by Beth Shaw?
Dabbadooey
Without having taken the program itself I cannot (and should not) speak to it’s content or curriculum. I have looked at it from the outside.
However, in the larger picture, I do not believe a person can be properly trained to impart yoga to others within the time frame of a weekend.
gordon
By removing the elitism, Sanskrit, chanting and esoteric aspects of the practice, YogaFit? makes the physical and mental health benefits of traditional yoga accessible to people of all ages and walks of life
Personally, I find this rather offensive.
[quote=Dabbadooey;23474]By removing the elitism, Sanskrit, chanting and esoteric aspects of the practice, YogaFit? makes the physical and mental health benefits of traditional yoga accessible to people of all ages and walks of life
Personally, I find this rather offensive.[/quote]
I am unclear: is this YogaFit’s marketing copy that you have shared?
[QUOTE=Dabbadooey;23474]By removing the elitism, Sanskrit, chanting and esoteric aspects of the practice, YogaFit? makes the physical and mental health benefits of traditional yoga accessible to people of all ages and walks of life.[/QUOTE]
I am struggling to see how one [I]could[/I] derive the full physical and mental health benefits of yoga without chanting, sanskrit and “esoteric aspects”.
Elitism??? I have not once encountered anything that would fit that bill. Sure, there are “yoga snobs”, but there are snobs in all walks of life (and all ages:lol:)
Well, as Beth Shaw says on her site: “She soon discovered that while traditional certifications taught a lot about the history and philosophy of yoga, they did not address the challenges of teaching yoga in a health club: bright lights, cold rooms, bodies of all types and flexibility levels.” So let YogaFit remain in the health clubs and gyms where it most probably serve a certain level of practitioner/teacher.
However, if you are looking for a yoga practice that is deeper and more profound and which addresses more than just your fitness level, then I would recommend that you perhaps search wider than just YogaFit by Beth Shaw.
yes, that came directly from the web page.
[QUOTE=Pandara;23478]Well, as Beth Shaw says on her site: “She soon discovered that while traditional certifications taught a lot about the history and philosophy of yoga, they did not address the challenges of teaching yoga in a health club: bright lights, cold rooms, bodies of all types and flexibility levels.” [/QUOTE]
Right. So “Elitism” is for those of us who know that yoga isn’t a gym exercise program.
Namaste Kamalayoga,
My post wasn’t really in response to anything you said, but more in response to what the OP asked for, an opinion. Sorry if you misunderstood it as a response to your post. 
But, since you asked, I do belief that like so many things in life that this perceived elitism is in the mind and eye of the beholder and has for me very little value or meaning. If somebody wants to think about yoga in that way, well then it is their right, point is, I know it isn’t and that is all that is important to me. If Beth Shaw feels that she removes the elitism from yoga, well who am i to disagree with her, that is her Truth and if she finds happiness in that, then good for her. I am sure she makes a good buck out of it as I can see from her site and the costs involved.
It is extremely expensive with travel costs often added to it.
Pandara, I think we might be confusing each other here.
If what you posted in italics are Beth Shaws actual words then I think we’re basically in agreement?
I have taught yoga in gyms and health clubs and yes it was hard to get around the mindset of yoga as an exercise programme (so they can get bodies like Madonna :rolleyes:) and even harder to watch them roll their eyes and look bored every time I asked them to do any kind of breath work. Forget the chanting!
As far as I am concerned it aint yoga without the other stuff that she seems to be calling elitist.
In fact I’m wondering how she can get away with describing what seems to be just an gym exercise programme as yoga.
I bet she can get away with it because folks who understand what yoga is begin to feel distracted from their own path if they say “That’s not yoga” as often as a not-yoga comes across their path.
