I am trying to find a yoga center in my area, and I want to know whether it is better to get an Indian instructor or not. I have a lot of trouble sleeping because of stress and anxiety and wanted to know what type of yoga one would suggest. Thank you
Namaste, Mango! The ethnic nationality of the Teacher is not so important as is their competence in what they propose to teach you. If it is primarily a Hatha Yoga class you seek, then it is fairly easy to attend a class you may see advertised, either as a spectator or as a participant. A
competent instructor will clearly be able to personally demonstrate more physical strength and flexibility, greater balance and overall body control
than the students do. Thus, you can be assured that the same training the instructor used to acquire his/her skills should do the same for you if
you attend the class regularly, and can discipline yourself to practice on the days you don’t attend a class.
If you are primarily interested in Spiritual Yoga practices such as Raja Yoga (Meditation/Mind Control), Mantra Japa (Prayer Formulas), Kundalini Yoga (Internal Energy Development), etc., with a Self-Realization agenda of achieving a Nirvakalpi Samadhi (Complete Union with God/ Enlightenment), and so forth, then a Spiritual Director,
or Guru, who has personally reached these goals by the same means and practices is indispensable. These methods require Initiation and Guidance which can only come from a competent Guru. There are a few exceptions to the following statement, but generally speaking, such Gurus will most often be Indian Nationals.
So, WHO to look for really depends on WHAT you’re looking for! I hope this is of some help to you! Swami Adityananda