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| first, i don't really worry that i say too much. in most classes, there is plenty of opportunity for silence. some students find my classes unnerving because there is a lot of time in the quiet. but, sometimes that's different. Sometimes there's more talking, sometimes less. depends upon the class, really. each class is very different.
i come out of every class feeling that i did my best, that i did what needed to be done, and that i did as i felt lead.
second, my education is varied. obviously, i started doing yoga as a child. at 14, i started yoga with books (this brought me into the more esoteric elements). I also started buddhist meditation at this age. At 18, i went to college and started taking yoga classes at a studio. within a few months, i started apprenticing with the teacher there (it was a small studio--only one teacher). she recommended that i also take classes at another studio in the town over. I took classes there for a couple of months, and started apprenticing there as well. The first teacher was kripalu trained, the second was iyengar trained. from 18 to 23, i apprenticed with these two teachers. in my 21st year, i also apprenticed briefly with a kundalini teacher. She was not in town long, but i worked with her for a year or so (maybe a bit more). At 23, i graduated rfom university, moved, and went to law school. At this time, i began to study vinyasa yoga and astanga yoga. I apprenticed and taught at a power yoga studio for 3 years. I took astanga workshops with beryl bender birch, predominently. Two years ago, i started practicing Thai Yoga Massage, getting my initial training through the Vedic Conservancy. Last year, i started working with Dharma Mittra. Sadly, i have not had a lot of time to attend to this relationship; i'm striving to go bi-monthly for workshops with him. I've also taken occassional workshops with Shiva Rae.
Last October, i took a workshop with Bhagavan Das to study mantra yoga; but, i was greatly attracted to the work of Russil Paul, and i work with his book The Yoga of Sound frequently. I'd like to work with him if ever i have the opportunity.
Independently, i spend a great deal of time working from my books--noteably iyengar books predominently, though a number of others as well. Beyond asana, i read the scriptures and contemplate on them (various traditions), i do a lot of meditation, and of course personal asana practice. My independent studies focus on ayurveda and the yoga of sound (currently). I've just started working with crystal singing bowls, with amazing result (particularly when combined with mantra).
As for my continuing education, i'm taking a workshop in april with beryl (a weekender), and i'm also taking a workshop (weekend) in Mayan abdominal massage (self care). I may have to cancel on the second one for various reasons. Long term, i'm looking to delve more into the yoga of sound--considering taking an extended trip to india to practice mantra and learn more of the musical tradition from the southern region of Kerala. If i do this, i may also have the opportunity to learn sitar--though there is also a local teacher here who is willing to teach me for a modest price. I'm also greatly interested in doing more with my Thai Yoga Massage. I'd like to make an extended stay in thailand (8-12 weeks) if possible to work in this area. Thai Yoga massage is really something special! For both of these (india and thailand) my husband and i have discussed putting off this education until we move to the west coast (relatively soon).
but, in the mean time, i have a great deal of access to a local (2 hrs away) gurukalam where i can study chanting and scriptures (for free!), and i'm also tapped into the local community for these as well. I really love attending kirtans, whenever i have the opportunity. Bhagavan das usually returns in april--so i hope to get to see him again then. |
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| >ZB - Dharma Mittra
Is this the teacher who had a studio on Third Ave, NYC? I've checked out a lot of studios in NYC, but never got around to that one. Is that where you studied with him and how is that studio if you ever went there? |
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| zoebird -
Thai Yoga massage is really something special!
Our studio offers Thai yoga massage. My sister was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia several years ago and is often in pain. Do you think something like this would help her...even if only a little? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State |
Yeah , Dharma's place is down there somewhere.
http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/
160 East 25th at 3rd Avenue.
Dharma teaches a vinyasa yoga. His Hatha Raja IV (formerly called "Open" level)
is a good class. The studio is pleasant. He likes to chant at the beginning of
class. I think Dharma is way cool.
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| Kabu:
Yes, it's a great modality for anyone. Yoga and dietary changes would also be helpful for fibromyalgia. many of my students no longer have symptoms of it from regular asana practice and dietary changes. i do not do a lot of thai massage on individuals with fibromyalgia (i haven't had much opportunity as of yet), but i do think it is a great modality and would serve anyone with the syndrome well.
