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Adventures in Mysore India, Alignment and Injuries, Ask the AYP, Teaching Ashtanga, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Will Not Keep Bad Things From Happening
Yoga is not an inoculation against bad things. It is the science of learning how to deal with bad things when they happen. If you are lucky, you start to view “bad” things as just events and you don’t label them at all. On my last post, someone commented and asked, “how can you hurt yourself when you are practicing Ahimsa?” Easy. Most people don’t wake up in the morning and say. “I feel like hurting myself today. I really want to get in a car accident, maybe get a cold, catch my husband in bed with his co-worker, rip my hamstring, and have to bail my son out of…
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You Think You Know Everything About Yoga, Don’t You?
“You know nothing, John Snow.” – Ygritte, Game of Thrones I have finally reached the age where I now understand why my mother’s generation used to say, “you think you know everything, don’t you?” It is so crazy to me that folks get a little bit of “new” information and now they are an expert, and everyone who came before them, doesn’t know what they are talking about. They apply the information for a few seconds, minutes, years and feel that is enough time to totally wipe out any information that came before theirs. Listen, I am all about innovation and change. However, the inability to even consider information and…
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Ashtanga Vinyasa VS Ashtanga Yoga
So I am beating a dead horse here but I want to keep you guys posted on what is going on. I recently wrote two posts, Whose Ashtanga Should I Practice and What Is The Ashtanga Practice For? in response to a post where a popular teacher talked about Ashtanga needing to evolve. I pointed out, in both articles, that this person was coming from a purely physical perspective and that Ashtanga Yoga was never meant to be purely physical. The teacher responded back to me, thus proving my point. Hi Shanna, I agree in principle to what you are saying, but not in practice. I do think you’re comparing apples…
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Whose Ashtanga Should I Practice?
The topic of Ashtanga needing to evolve is all up and in the intewebs today. Here is the question. Who says when it is alright to start making changes and how does one know that person is not coming from straight ego? Who says what should evolve? What I have witnessed, is changes coming from ego and changes coming from a place of profit. What I have witnessed is super confused students because different teachers are telling them different things and each one has an anatomical scientific reason for why their method is correct. What I have witnessed is dis-empowered students whose practices are not moving forward because they…
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Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: Laziness
Yoga Sutras of Patanajali 1:30: The obstacles to yoga are disease, dullness, doubt,carelessness, laziness This continues the discussion on the obstacles to yoga. For past posts on the Yoga Sutras, go here. Defining the Sutra This famous quote above from Pattabhi Jois pretty much sums it up. You don’t need special abilities to do yoga. You don’t have to be flexible, strong, affluent, pretty, or wear fancy yoga cloths. You just have to be willing to do the work. Never before in humanity’s history was survival on this planet so organized, so simple and easy. You can just go to a store and buy everything that you need.…
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Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Polls, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: When You Have Doubts About Your Yoga Practice
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:30: Obstacles on the path of yoga are sickness, dullness, doubt Defining the Sutra We will continue to look at the sutra on obstacles and move on to doubt. For previous sutras, please go here. There is nothing wrong with not knowing. There is nothing wrong with researching. There is nothing wrong with trying and experiencing many different options. However, to make any gains, you eventually have to settle on something. For example, if you doubt your career choice and you go back to school and study business a little while, law a little while, and then education a little while, you will have interesting experiences…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Gita, History, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Highlights From Yoga Philosophy Study with Greg Nardi
I had the privilege of studying yoga philosophy this weekend with Greg Nardi. Here is his bio from his website, Ashtanga Yoga World Wide. Greg Nardi, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide, has spent years of dedicated practice under the guidance of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. In 2003, he was given authorization to teach from Pattabhi Jois, and in 2009, he completed a level 2 authorization course from Sharath Jois. He is currently learning the advanced series under Sharath’s guidance at the KPJAYI. Greg perpetually studies and practices Yoga, Eastern Philosophy and Sanskrit mantra chanting. He participates in Georg Feuerstein’s Traditional Yoga Studies course and has studied…
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Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras For Modern Day Life: Devotion-The Ultimate Key To Success
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:23 Or (samadhi can be attained) by devotion to ishvara. Defining the Sutra: Joy and well being can be found by staying connected to supreme consciousness. The first law of thermodynamics is that energy can not be created or destroyed. It is only transformed. By staying focused on the part of you that can never be created or destroyed, you realize your essence. This essence is supreme consciousness. Supreme consciousness animates us all. As we move through the world, we become blinded by collecting experiences and things and lose our ability to connect to supreme consciousness and the world around us. Yoga removes that which blinds us from seeing the luminescence…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Interviews, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Videos, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Talking Ashtanga Yoga With David Garrigues!
I was super excited to do this interview with David Garrigues. I have watched his videos and read his blog for years. His commitment to the practice shines through everything that he puts on the “interwebs”. The way he speaks and presents information is mesmerizing and I look forward to practicing with him in person. I am equally fascinated by his books, Ashtanga Yoga Maps and Musings and Ashtanga Journals. His voice is pure and comes through clearly in his work. Both books are written in a way that makes me feel like I am getting to know him and it makes them feel very personal. Each book is packed…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, History, Pose How To, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Videos, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Thank You Pattabhi Jois
Pattabhi Jois left his body May 18 2009 but not our hearts. I am so thankful that my first yoga was Ashtanga. It has been my rock and as long as it calls to me, I will continue to support it and teach the pure message of the yoga. Yoga is not about clothes. It is not about popularity. It is not about power. It is not about business. It is not about money. It is not a commodity to be bought, sold and squabbled over. As Patanjali says, “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”. That simple and that hard. Pattabhi Jois gave us a yoga…