When someone asks, that’s a different story. But that won’t change the opinions of paying customers who don’t bother to ask.
hi - i just wanted to add my 2-cents (sense? idk).
i had been looking for some time for the right type of teacher training - one that would suit my lifestyle as well as my wallet, and YogaFit has been a wonderful addition. i have practiced traditional as well as non-traditional yoga, and my conclusion is that although the YogaFit teacher training is not a 6-month commitment, the 200-hr program still offers a wonderful approach to yoga that brings yoga “to the masses,” aka those types of people that are typically gym bums and possibly intimidated by more traditional yoga (simply because they are not sure what to make of it yet).
as a health ed major my (our) main goal is to bring yoga to all types of people, and especially those that are squeamish about the concept of “spiritual” yoga. i think YogaFit it a wonderful introduction to those people and once they begin to gain a deeper understanding of what yoga IS, it is then they realize that there are a plethora of doors open to them and can experiment upon multiple practices, traditional and/or non, and thus begins their life-long journey in the world of yoga.
i share this because this has been my own experience as well as the experience of several others i know personally and some not. i feel traditional and non are practices that work together, hand in hand, bringing that inner awareness and peace to others. The spirituality that is yoga is not something forgotten at YogaFit trainings. I have attended 2 YogaFit trainings so far, as as i have left both i felt so uplifted and had such a deep sense of peace and serenity within myself. So yeah.
Thoughts?
Having shared your personal experiences they are thus indisputable. If that is how it is for you then that is how it is, for you.
Yoga: Oneness, yoga. Chitta: mind. Vritti: wave, the action of rolling, modification, way of being. Nirodha: cessation.
Yoga is a science of then mind…If you want to 'work out" “get fit” then hit the gym…Don’t bastardize yoga to meet you commercial needs. Interesting that Ms Shaw uses the word “elitist” when that is exactly as I believe her to be.
i’d say yogafit is not a sound educational program. if you need just a piece of paper (to present at the local gym) and the cost is below 500 it is good place to go. i got my “piece of paper” in cws fitness or something like that just because i needed a “proof” for the gym, and it was enough for them.
for the personal growth or if your are planing going to yoga studios as a teacher, i’d recommend some other programs.
[QUOTE=Dabbadooey;23469]by Beth Shaw?[/QUOTE]
I think this YogaFit training system by Beth Shaw would be a good primer for someone new to yoga. It show you poses and how to build a practice without the Sanskrit asana names that some can find rather intimidating.
Beth Shaw’s Yogafit would also work well for a more-seasoned yoga practioner, however, I found the omission of the Sanskrit names of the asanas to be a bit off-putting. I understand her methodology here, but I think more serious yogis and yoginis will want to know the Sanskrit names.
I took a weekend and disliked it very much. After pay the $350 or whatever, I got a email advising that I “had” to purchase her book to participate in the course. I did, it was useless to me and the weekend I attended. The language(ing) is horrible and the instructors sound like they/you are speaking to 7 year olds. I didn’t nor do need a piece of paper, I went for some instruction, couldn’t wait for it to get over. JMO.
I think Yogafit has a 200 hour and upcoming 500 hour program that is recognized by Yoga Alliance.
Yogafit was originally created where a void was found. Many gyms in the country were looking to add yoga to their class schedules and a training system was born to accommodate. Early on Beth Shaw just created a class to teach at her local gym and as the popularity of the class spread Beth had an opportunity to teach her idea for a gym based yoga class to others who wanted to teach a similar format. Just like any yoga instructor Beth formatted her program to the demands of the class. At first that did not include sanskrit or chanting but as the program and the acceptance for mind/body classes in gyms grew the program evolved to include chanting, sanskrit, philosophy, and mulitple levels of asana. The Yogafit training system works well for a gym based class and a studio class style. Their training is broken up into levels 1-5 with additional specialized courses offered for seniors, children, pre-natal etc. The levels are offered over the course of a weekend with the option to work toward 200 or 500 hours. Yogafit allows the trainee to fit the training into a busy life without having to commit a large chunk of time all at once. Yogafit has a very reputable, highly educated and evolved teacher training staff. Rather than studying under one mentor they offer the option to learn from and practice under different teachers which give the trainee a more diverse interpretation of the material learned. The company has become very successful and offers retreats all over the world for greater knowledge and deeper experiences. No reason to foster negative prejudice rather practice acceptance. No one person is alike nor is every brand of yoga. RYT KApple