This is a continuation of my thoughts on the weblog article given to me by a student.
Here's a link to the blog: Alan Little's weblog
The International Association of Yoga Therapists published an article several years ago concluding that most yoga injuries occurred in classes in which there was an emphasis on external alignment. Reason - the teacher is trying to force everyone to conform to an arbitrary aesthetic standard or an an idea of what he or she thinks the pose should look like. I don't have any particular opinion on the forward bends issue Alan raises. Forward bends are difficult for many people and take a long time to develop. Forward bends, as in the photos of Perturbs Jois and Krishnamacharya, look different because they are using bandhas. Their forward bends are similar to forward bends in the Bikram system in which the abdominal region is more engaged. Folding from the hips and extending the spine is also a valid method, depending on the flexibility and experience of the student.
Regarding the part about inexperienced teachers teaching Ashtanga - this has always been a problem, which is why Mr. Jois and Sharath have always said that Ashtanga teacher training is 20 years long. I've been practicing Ashtanga now for 17 years and feel like a beginner. However, I take care to teach it correctly, following the Mysore method. I feel comfortable about what I'm doing, based on Mr. Jois authorizing me to teach starting in 2004, and Sharath having given me Authorization Level 2 in 2009. I participated in the first Ashtanga teacher training ever given in Mysore, which was for authorized teachers who had been going to Mysore for at least 10 years. It allowed us to spend a month under Sharath's guidance, both practicing and teaching.
I prefer to teach Mysore-style Ashtanga and I have a restrictive attitude about attendance. Only students who are willing to practice according to this system come to the classes, which creates a cohesive community of practitioners. I think everyone has been in a class in which a student who is not "in with the program" has had a disruptive and unsettling influence on the class. I make sure that this doesn't happen by screening the students and making sure that everyone agrees to practice according to the Mysore-style principles - working slowly and patiently at your own pace, stopping at postures you are not able to do, and attending on a regular basis so that progress is made.
In my non-Mysore classes, I follow the guidance of the Mysore system, but I also use what I've learned from Iyengar teachers with whom I've studied such as Francois Raoult and Ramanand Patel. I'm not sure that the issues with forward bends which the article attributes to the Iyengar system, really stem from the teachings of Mr. Iyengar. There are plenty of "Ashtanga" classes out there that are not taught according to Mr. Jois's principles, and I'm sure the same is true of Iyengar classes. It's important to find experienced, knowledgeable teachers who can articulate why they are teaching postures in a particular manner. It's also important for a student to be discerning, inquisitive and to think critically about what we are practicing and why we are practicing in particular way.
Yoga is supposed to free us from our limiting thoughts, beliefs, habits, assumptions, and emotions.
Here's a link to the blog: Alan Little's weblog
The International Association of Yoga Therapists published an article several years ago concluding that most yoga injuries occurred in classes in which there was an emphasis on external alignment. Reason - the teacher is trying to force everyone to conform to an arbitrary aesthetic standard or an an idea of what he or she thinks the pose should look like. I don't have any particular opinion on the forward bends issue Alan raises. Forward bends are difficult for many people and take a long time to develop. Forward bends, as in the photos of Perturbs Jois and Krishnamacharya, look different because they are using bandhas. Their forward bends are similar to forward bends in the Bikram system in which the abdominal region is more engaged. Folding from the hips and extending the spine is also a valid method, depending on the flexibility and experience of the student.
Regarding the part about inexperienced teachers teaching Ashtanga - this has always been a problem, which is why Mr. Jois and Sharath have always said that Ashtanga teacher training is 20 years long. I've been practicing Ashtanga now for 17 years and feel like a beginner. However, I take care to teach it correctly, following the Mysore method. I feel comfortable about what I'm doing, based on Mr. Jois authorizing me to teach starting in 2004, and Sharath having given me Authorization Level 2 in 2009. I participated in the first Ashtanga teacher training ever given in Mysore, which was for authorized teachers who had been going to Mysore for at least 10 years. It allowed us to spend a month under Sharath's guidance, both practicing and teaching.
I prefer to teach Mysore-style Ashtanga and I have a restrictive attitude about attendance. Only students who are willing to practice according to this system come to the classes, which creates a cohesive community of practitioners. I think everyone has been in a class in which a student who is not "in with the program" has had a disruptive and unsettling influence on the class. I make sure that this doesn't happen by screening the students and making sure that everyone agrees to practice according to the Mysore-style principles - working slowly and patiently at your own pace, stopping at postures you are not able to do, and attending on a regular basis so that progress is made.
In my non-Mysore classes, I follow the guidance of the Mysore system, but I also use what I've learned from Iyengar teachers with whom I've studied such as Francois Raoult and Ramanand Patel. I'm not sure that the issues with forward bends which the article attributes to the Iyengar system, really stem from the teachings of Mr. Iyengar. There are plenty of "Ashtanga" classes out there that are not taught according to Mr. Jois's principles, and I'm sure the same is true of Iyengar classes. It's important to find experienced, knowledgeable teachers who can articulate why they are teaching postures in a particular manner. It's also important for a student to be discerning, inquisitive and to think critically about what we are practicing and why we are practicing in particular way.
Yoga is supposed to free us from our limiting thoughts, beliefs, habits, assumptions, and emotions.
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