Come Om With Me - the yoga thread

[LCHammer]

Following on from the Yoga etiquette thread. I started yoga this week and I'm doing some catch up reading. It's a huge area so I'll just focus on doing a few basic things as best I can, for the time being. I'm also decluttering and cleaning. Is this a slippery slope? I have very little 'free' time.

I've been practising over 20 years now, but did have a long break in the middle due to mental health issues (when ironically yoga would have really helped me). I started with fairly standard hatha yoga and then moved to Ashtanga. Pre-breakdown i was very skinny and physically fit and could manage some quite advanced asanas. However, i didn't really engage with the meditation and relaxation aspects (i was very hyper) and also smoked so my breathing was terrible.

After my breakdown i went through a what's it all for phase and explored a lot of philosophy and different world views, and kept coming back to yoga philosophy and to mindfulness, and developed a regular meditation practice. When i finally took up a physical practice again i was unfit and overweight and really struggled with many of the things i used to do easily. On the other hand i had learnt that yoga is something you live, not just something you do on the mat to give you a hot bod. I finally get it, the whole thing, and it really is transformative.

I now have a teacher who focuses quite heavily on yoga philosophy (not many do) and teaches in the Sivananda style. I also practice chi yoga that draws on elements of chi gung. I also have a daily home practice that is usually Vinyasa flow in style - it helps me fit in a lot in a limited time and is a bit more dynamic so it is helping me build strength and stamina.

I plan to train as a teacher when my ds starts school. I've learnt a lot from seeing yoga from two very different perspectives, and i hope that having had to adapt to my own limitations will make me better at helping others adapt to theirs.

I seem to have written a bit of an essay!

OneEgg, thanks for your posts and the book list!

Eggy - I hope things work out well for you and you get to train as a teacher. It sounds like you'd have a lot to give.

I've had a brief look on Amazon at book reviews for the ones recommended here and I'll check with the library too.

Thanks so much for the book list, I posted the question about books a little while ago and had no replies so I bought 'the power of ashtanga yoga' by Kino McGregor based on amazon reviews and because the ashtanga class I go to is my favourite.
The book isn't really what I'm looking for (quite repetitive about the philosophy and not all that well written although the pictures of the asanas are good and the writer is very passionate about yoga)
So I'm off to google those books you recommended now!

I had a look at that book and her website. She certainly gets rave reviews and talks the talk, but i can't help feeling it is a another example of yoga being turned into a commodity - look at all the overpriced skimpy apparel in her online store. If self-promotion was a limb of yoga some teachers would indeed be masters. She also said sivananda was boring which put my back up a bit - not everyone is athletic enough for ashtanga, and prefer a style of yoga that is less likely to put them at risk of injury.

With yoga there is obviously no substitute for practice and learning through experience, but there is certainly a place for books that focus on areas that are often not covered or only skimmed in a class. I would say that whatever else you may read, it is always worth going back to the original sources - to the Gita, Upanishads, Patanjali, and discover them directly for yourself, rather than rely on the interpretations of others as to what they mean.

Oh, I completely agree about yoga seen as a commodity. Just a way of toning, losing weight etc. A bit hippy but still mainstream, safe. I was on holiday recently (E Europe) and it's the 'in' thing. I get lost on the net with the most eco-friendly mat and the thickest one and the clothes. I get it that people are both passionate about it and need to make money to earn a living but some of the self-promotion is off putting.

She is amazingly gymnastic but IMO Kino Mcgregor is hypermobile and much of the stuff she does is not achievable for mere mortals! :o

There are masses of yoga channels on youtube, here's a few that I like:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjArAHxwybzsCFUnJ5f-rA
www.youtube.com/channel/UClGIa_QyvkJgW6zAHSZv5Yg
www.youtube.com/channel/UCUOFdvLWiPMJcgZLfoHwQ-Q

Fuzzpig - i missed your post before, but wondered if you had looked at Therapeutic or Restorative yoga? Some info here and here. Another option may be Viniyoga which focuses on adapting practice to suit the needs of the individual. It is often taught one to one (can be pricey) but there are classes too - even my tiny local town has one.

Will have a look at the youtube links - i don't use it as much as i could and it and would be good to introduce a bit more variety now and again. I would like to put in a good word for my absolute favourite dvd though, Total Yoga. There are four discs of varying intensity (so i have no excuse if i'm feeling a bit lethargic), and they offer different options for many postures so you can adapt the practice to your ability. There isn't much tuition if you're completely new to yoga, but for anyone familiar with the basics it is great, especially once you know the sequences and don't have to keep looking at the telly. It's a few years old now, but i like it for it's simplicity. Would be interested to know if anyone else has tried it.

