Just wondering it would seem like walking with your eyes closed imho
Cheers
Well, of course they do. When I was growing up, there was no type of yoga being taught in my dinky little home town. My first exposure to it came from trying to learn the postures from coming across “Light on Yoga.” That was some time in the 70’s, and I think it was the early 70’s. I found a martial arts class and settled for that, along with a little added bit of additional yoga and meditation that I picked up from books.
Later, I began to study yoga from a real teacher. That teacher started her path into yoga about the same time - from studying the exact same book. Only she stayed with it and began working with a teacher. She’s now one of the three highest rated Iyengar instructors in the US.
I guess I was lucky in the early 70’s to have lived in an ashram that had regular visits by teachers from India . Yoga was very popular in the 70’s here I think the Beatles and many Hollywood personalities helped with that .
Cheers
Yeah. Not everyone grows up in an ashram, my friend. In fact, I would say that would probably be the exception, not the rule. Ha!
I guess internet opened up a lot of new learning possibilities (ebooks/youtube/wikipedia), and introduced some new barriers probably (confusion excessive information).
Anyways, Internet & reallife teachers can go hand in hand imho.
Gee what is next online y.t.t.?
Cheers
Here’s my experience. I went thru the video course, P90X. 5 times. It is pretty intense. One of the DVD’s was Yoga x. A 92 minute vinyasa flow type exercise. After doing this once a week for about a year and a half, I decided that I enjoyed yoga.
I sucked it up and went to a local studio. I was quite nervous until I realized that I was doing the poses well enough that I was keeping up with the rest of the class.
So this is how I got started on my journey. Probably not normal, but I have been attending my yoga classes now for about 4 months and have just loved it. so it is a process as they say
Well, from what I’ve seen, I don’t really think that there is a lot of “teaching yoga” going on even when you HAVE a teacher. Since I’ve gotten back into yoga these past several months, I’ve noticed that, at many yoga classes, they aren’t really “teaching yoga.” It’s more like they’re calling a square dance. “Now we’re going to do this posture. Now we’re going to do that posture.” And if you don’t know the posture, then you are expected to just look around at your neighbor and try to put your body in roughly the same position. That is, apparently, considered good enough.
This is the single biggest shock to me since I’ve gotten back into yoga this time around because the first time, I was learning Iyengar yoga from a very, very highly qualified teacher who went into incredible detail about the correct postural alignment of the asanas.
And now I’m doing Ashtanga on a regular basis which is, essentially, a self-taught system. They will go through the postures with you a few times and will correct the posture if they see you doing something wrong, but you’re basically left to learn it on your own.
The yoga workout in the P90X system is, from what I understand, a perfectly legitimate Vinyasa-style workout. Since you have a video that you can return to again and again (and, presumably, the postures are demonstrated correctly), I’d say that you might actually be getting MORE detailed instruction than you get with a lot of yoga classes, depending on how the instructor teaches.
A lot of people settle for what is easily available for them ,if you have to make a trip across town for great instruction I would think by all means it is worth it . The wisdom and energy from a great teachers class is worth some effort on the practitioners part imho
if it is a workout you want then do 100 push-ups 200 sit-ups 100 Hindu squats , 50 pull ups then run 3 miles = about the time of a yoga class
Cheers
That’s true. But how does one find great instruction? I’ve been to many different classes with a many different teachers at a variety of yoga studios in the Indianapolis area. This appears to be the norm, not the exception, in this day and age. The class I’m going to on Tuesdays and Fridays has more detailed instruction, but most of the other classes I’ve attended all seemed to be designed for people who pretty much already know how to do the asanas and just want to practice them in a room with other people.
The studio I go to has different levels listed. Say 1/2 to 3. By the time you get to 2 or 3 it is expected that you know the basic poses. However there is good instruction even at the higher levels with the instructors moving around making comments or adjustments.
My studio is small. Max people there would be maybe 15. Usually it is around 10.I guess I’m fortunate.
[QUOTE=shumanfoo;80762]The studio I go to has different levels listed. Say 1/2 to 3. By the time you get to 2 or 3 it is expected that you know the basic poses. However there is good instruction even at the higher levels with the instructors moving around making comments or adjustments.
My studio is small. Max people there would be maybe 15. Usually it is around 10.I guess I’m fortunate.[/QUOTE]
You are fortunate ,
Enjoy cheers
Yes Fixed a lot of people do what they must to learn yoga. We are not all so fortunate to be surrounded with yoga studios and wise teachers. I have read several yoga books and have dvds that I have learned from. I went to a yoga class but the teacher taught nothing. Internet has been my greatest resource. Dont get me wrong there is a lot of trial and error, but if you want it bad enough you can make it happen. peace
I think the most important thing is find a teacher you trust and do what is expected without questioning , that is the biggest difference I see with modern students as opposed to students in the 70’s .imho
Cheers
Fixed do you still have the same teacher since the 70s? Or do you have many different?
The same teacher and others ,
" A well know ancient saying in India holds that the attitude of the student determines the quality of the teacher "…the first line from the second chapter in the book Krishnamacharya His Life And Teachings , by A.G. Mohan
I have had one guru but many teachers, I work with people like me I show them yoga people with brain injuries they teach me far more than I show them imho
You show them yoga or teach them didnt understand the last sentence of yours.
[QUOTE=fakeyogis;80769]You show them yoga or teach them didnt understand the last sentence of yours.[/QUOTE]
Sorry I have a brain injury also in my brain injury recovery group I show some pranayama techniques to help with anxiety issues that we can suffer from …
After almost forty years of raja yoga I will be attending Hatha t.t. In January after that I will add asana for those able or willing , I see the need and I want to help ,brain injury …we may look normal on the outside but on the inside there can be terrible pain.
Cheers
Peace
Great that you try to help others. I hope you finish hatha t.t. With exellence.
Who taught the first teacher?
Oh, wait…should that have been “Whom” rather than "Who?"
What’s the object/subject?
Is there a teacher of grammar in the house?
Ain’t that a lot of questions?