|
|
| do you really have to have a teacher to become good at yoga,or are books and videos good to? |
|
| |
|
| Just imagine, 5000 years ago the first yogi ever, he naturally had no teacher but eventually even became one himself. 
No, earnest, studying with a teacher will be of huge benefit for every aspiring beginner. There are lots of things you won't get from books and videos.
|
|
| |
|
| one good teacher = million good books
one good book better than a bad teacher
but to know teacher is good or bad, you have to go and try one.
And, there are some things you can never learn without a teacher, unless you yourself are an advanced Yoga Student. In other words, the above applies to a NON advanced student. For advanced student,
your question should not arise. Because, if it arises, it is NOT an advanced student.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
|
| |
|
|
One good teacher > million books 
|
|
| |
|
| I also find that going to different teachers as well as your 'main' teacher is good. Sometimes you will learn something new, inspired and helpful, sometimes you will just be reminded what it is about your 'regular' teacher that you like....
I love books too...but going to a class is really important. I also think that to become 'good' at yoga is more a case of state of mind, a personal awareness that has to come from humble dedication to your own practice in conjunction with good teachers and reading books....
Namaste
Laura  |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| I am sure you are gettng the message already but let me add my agreement - a good teacher is best and then you practice and then you also get a bonus teacher - your inner teacher and then you go back to class and find that your inner teacher was perhaps not quite as knowledgable as your live teacher (we hope - assuming you have a good live teacher) and then you learn some more stuff and on it goes. |
|
| |
|
| I can't imagine going through life without teachers. Most of us in the civilized world have spent years getting educated. Sure there are many that can and do learn on their own, but most people thrive in an academic environment. It is not just the book learning but the life experience that goes along with it.
Even those that are diligent and self-motivated and prefer to do things on their own, owe many of their basic skills to teachers (reading, writing, potty training, etc.). If you are endeavoring to embark on a course of study, you owe it to yourself to seek out a good teacher.
Yoga is a social skill. Sure it often takes place in silence and on a little rectangular mat, but the lessons we learn on the mat are about how to be a better person. Not just a better person for yourself but a better person to those around you. It's hard to learn that from books while sitting alone. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I was practicing by myself until a few weeks ago, and let me just say that studying with a teacher has helped me immensely. Yes you can learn things from books, or videos, but there is nothing like being able to interact with someone who has been practicing and teaching yoga themselves for a long time. There have been little adjustments and corrections my teacher has made since I have gone to him that I never would have been able to identify on my own, and they have hepled me either move deeper into a pose, or come to feel the effects of a pose that I wasn't before because I wasn't doing it right. It's true that some people just can't make it to a teacher, whether it's because there are none where they live, or because of their schedule, and in that case I believe that using book and videos is better than no yoga at all.
Samantha |
|
| |
teachers
