Forum Restructuring

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#1

Greetings my friends!

I’ve been pondering the idea of restructuring the forums here for quite some time. I’ve received messages from some of you on this exact topic, so I know there’s interest. I’d like for us to restructure the forums as a community rather than me dictating things. So please debate, make suggestions, and share your opinions as much as you like. My initial suggestions to get things going shown in order they would be on the forums:

[B]Category:[/B] The Eight Limbs
[B]Subforums:[/B]
Yamas and Niyamas
Asana
Pranayama, Pratyahara, and Dharana
Dhyana and Samadhi

[B]Category:[/B] General
[B]Subforums:[/B]
General Yoga Discussion
Yoga Teachers
Yoga For Specific Ailments

[B]Category:[/B] The Community
[B]Subforums: [/B]
Introductions
Community News, Help, and Suggestions
Off Topic

I think most of these are somewhat self explanatory. The “Yoga Teachers” would be for teachers and prospective teachers to discuss topics specific to the teaching of yoga. “Yoga for Specific Ailments” is there because when it comes to yoga, some of the most common searches are for, “Yoga for X” and Yoga for Y" and if you do those searches, most of the answers you get suck. As such, my thought is the wise people here on this forum could answer questions such as, “Yoga for Diabetes” with quality input rather than, “Hold downward dog for 5 minutes then do headstand if you think you’re about to go into a diabetic coma”.

Thoughts on all of this? Suggestions?

#2

my first thought is that this looks like a great direction to go in.
i am wondering too what we will do with the current forums and subforums? and how will we place mukunda’s early offerings?

#3

[quote=Nichole;28434]my first thought is that this looks like a great direction to go in.
i am wondering too what we will do with the current forums and subforums? and how will we place mukunda’s early offerings?[/quote]
Thanks for the feedback Nichole :slight_smile:

My thought on that is:

  1. Put your private group’s subforum as a subforum of maybe General Yoga Discussion? Your group will always have a home here as far as I’m concerned.

  2. I’ll go through Mukunda’s early posts and do my best to move them to the new forum that best fits the topic he comments on. I know how much you cherish his work (and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him as well) so I’d be happy to run every single move by you. I’m of course open to other suggestions as well.

  3. Current forums and subforums would be removed if they’re no longer pertinent and moved if their ordering is simply changed.

#4

david, thank you for your care and thoughtfulness around this.

i would like to continue to keep the syt forum private, as many questions were asked originally in the confidence of a password protected subforum. andy assured me in the sale of the forum to you that you would continue to offer this to the syt community. am i understanding that agreement correctly? either way, would you continue to honor that for us? it would essentially keep it as it is now, unless there are other options that you know of that i am not aware of.

mukunda is returning home this week and i will share a phone call with him to get clear on his hopes for his early work here. can i touch base with you after talking with him? i want to represent him properly.

thank you again!

nichole

#5

To be blunt, I don’t remember if there was such an agreement or not and I don’t feel like going through emails and paperwork :smiley: Regardless, it doesn’t matter because you have my word I will honor that.

Sounds good to me.

Should his desire ever change to be active here again, he ALWAYS has a home here as far as I’m concerned and am happy to have a forum dedicated to him and his work.

#6

bluntness makes things quicker, so thank you that and for keeping the syt forum password protected :smiley:

i will certainly extended your invitation to mukunda again. i shared it with him early on after you purchased the forum, but i am sure will he will appreciate your kind offer again. i know that i do.

thank you, david!

#7

Raja Yoga
Mantra Yoga
Kriya Yoga
Vini-Yoga or Yoga Therapy- i believe you’ve got that forum category, nicely covered and with it’s own brand- i.e Mukunda Stiles/SYT.
Tibetan Yoga
Miscelannous Hatha,tantra and kundalini techniques
Esoteric & Himalayan Yogas
Hatha Yoga
Swara Yoga
Kundalin Yoga, perhaps
laya yoga
Karma Yoga

Yoga schools- satyananda, AYP ,nath yogananda etc etc

I think this is maybe starting to look like my web browser bookmarks folder…hehehe

You’ve got the main branches.

Or not to pootentially confuse newcomers but to streamline a forum more along the lines of the 8 -limbed path given that this can adress the many aspects of yoga through having all the limbs adressed in balance.

I do think the therapeutic yoga is important as this is often a main rationale and portal for many into yoga, as well as a welcome effect of practice and people need some orientation and advise. They may also be in some distress or folk are worried as one’s health can presdispose one to doing.

I think you might be better with the 8 limbed path approach so as not to confuse and bewilder people completely.

So another suggestion- along your lines

1)- Pranayama- Limb 4 covered
2)Meditation- limbs 6,7 & 8- dharan,dhyana,samadhi ( no one will post in the last category as they will be in a complete state of absorbtion- only kidding…haha,plus few might know what they were talking about?? +laugh+)Pratyahara maybe more in the domain of a meditation practice category.It is the gateway limb to the internal ,i.e inner, yoga practices.
3)Lifestyle & Nutrition(Diet & lifestyle choices etc)-limbs 1& 2 touched on- purity of body & mind-santosha ?? etc etc etc
4)Asanas-flow series,static asanas ,intersting or novel sequences, the main classical asana,modifications,props, etc
5)Relaxation techniques- this is a tentative suggesstion BTW but is important in an overall practice.

The latter organisation you propose would be better than branches of yoga as it keeps the empahasis on [U]practice[/U], on self-exploration just where it should be, self-responsibility and self-directed practice.

