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 What is your Yoga style?Moderators: Moderators Jump to page : < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > Now viewing page 6 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Yoga -> Yoga Teachers | Message format |
Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098   Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Bruce I have many bhai's...of course you're my bhai. You don't think I just made that up did you?? Like, how many months if not a year have I been telling you BB. Now you want to change it to guru?? I don't think you are ready for that....I'm mean..I'm brutal, hard to handle, a pain in the A$$ to deal with, you sure you want that??? I'll give you a few more months to think it over and then we might talk about it again....but, I have a strange feeling there's some of that manipulation going on here...you sweet talker you,  | ||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I can't leave it like this. That guru I had sex with happens to be my husband. So, there you go. BB...it's really fun tormenting you, I always look forward to it!! | ||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442    | EEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeesh!  You guys.......  Sharon - you and I will get along famously. I love words! I mean, who else would even bother to go and look it up to see if she (and I mean me..) had made a mistake in their interpretation Word geek  Spying is a very loaded word and I am glad it was changed. I am not going to look up the old post but it seems we weren't even sure why mish wanted the password in the first place. Maybe the kid forgot it. Wouldn't be the first time.... So yes, it would be good to hear the end of the story, for better or worse. I have thought about starting a new thread about the various "types" we have on our board and why they are here. We did have an amusing link to someone who had categorized and caricatured a bunch of different online types but it would be fun to look again and see why we each are here and how we contribute. Every online group I have ever belonged to has their types. Me, I am just someone who likes to talk yoga and clearly has too much time on her hands. But we also need the technical folk who will explain anatomy to the cellular level, the philosophers who will quote Nietzsche and Dylan, historians who will quote the Gita, some goofy types who will laugh at anything, some irreverent types who will post photos of anything, and at least one pot stirrer who will keep things hopping. Does that person make life difficult for us? Oh yes! It is how we respond and what we learn from each encounter that matters. Isn't there something in YJ this month about how difficult people are our best teachers? Isn't there a story about monks practicing perfect calm and serenity on top of a mountain being completely freaked out the second their well-practiced but untested patience was disturbed? Like the bean story someone posted recently.... Just remember, these situations will just keep recurring until we learn the lesson they were sent to teach us. | ||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hey Glenda, Any idea of who that one *pot* stirrer might be, | ||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 |  I have heard it said that it takes one to know one One thing I have to disagree with you on Cyndi is that somewhere you said that you felt most western yogis were not sincere in their practice. I actually think most are sincere, but many could use better guidance. I mean, we try to the very best of our abilities to practice and understand what we are doing, but it is true that we will often fall short of our goals. I do feel some are not sincere or maybe do not know how to or are not ready to do the real work of yoga. We see a lot of them pass through here - "I want to do yoga but...." or ask advice and we give it and they say "yes, but...." Geeta Iyengar says that she gets that all the time, too. The "yes, but..." syndrome. Being rather direct herself, she says "if you don't want ot learn, why do you ask?" Gotta go teach some yoga! | ||
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| Jambo |
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | tourist - 2006-02-22 7:47 PM I have heard it said that it takes one to know one One thing I have to disagree with you on Cyndi is that somewhere you said that you felt most western yogis were not sincere in their practice. I actually think most are sincere, but many could use better guidance. I mean, we try to the very best of our abilities to practice and understand what we are doing, but it is true that we will often fall short of our goals. Funny, Tourist  Yes, I did say something along those lines about sincerity and western yogis and their lack of it. Probably a better way to term that would be to say that because of the lack of experience on the teachers part would be the reason the student is not sincere and/or having difficulty in that department. Which is all the more reason that finding authentic teachers and guru's is extremely important. I know of some really good teachers here in the West, no doubts about that, but there are so many not-so good ones too, and I'm not speaking in terms of being judgmental, I'm speaking of the lack of training and experience these teachers have, your're right, they are doing the best they can with what they know. But as a Yoga aspirant, that is not enough and this is why the Indian guru's say, we are either going up or we are going down. This is creating some really negative karma and it's not good for the teachers to be dragging people along and not being able to give them *Complete* but maybe only one-quarter. I know that personally for myself, I want a complete practice. Having the grace of the guru is a valuable tool when you start on a path. There are some dark places of the soul and can be pretty scary for someone who does not have a clear understanding of that. Before I learned Hatha yoga, I was in the Tibetan Buddhist Mind Training school. It has been a valuable tool for my practice. Not everyone has that opportunity, but if they had the proper training, I think we in America would outshine the world when it came to our practice. Why?? Because we as Americans do have one good quality about us. We are probably the most compassionate and giving people in the world today as a nation, forget about our President and our Government, I'm talking about the people. Look at what we have sacrificed for our freedom, and look at what we have done to create a free society so we can practice yoga and have a comfortable life to do it with. It's not a perfect science and it needs much tweeking, but we have an opportunity and that is what ALL of the Asian Yogi's know for sure about. I guess that would be the main reason most countries want to be like us, for that very reason. | ||
