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| I can't imagine that these teachers have bad intentions...they might just not think of everything all the time. They may be thinking how can I help instill relaxation? Rather than, I'm passing germs around- HA! HA! HA! (evil laugh) I'm not sure I see that it's an ego thing-- I can't imagine that trying to help someone relax (with good intentions) involves the ego. I don't know.. maybe.... anything's possible, right?
Where I go, they burn incense before class- but it's long extinguished before class begins. So it's more of a pleasent smell- to counteract that "sweat smell" that gyms get- I don't want my yoga studio to smell like my Gold's Gym. As for the aromatherapy, the teacher will say put your hand on your stomach, heart, up in the air (depends on the teacher) if you want to accept the lavender oil. I think this is a good way to do it. Lavender is such a gentle smell that it doesn't really leave the mat. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 1738
   
Location: right where I'm supposed to be | I am one of these teachers that have used candles, incense, shaman'a brush, and essential oils with massages.
I let the students make the choice to have or not. I also exclude incense and such when it aggravates even just one student. I never force any practice on anyone. Not my style. I am also very respectful of what my students like and don't like.
I've actually had to stop the massages because there are too many students and the time it takes to get to each one, well you get the idea.
My students like the massages and the essential oils. So much they are always asking for it.
So I guess you can frown upon my practices but my students seem to enjoy being pampered, and with the older, wealthier women, they almost expect this. I will gladly accomodate them if it helps them ease into a consistent yoga practice.
Mish
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| i think that context is everything.
in my home, people know they're getting aroma therapy. right now, i'm alternating between lavendar (for the rabbit--he gets accupuncture next week) and balsam fir. overlaid, they actually smell really nice (i'll use one, then the other). i'm also prone to use spearmint and a mix called "karma" that ryan really likes.  but, i haven't used those in over two weeks because of october j (lavender).
also, since there are so few people in my classes (four) and they're used to adjustments, they know that they're going to get a good savasana adjustment and a mini-thai massage right then. they don't mind this at all--and in fact they miss it when they don't get it. but, other clients do not like to be touched, so they only get one finger adjustments and no massage, etc.
typically, i dislike scented candles, incense, etc, particularly in enclosed spacse. When i teach outside in the summer, i use a lot of incense to keep bugs away (part of it's initial purpose anyhoot). but, outdoors, it dissipates a lot.
ok, so that's that.
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| oh, and in the gyms, i do not use scents because it's already excessive there. there's the scent of cleansers, the scents of sweat, the scents of people's deoderants and perfumes--it's an aromatic mess. adding an essential oil or something to that would be crazy. and two of the gyms just repainted, so there's that scent too. it's just too much.
and, i've foudn that it doesn't 'cover' it only 'clutters' the senses.
the gyms tend to be visually busy too with their equipment on the edges of the room, the mirrors, people looking in and walking in to get equipment, brightly painted rooms, and flourescent lighting. so, i try to decrease visual stimulation as much as possible (i turn off as many lights as i can manage, i post on the door to keep traffic down, etc.
even sound can be a problem. sometimes, i can utilize the music to 'block out' the music and noise outside of the room, but generally not. generally there are two kinds of music going on out side (general "ambient" music of the gym, which is typically some form of loud rock, and then the spinning class which is in a separate room but plays the music excessively loud and is typically some form of house/dance music). and then of course there are the voices of the people outside and so on. Sometimes, music is just cacophony rather than helpful.
it's amazing that they get any practice at all, in gyms. |
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| No I don't think it's "bad intentions" though the road to somewhere is supposedly paved with good intentions. But yoga teachers do have ego and some of that is in play. In this particular case the teacher's ego can be filled with self importance. "I help people. I relax people. I am a yogi. I have taken the higher path. I am devoid of ego. I do not eat animals. I do not harm things. I do not lie". It's endless. And while these things are of the yogic path they can also be used to feed ego. Thus they should not go unchecked.
If the job of the teacher IS ONLY to relax students then it would be an appropriate teaching method to focus only on that. When the job looms larger, as I hope most yoga teachers feel it does, then the teaching method involves many things - of which 'relaxation" is only a sliver, not a branch.
The issue in the thread gets clouded very easily. It is not an issue of "does a rub feel good" or "is lavendar calming". These are almost universally "yes". The question is about their effectiveness as part of a yoga practice. Do these things at the time of their use manifest YOGA? Listen to music. Rub shoulders. Burn Nag. I do all these things with zeal. But I do not do them in my yoga practice. As sweet as they are they do not enhance yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dyana, or dharana (for me).
Now...if they do enhance those things for you (the editorial you not the personal you) then follow that path. It is okay to prefer it but know why you make the preference and make it from awareness not attachment.
joscmt - 2006-12-18 7:41 AM
I can't imagine that these teachers have bad intentions...they might just not think of everything all the time. They may be thinking how can I help instill relaxation? Rather than, I'm passing germs around- HA! HA! HA! (evil laugh) I'm not sure I see that it's an ego thing-- I can't imagine that trying to help someone relax (with good intentions) involves the ego. I don't know.. maybe.... anything's possible, right?
Where I go, they burn incense before class- but it's long extinguished before class begins. So it's more of a pleasent smell- to counteract that "sweat smell" that gyms get- I don't want my yoga studio to smell like my Gold's Gym. As for the aromatherapy, the teacher will say put your hand on your stomach, heart, up in the air (depends on the teacher) if you want to accept the lavender oil. I think this is a good way to do it. Lavender is such a gentle smell that it doesn't really leave the mat.
Edited by purnayoga 2006-12-20 1:27 AM
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| So, what did you decide to get your students?
Fee |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| Wow Gordon, I so appreciate how you can eloquently state these things. And I guess it helps that we are pretty much like minded with our thinking. Acorns... trees...that sort of thing, eh?  |
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Gifts for yoga students