I have thought of these things myself- how you could have a tuly open-source forum that indeed endeavoured to cater for all the discerning seekers and practioners out there.

so to recap

you could add

-[B]Pranayama[/B]
-[B]Meditation[/B]

Maybe as well
-Lifestyle & Nutrition (diet,help and advise,shatkarmas, bodily purification etc)

JUST food for thought. You can disregard the first list as it would be just a tad overwhelming to the beginner and newcomer-liable to intimidate or alienate them.

You’ve got two potential categories there enboldened. Another could be relaxation. The isues with categorisation is the overlapping. BUt you’ve got some interesting if not useful feedback here i hope.

You can retain the General and of course the therapeutic yoga. This is what defines the flavour and purpose of this forum and is what attracts most folk to yoga.It is a taster of yoga’s latent potential.

Hope this helps,by way of feedback, David.

#8

Hi David,

You would have to give it more food for thought before arriving at a restructuring that was neither cluttered nor bewildering, but well-organised ,or well-organising, and meaningful.

You want to attract as many folk . But the little suggesstion i have made keeps the emphasis on practice.

#9

Hi david,

you could always group- 1-pranayama with mudras & bhandas(i was skimming through HYP last night),then 2-meditation —just a thought
also yamas and niymas category could cover such areas as- shatkarmas or kriyas and diet,nutrition and lifestyle

but your Eight limbs and other 2 categories does look interesting.

sub-forums is a very clever idea - it does’nt bewilder people.

#10

[B]Category: The Eight Limbs[/B]
Subforums:
Yamas and Niyamas
Asana
Pranayama,Mudras & Bandhas
Meditation(Pratyahara, Dharana,Dhyana & Samadhi)

#11

David,

How about this?

-Community-(introductions & so forth)
-General- (general ,all aspects of yoga ,newbie-type questions-what is yoga? etc)
-Yoga Therapy-Q&A -( Adapting to the individual)
-The Eight Limbs (or Eight Limbed Path-sub-divided into those categories given above)

You can always have other categories such as an ‘off-topic’ or subsume that and ‘introductions’(new members talking about themself,trying to connect) into ‘Commmunity’. Or subsume ‘intro’s’ into ‘community’ and have ‘off-topic’(not purely yoga-related-e.g tai chi, reflexology,other healing arts etc) a cat. in itself. Also you could retain the book club as another category to itself-where folk can discusss the literature-ancient and modern,web resources etc. So i say this suggestively -you could then have also

-Off-Topic
-The Book Club- or Resources- (such as good books,interesting websites etc)The book club gives an involved approach where the latter is more independent along the lines of self-directed practice and learning(cultivating the inner guru and all that supplemented by at least some classes,teachers etc).

But the ‘Yoga therapy-Q&A’ one is unique to this forum ,SYT obviously the brainchild of forum & originator Mukunda Stiles.It is what defines this forum and it’s flavour.Also most folk come to yoga and this forum motivated primarily often by health reasons.How do i fix this? Cany yoga cure it? What can i do? What do i have to do? etc.And you have a prescribed paradigm or system if you like, already -i.e SYT. Others can feel free to provide advice, input based on their own knowledge,experience and/or expertise-i.e what worked for them etc.

But the first four Cat’s. appear sound enough.Unless anyone can see flaws or weaknesses in it.The last two are just suggestions in keeping with what is already here and just help to jazz things up a bit, keep folk feeling involved and interested etc.

Also as an after thought you could also retain the ‘community suggesstions’(give members a voice so they can fell they can actually input and influence the forum,ways to improve it,contribute meaningfully- i.e do actually feel involved.)So the ‘Community’ big Cat. is still a good idea. Then you’re getting more interaction and people don’t fell they’re holding back on meaniingfully contributing( for whatever reason etc)But like I say, you’ve already got these Cat’s.So that is fine.

#12

Hi David,

To summarise:-

-[B]Community[/B]

-[B]General[/B]
-[B]Yoga Therapy- Q&A[/B]

-[B]Eight Limbs[/B]

-[B]Off-Topic[/B]
-[B]Resource Repository[/B]

(Note:-with the ‘Eight Limbs’ sub-divided, like you say, as I outlined above.)

#13

David,

You can still retain these 2 on the end of the 4th grouping.

-Community

-General
-Yoga Therapy-Q&A

-Eight Limbs
Yamas and Niyamas
Asana
Pranayama,Mudras & Bandhas
Meditation

-Off-Topic
-Resources
-Poetry & Quotations
-Spirit’s Place

And any else you see fit.

#14

How about a forum for philosophy, beliefs, spiritual practice, kundalini, chakras, gurus, etc.?

#15

[QUOTE=Asuri;28550]How about a forum for philosophy, beliefs, spiritual practice, kundalini, chakras, gurus, etc.?[/QUOTE]
Great suggestion, Asuri! Count me in. :slight_smile:

#16

However, it looks like those topics can easily be posted in existing categories on the forum, so perhaps it’s not really necessary to delegate additional spaces for them.

Hari Om!

Adityananda

#17

Although not that active here anymore David, you have my vote for your suggested restructuring. :slight_smile:

Blessings with that.

#18

Namaste to All:

I suggest that it would be helpful to enable editing of posts for a longer period of time after they are submitted, and to enable posters to delete accidental duplication of posts.

Hari OM!

Adityananda

#19

I anticipate implementing some degree of this restructuring within the next two weeks. So if you have any final comments or suggestions, please let me know :slight_smile:

#20

Is the default page upon loading www.yogaforums.com still going to be list the most recent threads? I forgot the threads even had categories. I LOVE that I can pull up the site from anywhere and see instantly everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours.