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True Community on Social Media
Social media can be used for connection but you have to be very purposeful about who you follow. There are many on social media that are just looking to sell something or get you to engage simply to build their own profiles. If your social media feeds are full of these types of people, but you want to move more towards a true community feel on Instagram and FaceBook, keep reading. There are three different types of accounts that I tend to follow: Educational Entertainment Community I will break these down in a moment. But first, if you want to build community, the bulk of the people you follow should…
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The Real Shit
Guest Author: Aude Moatti I am disappointed with the Ashtanga community. Which is hard to admit. Struggle is polished by a fake glow of expensive leggings and post-practice diet talk. An image of non-suffering, of, “ it’s all behind me now. “ Seriously. And what was it like when it wasn’t? Why aren’t you telling me? Did it just all happen in one night? Of course not. Then how long? What helped? I want answers. I’m 23, recovering from eating disorders, severe insomnia, paralyzing anxiety and, on top of that, I smoke. Soon I will have had three years of practice. Former rock-climber, now in the circus, I am hyperflexible…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Alignment and Injuries, Diversity, History, Ladies Holday, Social Media, Teaching Ashtanga, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
What You Don’t Know, Makes You Dangerous
Before you make that statement on social media, before you write that blog post, stop. Ask yourself, do you have all the information? Do you understand the subject outside of your own cultural biases? Are you listening to only one side? Every day, I gain more of an understanding of why some teachers and Patanjali tell us to pick a method and stick with it. Reason 1-so we don’t dig shallow wells. Reason 2-so we don’t get confused. Yoga is not one long unfractured story where the facts perfectly follow one after the other. That is like saying that American history is White history and just following the line of…
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Social Media and the Freedom to NOT Hear Your Speech
I often see people angry on social media because someone deleted a comment off their page. Usually, the person, whose comment got deleted, moves the comment to another page and says, “I put this comment on so and so’s page, they deleted it”, Followed by one of these statements “but I think people have a right to see this.” “and so many people agreed with me.” “it must be because they were offended/knew I was right/didn’t want the truth to get out.” Here is the thing. That page belongs to them and they have every right, for whatever reason, to delete your comment. Yes, it is public but so is…
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Dear Physically Gifted People
Dear Physically Gifted People, Please stop using words like “easy” or “simple” when doing a demo, teaching a student or posting a video or picture. Why? It is too subjective. Just because something is easy for you does not mean it is easy for someone else. Using the words “simple” or easy, with a student who finds the movement to be difficult, can make them feel like there is something wrong with them, that their efforts will never be good enough, and that they are inadequate. It can make them feel shame and question whether or not yoga is for them. I understand that this is not happening on purpose. …
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Unfollow the Leader
I have always seen social media as an extended kula/community. Maybe that is polyanna-ish. Yes, I have always used it to market but I never saw it as simply a marketing tool. I use it to market because it is the easiest way to tell everyone I know about what I am doing. However, I don’t go around following people simply because they would be good to market to later. I have enjoyed the friends I have made and have met a few in real life which is always a blast. It felt so good to have people around me in Mysore who I felt comfortable with simply because of…
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Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ask The APP, Ask the AYP, Social Media, Uncategorized, Yoga Sutras
Ask the AYP: Cultivating a Home Yoga Practice
This comment came through on the AYP this week. I have very little trouble getting up. Trouble begins when I hit my mat. I find it very difficult to keep myself going in my home practice. It just doesn’t flow in the same way. Every asana is a struggle and a negotiation with myself to just do one more. Would love any advice anyone has on this particular struggle…. 🙂K. I used to be a home practitioner. I am not going to lie. It is extremely difficult. Like you, I had no problems getting on my mat, but once I got there, my energy and enthusiasm waned. This is what…
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Adventures in Mysore India, Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, History, Social Media, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized
The Good Old Days of Ashtanga Yoga
In my beginning years of practicing Ashtanga, none of my teachers ever made me feel like there was a rush to get anywhere. This was pre social media. Honestly, the internet was still a baby when I started practicing. Sharath says that he liked the days of yoga before the internet. I have to agree. The students were different. The teachers were different. People came to Ashtanga out of an interest in learning yoga, whatever that was. They didn’t come to work out. They didn’t come because they saw someone doing cool tricks on social media. I came to yoga because I liked the idea that it was a…
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Don’t Hate, Start Studying
I was on Instagram, a few days ago, feeling some type of way. You might know the feeling. It is the feeling you get after you have looked at the umpteenth post of seemingly perfect pretty people doing seemingly perfect things. Even though you know better, because your Instagram and Facebook is also devoid of out takes and lows, you start to question your life. Or worse, you pour yourself a glass of haterade and start judging and nitpicking. I was having one of those days. Normally, when I feel this way, I log out. I know it is just my ego running amok so I don’t feed the beast.…
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Yoga Sutras for Modern Life: Every Experience is a Valid Experience
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2:21- The seen only exists for the sake of the Atman. Defining the Sutra: In Sutra 2:18, we explored the idea that we are in this time space continuum simply to experience what this world has to offer. By saying, that the seen (everything we experience through our senses and mind) is here for the Atman (soul), Patanjali is reiterating it. Modern Day Application The big lesson is “don’t take it personal”. This life is to be experienced. The only reason we need liberation is because we start to define ourselves by what happens to us, our things, our friends, our certifications and what sequences we are on. There…
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