How do you choose what style of yoga is best for you? First of
all it is important to look at the intention, both yours and the
teachers. The intention of any true yoga practice is one of growth,
removing obstacles that prevent growth in your spiritual and personal
life, be it a physical, an emotional, intellectual or spiritual
obstacle.
The ego and pride, intellectual obstacles, and aversion
and desire, emotional obstacles,are surprisingly the intention of a lot
of the different types of yoga. Have you been in a class where the
teacher talked continually of self, sharing stories and incessantly
talked. Detractions of the mind are enough why add the constant
rambling and energy of such teachers. Yoga should be about your
experience on your mat. So how does this intention benefit the students
by detracting them from their experience of the pose.
I once had
a teacher who called me out on something I had written in one of my
newsletters,saying I had violated copyright laws and to next time give
her credit. I immediately went to my teacher seeking guidance. I even
shared the contents of both letters. She laughed and said, "I say that
all the time as do many teachers. You cannot copyright a universal
knowledge that has been passed down for generations and call it your
own"
I was so relieved! This teacher I mention
also copyrights all of the manuals and even go so far as to tell you
when you can and cannot teach "her" classes.(I kid you not, it does not
matter what studio state or city!) Talk about the ego. I opted out of
continuing her trainings, which is quite unfortunate as she has some
great knowledge to share, but at too high of a price! I think we all
have come across teachers and teaching styles that exude a ME ME ME
attitude, which is rather rampant in the yoga community.
Moving
beyond the ego it is important to drop expectations and simply allow the
natural progression of your practice. Remember it is not a
performance. Knowing your limitations and building from them is going
to be the safest way to practice. A sporadic practice is better then no
practice, but a daily practice is best.
The more yoga advances in
popularity the tendency has moves away from, as Iyengar so beautiful
writes, "expressing the outer beauty of the asana with the innermost
attention" it is often our ambition and impatience to achieve, that
causes injury in a yoga practice.
Striving to express
an asana not as our body would have it, but according to the ideal form
of an asana. (who has created these ideals anyway?) It is so important
as a practicing yogi that you detach from any ideal, take your
awareness inward and listen to the wisdom of your body. The teacher is
there as a guide, not as the ultimate authority on your body.
Injury
from yoga is not from the practice of yoga, it comes from being
impatient as a student or an instructor being to aggressive ie, push
harder, reach further. Ultimately it is the students responsibility. If
the teacher is aggressive and feeding your ego and pride, it is up to
you as the practitioner to detach from the ego or find a teacher who's
intention is more Yoga like.
Yoga was given to the human race,
it is a universal practice but often it is presented in such a way that
it is not available to everyone. It is never to late to begin a
practice. Yoga increases and strengthens your defenses helping to
increase the health of the body. Who couldn't benefit from that?
See you on the Mat!