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | |||
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| Kym |
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| I've been lurking for a few days and decided to jump right into the fire and reply here as my first post. To answer the original Q: I teach in noisy gyms. I do use music, mostly Gabrielle Roth & the Mirrors. I try to keep it low key. When I practice at home, I use any kind of music, but I do bounce sometimes and find that distracting. I have taken a few classes where the instructor didn't use music, and it made me uncomfortable, but I got used to it and started to like how it made me focus. Someday I imagine I'll teach & practice that way at home, but for now, I'm not ready and neither are the gym members as far as I can tell. I realize I'm teaching western yoga. I know I have not "arrived", but for now I imagine that I am a vehicle for people to move on into deeper practice. By that I mean, out of a noisy gym with 40 people in a class and into a quiter enviroment. I myself am chomping at the bit to try more and more and learn more and more. But, it took me a long time. For a long time, I was perfectly happy learning in a noisy gym. Cyndi hit the nail on the head about teachers being sent out into the world too early and without support from a teacher-at least that is true for me. I DID exactly come here for advice b/c I hit a brick wall when I tried to get advice from my Yoga Fit teachers. No answer.  But I am here with sincereity to learn. If you haven't figured it out, I am new to teaching. I am only beginning my journey but I know I will evolve in ways I can't even imagine. I have been practicing for 6 years, but only started training to teach in '04 and began teaching in late '05. I am only now honestly feeling like I am making a higher connection to yoga. However, it's American Yoga and I'm ok with that as I'm an American, living in America, and teaching Americans. It may change, and it may not. I am open to either senerio (sticking with western or striving for eastern.) For now I am grateful for what I have received so far and look forward to a lifetime of learning, and hopefully teaching. Ok, be kind. This is my first post. Kim Edited by Kym 2006-02-22 10:07 PM | |||
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| Kabu |
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Kym - I do use music, mostly Gabrielle Roth & the Mirrors. I just downloaded a couple of their songs recently for my custom Yoga CD. Welcome, by the way! | |||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | |||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Bay Guy - 2006-02-22 9:35 PM Brother Bruce, and Sister Cyndi, let's remember our brahmacharya. It's one thing thing to pursue a tantric goal of liberation or to fulfill our duty as householders, and quite another to....uhmmm.. . .... ... you're supposed to exercise restraint in such matters, rather than wallowing in the opportunity to become a guru and take advantage of the people who come for enlightenment! BBG, we're just having some fun....trying to lighten or livening up this joint. Besides, I think it would be kinda hard to practice that kinda asana on my laptap...it might break or cause me to do something that would land me in a heap of trouble. I'm past my quota for the month in the trouble dept. and this week almost cost me dearly.......I can't wait till Sunday, Om Nama Shivia Shiva Shiva... | ||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | Welcome Kym - you ARE a brave soul Ask anything. We're here for you  | ||
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| GreenJello |
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tourist - 2006-02-22 7:47 PM We see a lot of them pass through here - "I want to do yoga but...." or ask advice and we give it and they say "yes, but...." Geeta Iyengar says that she gets that all the time, too. The "yes, but..." syndrome. Being rather direct herself, she says "if you don't want ot learn, why do you ask?" Gotta go teach some yoga! "Yes, but" is one of the fun little games people like to play. Generally it's complemented by a couple of wonderful rounds of "I'm only trying to help you". There's also the lovely "Look how hard I'm trying"..... | |||
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| Jambo |
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| tourist: ZB - I have always had visions of your keyboard smoking as you type I took drama in jr. high instead of typing. Who knew we would all be living on our keyboards by now back in 1968?LOL! i had to take typing in 7th grade, on an old type writer. i wasn't so great at it. I didn't learn to type until i got to college, and started chatting. i'm pretty good now. i don't even look at the keyboard. it's funny, because my dad is a 'hunt and peck' typist, so i told him to start chatting. he gets online with my sister and I--he can hardly keep up. We tell him, keep practicing, you'll get as fast as us. he says listening to us type is amazing. LOL he's pretty sure that our keyboards are worn out--it's actually true. my "e" doesn't have any more ink on it. i just know it's the 'e.' I absolutely understand why people teach in gyms (but why the heck are they so dirty??) because the rooms are multi-purpose. the rooms are generally used not only for other fitness classes, but also for general use by gym members for floor work, ball work, or their own 'self styled' aerobics class. this means that people are wearing shoes. generally, these people wear these shoes to the gym--that means outside. Outside means dirt and stuff is carried into the room. while the floors in the gyms are usually mopped once a day, i have asked the gyms to sweep just before yoga class. only one of the three actually do this. if i can get there early enough, i'll sweep