giving instructions in yoga class

05-07-2002, 02:56 PM

I do shiatsu so I think of the body map as something similar to the Chinese
meridian system. When I do yoga, I also think of the energy flow along the
meridian lines with special access to that energy in certain points. I
would never teach in such complexity, but the meridians often make so much
sense as I experience a kundalini kriya. For me, they just pop out and I
can feel the energy flowing down them.

My question is "is it wrong to teach with this type of non-kundalini
information? It's not authoritative since it is just my experience. Also,
we aren't supposed to add anything to the kriya. I don't intentionally ever
change the kriya. But I do mention the meridians when they are obvious to
me. This means that for example, the point on my foot that I grab might be
more specific that what is shown in the text. Or I may emphasize the
stretch along a specific meridian when I know that I am having trouble with
energy flow there. What happens is I become more specific than the textbook
would suggest.

I think that the beauty of the pure teaching is their simplicity and the
possiblity that different people would use the kriya in different ways.
Being as specific as I am is not intended to limit, but I can see where it
might have that effect. For me personally, it is a focusing "map" and a
tool for analysis. When I am teaching just a few people, which is normal
for me, then seeing the merian energy flow in them is also very useful (from
my perspective) in instructing them. I don't think I could do it as
effectively with a large class.