Jambo:
Yes, that's the studio. It's not like a lot of modern studios that had interior designers. it's kinda hodge-podge, but that makes it homey. The teaching is great though. I only go when dharma is there, but i've heard that the other teachers there are great too. |
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| Zoe, thanks. I think I'll get her a gift certificate. And if I'm really lucky, maybe she'll get the "yoga bug" from the experience, and she'll start attending classes with me. She suffers a great deal, and modern medicine isn't helping too much. I don't blame the docs, but I don't want her to give up looking for relief just because pills aren't doing the trick. |
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| kabu:
maybe she will. a number of my clients have been diagnosed with the disorder, but notice a significant decrease in symptoms. for many of them, sadly, yoga was the last resort--something they did to help manage pain. And yet they discovered that it actually relieved the pain, all of the symptoms, and ultimately, it's as if they don't have it anymore. But, most of them also find that if they're inconsistant with practice (and healthy diet), then they slide right back into pain relatively quickly (as little as 3-4 weeks).
thai yoga massage is great. i highly recommend it for anyone. i'd like to have a thai massage done, but no one around here does it 'on the mat' like i do. it's all massage therapists, on the table. it's not as good, i'm sorry to say. |
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| Hello,
I've taken workshops and classes in Bikram, Iyengar, White Lotus, Ashtanga and YogaFit. Personally, I love YogaFit. Now, I've enjoyed the others, too, but I have loved YogaFit above all. It is true that if an instructor took only a Level I weekend workshop, I do not feel he/she would be a great instructor. I don't think any school could prepare someone to teach in a weekend, so that's not exclusive of YogaFit. YogaFit simply breaks their trainings into multiple 2, 3, and 4 day trainings. I have my 200 hour RYT from them, but I have also finished an Iyengar 200 hour program. I value both.
On another thread, I read something about 'lack of community' between trainer and student. That is not necessarily the case. I've had some great trainers who welcomed us to email or call them with questions and with whom I've even met locally after the trainings. Admittedly, I've had a couple who weren't as open to further communication.
I also read a misleading statement on these forums that YogaFit RYT didn't include anatomy training; that is not true. There is a 2 day intense Anat & Alignment training, but all trainings focus on this. I also read that "YF postures were out of alignment, wrong, etc." in the training manuals. That was an old post (2005), so I hope those have been corrected. In the spirit of protecting yoga students, I hope you will report mis-alignments to YogaFit. I see incorrect alignment in magazines and texts, which drives me nuts, because it confuses teachers and gets passed on to students.
Also, I read "studios probably don't accept YogaFit; only gyms." Again, that is not true. I teach at a studio. My students love the YogaFit style as a compliment to the Vinyasa and Iyengar the other instructors provide.
Back to the way YF offers their trainings. I think it is a great option (breaking it out into multiple 2, 3, 4 day segments). The Level I trainers DO caution participants that they need more training if this is their only yoga experience. However, I do concede that this may tempt fitness instructors into 'sliding by' and saying, "Heck, I'm certified. I'm ready to teach." However, IMO, that is the individual's responsibility; not YF's responsibility.
Namaste |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| yogagal - well, we haven't had any discussions on the thread for a long time. It will be interesting to see what happens. I don't know of any 200 hour Iyengar trainings. Certified Iyengar training usually take several years to qualify for and several years to complete, along with certification exams. Where did you do your training? |
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| Some Iyengar teachers do stand alone "teacher trainings" that can be used as part of the lengthy Iyengar Certification process or just a training in Iyengar techniques and teaching methodology. These type of trainings could apply towards a YA RYT 200. I think that it is important to distinquish between an actual "Iyengar Certification" and Iyengar style teacher training as the two are potentially very different.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Absolutely! |
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| Yes, agreed. You are right, and I mis-typed or mis-spoke (but not intentionally; it was not my intention to mislead). That is actually what I did. Back when YA allowed you to 'mix and match' your 200 hours, I had several of my hours from Iyengar trainings.
My point was that I value all of the training I have rec'd. I've gone to workshops with instructors of different styles over the years. Some were better than others, but I learned something from all of them.
Sorry if I got carried away on the YogaFit thing. I have just heard so many people give negative press to the program, and my experience has been the opposite. |
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| I am a 200 RYT which I earned at a wonderful local Hatha RYS. Prior to earning this credential I had enrolled in two levels of YogaFit and YogaFit Kids. I will say that my commentary about yogafit is somewhat positive, but somewhat mixed.
The pros are, that the provided a good introduction to basic Vinyasa Asana. The pros are they REQUIRED 8 hours of donated instruction to a well deserved population who could not otherwise take yoga. Community service was an integral part of level 1, and was required before the person could apply for a certificate. The cons were the constant barage of marketing....selling their music (which was pretty bad), their yoga apparel (pretty expensive). I really ended up kind of resenting the constant push for more money from me...to buy this or that and utlimately requested to be removed from their emails. Another con was the lack of grounding in yogic philosophy. It was glossed over at best. Yoga Fit has made inroads into Yoga Alliance by their founder hosting workshops at their conferences, and offering a RYT 500 program in Rishikesh. But really what they have done is earned a tremendous amount of money by training entry level fitness yoga instructors to teach at YMCAS and Gyms. I can't totally trash them, they openened the door for me......and I did get a couple of cool tank tops.  |
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