

> I may be wrong, but I am assuming this comment is directed at me. I

> never attacked nor belittled anyone. Saying, " I call bullshit " on

> something is a perfectly friendly way of saying one doesn't buy it.

> & not taking a kissing feet/hero worship approach to Guruji is in no

> way " speaking against " him or Ashtanga. Ashtanga isn't a religion;

> & , unlike following a religion, it doesn't require leaving your

> brain at the door.

>

> I wasn't aware that one had to be a brainwashed, brain-dead cult

> member to be on this board. My mistake, apparently.

>

> Amanda

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I love words.... And the human mind's ability to filter in general.

 

D

 

On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 6:25 PM, Laura J Valle <laurajvalle wrote:

 

 

I never said overnight. I am not sure how that got started. I said,

he said his hair changed color/went grey whilst doing pranayama.

 

Laura

 

On 14 Apr 2010, at 00:55, Darrell King wrote:

 

> I believe it was the " overnight " part that was questioned, Laura. More

> gradual changes in color are indeed on record.

>

> D

>

> On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 6:28 AM, Laura J Valle

<laurajvalle<laurajvalle%40me.com>>

 

> wrote:

>

> First of all, his hair did not turn grey over night. He reported that

> his hair turned grey whilst doing the pranayama. You may not believe

> it but that is his story. I was not in Mysore to see it. Only Guruji

> and Sharath can attest to it which Sharath has. I am a midwife and do

> beleive in science but there are also things that happen that are

> beyond scientific explanation. Further, if you do some research you

> will find that people can have sudden changes in hair color due to

> fright and extreme stress. It is possible.

>

> Guruji was the guru of Ashtanga yoga because he was wise and

> knowledgeable about Ashtanga. I do not believe he has to give a reason

> for everything he said. For me, I trust in his wisdom and would not

> practice pranayama without a teacher or without having an advanced

> practice. If you speak to the certified teachers of Ashtanga they will

> tell you the same and Kino and Noah, from my experience, will even

> tell you why.

>

> Lastly, it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both

> speaking against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with

> attacking or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the

> yogic path. If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's

> practitoners then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on

> this board? I rarely post here but am now shocked after doing so. You

> may not believe what I said, but I do not need to be corrected. If you

> do not believe what I shared, that is something you should discuss

> with Noah or Sharath. I was solely sharing what was passed to me (and

> 40 other people in a conference) by one of my teachers.

>

> PS - I have spoken to Noah regarding my posting. He is aware. So

> please feel free to " correct " him.

>

> Love & Light,

>

> Laura

>

>

[Guest guest]

>I am not sure why you are so negative or unkind.

 

I am neither negative nor unkind; you are misinterpreting my posts. I

was responding specifically to this:

 

" it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both speaking

against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with attacking

or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the yogic path.

If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's practitoners

then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on this board? "

 

This was an accusation directed at me (I assume), and I responded to

it in neither a negative nor an unkind fashion.

 

Amanda

 

 

[Guest guest]

I think i have created a firestorm with that post on pranayama I want to

clarify my position a little bit by referring to the 7th Yoga Sutra by

Pantanjali which says: " The sources of right knowledge are direct perception,

inference and scriptual testimony. "

 

What is teaching? What is learning? What constitutes a good teacher? Can one

question a guru's teachings respectfully? It's not so much the notion of

questioning or calling into question the validity of a certain teaching but

rather the examining of certain teachings, i.e. mentally or physically

roadtesting those concepts to find out if the former hold true. Swami

Satchidananda in his commentary on the Yoga Sutras maintains that any statement

made by a guru should be confirmed by scripture. If you review Sutras 46-53 in

Book 2, it clearly states that one should have a good command of Asana prior to

initiating the practice of pranayama. S.S. also clearly cautions against the

practice of pranayama without the guidance of a qualified teacher and the

reasons why. Many schools of Yoga other than Ashtanga (Iyengar for instance) do

the same.

 

A certain level of faith is always a part of learning anything new: one cannot

master advanced mathematical concepts without first learning basic addition,

subtraction, multiplication, basic algebra and so forth. One cannot read Tolstoy

without first learning the ABC. Any activity one endeavors to master involves

faith in a good teacher whom one can trust build a proper foundation. The more

important issue is how to find a good teacher. How does one do this? By doing

research, speaking to many different people who have had experiences with this

individual and who can attest to the teacher's wisdom, knowledge and skill. I am

not going to go into detail about Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' life and works-his

biography and lineage speaks for itself and I have yet to find a serious yoga

practitioner who has disparaged his legacy. Ashtanga isn't for everyone. There

are many different approaches to the science of Yoga but if you choose one,

choose wisely and from that moment on be without constant nagging doubt which

ultimately only constitutes self-doubt. In his seminal treatise, 'Yoga Mala' and

in countless interviews, Guruji has stated that one masters Asana first: this is

the first limb. It's the foundation for everything else. Sharath says this

frequently to anyone who will listen. I don't know about you guys but while I

have achieved a basic proficiency in the Primary Series, I still often struggle

with the quality and relaxed steadiness of my breathing. It starts in Surya

Namaskara B in the transitions from Downward Dog to Virabidhrasana A back down

to Chaturanga! I am sure it will take me quite a few more years to get closer to

some form of mastery here. Every quote I know by Guruji has held true in the

relatively short amount of time I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga. " Just do

your practice and all is coming " . I did practice for extended periods of time

to get into the state of certain more difficult asanas with no tangible or maybe

minimal improvements until one day it just happened! I am sure many of you must

have had similar experiences. I trusted Guruji's words. I remember taking

Sharath's 2-week workshop in NYC last April. I was still struggling/unable to

bind in ABP and ABPP. On the 3rd day, Sharath gently adjusted me and helped me

bind in both. Sharath saw I was ready and my mind just needed to process that it

was now possible for my body to be in the state of the asana. My faith in

Guruji's words got me there; otherwise, I would not be on the mat 4-6x a week.

 

" Slow progress is good, fast progress is dangerous. " is another quote that I

remember daily and helps me keep my competitive ego in check. The competition

with oneself is the most dangerous in Yoga AFAIC: it leads to injury very

quickly especially in the beginning: we want too much too soon (instant

gratification is a decidedly Western phenomenon) and haven't explored enough how

our bodies work witin the practice and what our limitations are. Patience is a

virtue. Building a house doesn't start with the roof.

 

ashtangayoga , Amanda Kirk <rowena28 wrote:

>

> >I am not sure why you are so negative or unkind.

>

> I am neither negative nor unkind; you are misinterpreting my posts. I

> was responding specifically to this:

>

> " it is quite sad that practitioners of Ashtanga yoga are both speaking

> against Guruji and the tradition of Ashtanga yoga along with attacking

> or belittiling other yogis. It is quite unkind and not the yogic path.

> If you do not respect the tradition, the guru or it's practitoners

> then why are you practicing Ashtanga and why are you on this board? "

>

> This was an accusation directed at me (I assume), and I responded to

> it in neither a negative nor an unkind fashion.

>

> Amanda

>

>