it myself. but, this is generally why the rooms are dirty--a lot of uses and a lot of shoes. And ZB, I think we know that you in particular will pretty much never choose the path of least resistance! it's true. i like an effort. i feel like i'm earning something that way--and i'm challenged to be creative and learn about myself and see what i can handle. teaching is a learning experience for me too--and often a tough lesson. but i'll go anywhere i think there's something that i can offer and something that i need to learn. if the room isn't 'ideal' then that's ok. i can work with it to make it workable. i figure that very rarely is everything perfect, and that that's ok. it's ok to be imperfect and to work with what you have. i tell students that all the time. you don't have to be flexible, right? you just have to show up and put yourself out there. You accept what you can't change, and you work with what you can. I can't necessarily change the gym, and certainly i could avoid working at them, but i have really cool, awesome clients at a lot of gyms--and quite frankly i don't want to leave them. I like working with them, and many of them choose the gym for a variety of reasons and don't go to studios because of the extra expense. maybe it's an 'unhealthy' attachment, and i'll look at that. but i think it's ok to love my students too. | |||
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| GreenJello |
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | Great stuff ZB. I think the fact is that anyone who is immersed in some tradtion of anything (some musical family who has been taught in a direct line from some famous musician, a herbalist who has been taught for 50 years by an ancient herbalist - I can't seem to work my usual knitting analogy in here...) will find a newcomer's attempts to seem a bit pathetic. And if the newcomer is trying to be self-taught or following a teacher who is not as accomplished, they will appear pretty laughable. BUT I think they would tend to either simply disregard the sad beginner and get on with their own work or, if they see promise in that individual, give their own teachings without disparaging the work the person has done in the past. I am liking this analogy of musicians actually. They tend to have an attitude of "its all good" and accept each other where they are and if they resonate for some reason, they just get in the groove and go with it. They ignore posers and hacks and simply give NO energy to them, but the bright young kid who knows nothing but is working his brains out trying to keep up and looks like he might one day be able to do it - they give him more and more energy in teaching and opportunties to perform and guide him to be their successor. ZB and I used to be on a board that became more and more "what video should I use for a killer workout?" conversations. There was sadly little conversation about yoga there anymore. I stopped answering any questions about dvds, stopped giving advice for advanced asanas to people who clearly didn't have a clue (or responded to my advice with "yes but...") and eventually left. I can't put my energy there anymore. Yes, I know they will get some poor advice, yes, I know someone will maybe miss an opportunity to learn more by reading something earth shaking that I might have posted but this is the way it is. There will be some who stick with yoga, either being inspired from the dvd's or a gym yoga class and they will seek out deeper teaching in whatever way is appropriate for them. I don't disparage them - it is all yoga - but I don't have energy to talk to them so I have left the board. | ||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hey Zoebird, I didn't feel attacked by you, but I did feel when you said let's have a conversation further (about whatever it is you wanted to discuss further 4 posts ago??,) but without the personal attacks...that you wanted a *controlled* discussion and I'm not sure if I can live up to those expectations and that criteria...how will you ever understand me if I don't give it to you completely, therefore, I will have to decline any further discussion. Unless you can stay really open about it and we will have to do it by email because I am no longer going to use my PM feature on this forum, because I feel like I am no longer safe here and feel somewhat violated. Which BTW, my posts in the future will be very limited and I am considering making a slow exit off this forum due to my life is going to move into a different direction...possibly overseas, but we shall see. With laptops so freely available these days, that may not be an option, and I might just get stuck here forever, seeing how I would miss some of you guys Zoebird, I'm not putting anyone in any category, unless I specifically tell you so. I don't know of any way to be. This is how all my guru's speak to their students...it's all general...we are ALL one, we come from the same maker so whatever is say includes us ALL!! We cannot seperate ourselves and say, "I don't do that, or I've never done that". I think that is a big lie and is pure denial. Somewhere on our path if we were to get downright dirty and honest withourselves, we would KNOW this truth about ourselves and not be so sensitive and possibly more understanding of one another. This includes being a little bit more understanding of someone like me who is extremely outspoken and brave enough to tell you the truth rather than a lie. We all have fallen under some kind of umbrella/category, per se, at some point of our path. My journey has been more about liberating myself OUT of these so-called organizations and yes, religious ones here in America too...I suppose that could be why so many feel attacked by me. Don't think for one minute that I don't sympathyze or haven't been there myself. If I hadn't been there, I would not have a right to talk about it as if I did, at least that is how I feel about that. Anyway, Zoebird, we may have had the same 7th grade typing teacher...she was very old fashioned and I had her for homeroom...therefore, I have been with keyboards myself for a long time. Course, I'm not sure if mine was still alive when you were coming along...but who knows. She was a short lady, with short hair and black rimmed glasses. She walked around with a ruler and she didn't mind using it, | ||
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