I've signed up for a day retreat. It's in July but something to look forward to :)

Hi all, I teach Iyengar yoga & would be more than happy to try to answer any questions about yoga/injuries/poses pre & post natal. I have been doing yoga for 20 years and teaching for 9 of them. I did Iyengar yoga throughout both of my pregnancies. I don't claim to know it all, but I am passionate about yoga and might be of some use.

Hi, TW. I've had a stiff neck for a couple of weeks now, ibuprofen regularly helps. I've been going to yoga as usual, as it's only once a week. I would suspect that's the sensible thing to do? I'm a beginner so nothing too extravagant for me. You must be so lucky doing this for a living, you get the exercise, socialising and money and enjoy it too :)

am missing yoga at the minute due to work - can feel my back tightening up !

I noticed the difference after putting on a few pounds over the half-term. I think slimming down will help. I will one day touch my toes.

Does anybody knows where can we download these books? :)

Hi, as a long(ish - ten years of six times a week practice) Ashtanga yoga student, I would like to put a word in for Kino. Yes, she has a very commercial image, but she admits that this is on purpose - she wants to be "the Oprah of the yoga world". This might not be to everyone's taste, for example my teacher is very low key and I prefer that, but her heart is in the right place and she is a very devoted student not just of the physical practice but of all the classic texts mentioned upthread. And yes, she does very advanced poses. She often takes pictures in these because they are very eye catchy, but the idea that in Ashtanga yoga you have to do really advanced asana is somehow misguided - you just do as little or as much as you can, and the Mysore style of classes is highly individualised so that you don't have to hurt yourself trying an advanced pose for which you are not ready.

Love this thread. I'm a new convert too - can't afford classes at the moment but I have been following Tara Styles on youtube and have just got her This Is Yoga boxset. And seem to find myself decluttering in lots of ways, can totally relate to your first post LCHammer!

Hi, can I join? I love yoga - only been doing it for 3 years which my teacher says still makes me an absolute beginner. I practise with a guy called Stewart Gilchrist, so very dynamic vinyasa flow but with an emphasis on the meditative aspects. I try and get to one of his classes a week but depends on work. I need to do self practice at home. Before I got pregnant (and actually for the first 2 months of being pregnant and not knowing it!) I did self practice regularly - daily for 2 months in India. But I can't seem to get motivated now.
I also love jivamukti so seek out those classes and sometimes go to vinyasa flow classes in hackney if I can't get to Stewart's class.
Agree with OneEgg and OP about yoga being a commodity - and stewart would defintely agree with that. He is a fiery scotsman and frequently lambasts yoga and chocolate yoga and yoga dating and all the rest of it!!
I like the way it quiets my mind and relaxes me - despite it being a very vigorous practice!
In fact, I am going to do some self practice right now, so thanks for the motivation!

Hi Polly - i love vinyasa flow as well. It covers quite a variety of teaching styles though - i'm not so keen in the more 'power yoga' styles as the risk of injury is so much higher. The dvd i mentioned before is vinyasa flow. I think i prefer it to ashtanga as i get a bit bored with the same sequence all the time, and i like to be able to tailor a session to how i'm feeling, or just follow my intuition sometimes (plus i'd have a 100 mile round trip to the nearest ashtanga teacher). Having said that, Sivananda also follows a sequence, but most classes seem to diverge from it quite a bit.

I have a question for Iyengar lady if she's still around - or anyone else. Do you practice inversions when AF is here? I've had a couple of teachers who have insisted on no inversions when menstruating, and others who didn't think it was a problem. Is there really a reason why being upside down for a few minutes is going to do you any harm?

OneEgg
It's mainly to do with Apana ( downward moving prana being reversed)
On a physical note, a few breaths in an inversion is not going to do you any great harm, but if you are on AF then you might feel grotty, light headed, tired. Avoiding doing inversions at this time is working with Ahimsa ( kindness to your body) Yoga works therapeutically on many levels, is doing a handstand or headstand while on AF really working in conjunction with the principles & ideals of yoga?

I have been practicing yoga 25 years, teaching 15 & now teacher trainer. ( Hatha Vinyasa ) also my recommended book for those wanting some philosophy & a deeper understanding in an easy to read book.
The Heart Of Yoga by TKV Desikachar. By from yoga matters, or amazon you can download it too.
Please feel free to pm me with any questions, always happy to help.

Thanks Chicky- it just feels instinctively wrong, especially on heavy days. I'm surprised it isn't much mentioned, and i've felt a bit awkward in some classes having to explain why i don't want to do any inversions that day - not because i'm embarrassed about having a period, but because a couple of teachers have looked at me like i'm a nutter for asking.

I suppose it is a reflection of how variable teachers can be when it comes to dealing with the more philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga. Can i ask, as a teacher trainer, how much emphasis you put on the non-asana/pranayama aspects in terms of that they are expected to pass on to their students? My current teacher does quite a lot, but he has been the exception - i had one (very briefly) who said she wouldn't be teaching any philosophy as she couldn't be doing with all that Hindu stuff!

In her case i think she loved yoga as a physical discipline but clearly felt some conflict with her religious beliefs, and it made me wonder how she dealt with this when she was training - i know it is often said that you don't need any particular beliefs to practice yoga, but if you have particular beliefs i guess they can be a barrier? More generally though i also wondered, from a teachers point of view, if there is a fear that dwelling on the non-physical aspects may put some people off, or is it more a practical problem of what you can fit into a class? As a student i would love to have even five minutes in class to talk about things like ahimsa, kriyas, diet etc, but it doesn't seem to be common practice.

Sorry for all the questions!

Hi OneEgg
Asana is only one of the 8 limbs, so in Theory equal time is spent teaching potential students the other 7 limbs. Yet the more students I teach, sadly the more it seems they just want a physical based practice. I have been known to turn students away when all they want is exercise ( maybe they would be better going for a run)
Yoga was always a spiritual & philosophical practice, a way to reach God/Nivana/Samhadi/oneness ( call it what you will)
As Patanjali says in Sutra 1:2 yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodaha - Yoga is the stilling of the thought waves of the mind. That was written over 2500 years ago, ( compiling ideas from the Vedas, & Upanishads) It is really only since the Hatha yoga Pradipika was written in the 15th Century, that more awareness was placed on the physical. Cleansing the body through Kriya then asana and pranayama, before yoga aspirants were thought ready to practice Raja yoga ( meditation)
I Guess for some people now they think they are practicing yoga when they go to an hours gym class with postures. In essence they are just practicing asana ( and highly modified at that) To practice Hatha yoga all the other 7 limbs, and everything else that go with them need to be considered. ( sorry if I sound like I am on my soap box)
Many newish teachers do a shockingly short 200 hr diploma, and then go off and teach asana classes, but in general how equipped can someone be in dealing with the spiritual, mental and emotional health of their students after such a short time. Some teachers maybe very bendy, but in all honesty that matters little, yes the body needs to be healthy, but it is the journey of the soul that is really important.

I don't think you're on a soap box - i completely agree. Someone told me once that practising asana without the other limbs is like reading the lyrics but not hearing the song. I like that.

I'm not entirely against gym yoga as there is clearly a demand for it, but there should be some means of differentiating it - maybe call it yogacise or something, so people are clear that they are not practising yoga, only asana-based exercise. It saddens me that even in many more traditional yoga classes so little time is given to teaching the other limbs, and often there is very little encouragement to establish a home practice.

Interesting what you say about the short teaching diplomas. I've seen you can even qualify by completing an online course, which is a bit terrifying. I have a friend who did an intensive 1 months course in India, but only taught for a few months when she came back as she felt very under-prepared, especially when it came to managing peoples various ailments. It really knocked her confidence.

OneEgg, your poor friend, only one months training would definitely knock most peoples confidence when facing a big mixed ability class. I have had some real challenging mixtures of people in my time in classes & it is not unusual in a drop in class to have total beginners, yoga teachers, pregnant women, elderly people, teenagers, people with physical health & mental health issues. ( I have even had a lady with one leg, and a gentleman who sobbed quietly on the floor for most of the class) you then have the late arrivals, the people who push themselves too far, the ones who are too busy to stay for savasana it can be a challenge even for those of us with many many years experience.
Your friend would do well to find a mentor, and start again with a more thorough teaching course, to prepare her for all the things she might have to face.
Sometimes one training course is not enough, I have done several, adding up to 1000's of hours, and then continual training & development, learning and studying each year.
I guess yoga in gyms does have a place, after all everyone has to start somewhere.

She's decided to work on her own practice for the time being and has found an inspiring teacher, so i'm sure she'll revisit teacher training again when she's ready. I did quite envy her being able to immerse herself in yoga in India for a month, but it wasn't cheap and i also think quite exploitative as, like you say, you can't possibly develop the tools you need in that time. It isn't a route i would choose - the course i'm looking at is two years, but they also offer further training and development beyond that, so if i do get to do it it would only be the start of the journey.

No-one would ever leave before savasana in the class i go to - it is the bit most of them come for!

If you want to be a yoga teacher, find "your" teacher and study with her/him for a very long time.