Purity of practice

[Guest guest]

I've been following along the conversation

between the "purist"(aka "the ashtanga police") and

others on this list trying to form my own opinion about

ashtanga practice and tending to see value in both

views.<br><br>Ashtanga is gaining in popularity. Around here - Boston

area - there are more and more teachers and aspiring

teachers showing up. (Teachers of some national stature in

this area include Baron Baptiste -

<a href=http://baptistepoweryoga.com/,

target=new>http://baptistepoweryoga.com/,</a> and Kathy McNames of Yoga Vermont.

David Swensen

will be taching at Yoga Vermont in May). Does Mr Wey

have any opinion about these teachers? Are they in the

proper lineage?<br><br>You know, in any tradition, there

are those who split off from the original master and

develop their own path with their own "energy.". Seems to

me that's just the way it tends to go.

[Guest guest]

Regarding the teachers you mention. I have

studied with Baron Baptiste, a gifted Hatha instructor

but not an Ashtanga teacher. I don't know if he has

ever been to Mysore. Kathy McNames I don't know. David

Swenson has a solid intermediate practice and one of the

oldest students of Guruji. He was, I believe, a student

of David Williams--one of the first--ever students

and definitely old school. While he has not spent

much time during recent years, in India, he should be

commended for returning to Mysore last year after a 10 (or

was it 20?) year hiatus to study with and pay

respects to Sri KPJ. As a beginner, you can't go wrong

with David Swensen.<br> <br><br>As for your comment.

<<You know, in any tradition, there are those who split

off from the original<br> master and develop their

own path with their own "energy.". Seems to<br> me

that's just the way it tends to go>><br><br>That

seems like a defeatest attitude. The practice has been

brougt to us from the ancient sages and perhaps refined

by masters such as Krishnamacharya and Patthabi

Jois. No westerner alive has dedicated his or her life

to the extent of these masters and thus I believe

that we must seek, as much as possible to preserve the

yoga as it has been brought down through the

generations.

[Guest guest]

Well, the "Senor" just keeps the fires burning.

It seems that is his/her role in this group. Just as

some peace seems to settle over this little group of

yogis, the billows come out.<br><br>I too have been

following this whole drama with mixed amusement and

sadness. I believe that all involved are honest and well

meaning people. It seems when some semblance of

thoughtful and intellectual discussion is offered by someone

like godfreydev, emotion derails the whole thing into

another diatribe.<br><br>No one means to disrespect

guruji nor the yoga system he refined. But Patanjali's 8

fold path may be experienced in any number of

approaches to yoga.<br><br>It is the essence of Patanjali's

astanga yoga that we must also pay ultimate homage.

<br><br>P. Jois has refined a brilliant system of yoga. But

it is a PROGRAM. Those who are lucky enough to

experience some of his divine light are fortunate, but they

have received the VISION and the SPIRIT of the guru

through his practice. This love always transcends and

outlives the program. Let's not confuse visionary spirit,

love and enlightenment with a system or

program.<br><br>I respect pinch wey's attempt to keep this astanga

yoga program pure, but Patanjali's astanga yoga is the

vision, and the light from the guru of what is now also

called astanga yoga -the program or system comes from

his spirit - not technique, bandhas, vinyasas or even

asanas.<br><br>So I respectfully submit that a return to the spirit

of all yoga is in order and that we honor the guru

who helps us to glimpse the vision, the light. Let's

not confuse that with a physical practice as

powerful, beautiful and transforming as it is.<br><br>May

we also remember an overarching principle of the

entire Practice - ahimsa.

[Guest guest]

All that is fine sir,there is no objection to any

one teaching other forms of yoga but this particular

person has stated that he will be teaching Ashtanga

Vinyasa Yoga or the so called PROGRAM as you say. In this

way he represents this particular tradition

specifically. One can certainly teach flow or vinyasa or power

or whatever without Gurujis permission or training

or any training at all---fine. Indeed many are doing

so but call it something different if that's what

you want to do.

[Guest guest]

This is my point exactly. And with all due

respect this is happening. I am not sure that the words

astanga and vinyasa are the sole property of "pure"

practioners of this tradition. It does appear though, that

this tradition is still evolving.

[Guest guest]

The words Ashtanga Vinyasa while the sole

property of no one, do refer to the practice as taught by

Sri Pattabhi Jois. The more general term ashtanga can

be used in a broader context, even so it is most

often used in hatha yoga cicles to refer to this

particular form of practice, a point rarely missed by those

attempting to profit from its current

popularity.<br><br>Concerning senor pinche wey~~~while some of the comments are

very blunt he is often right on and I for one enjoy

hearing something other than lots of new age eclectic

"its all good" psycho babble. Keeps it more lively.

thank you SPW

[Guest guest]

But it's not all good. For instance this rigidity

one encounters when one dares to even entertain the

possibility of looking at this practice differently from the

few "blessed" borders on bigotry. The venom in your

replies is almost palpable. Truly a hallmark of a cult

albeit a new age cult.<br><br>My crap detector also

flashes instantly when I hear "new age" psycho babble and

it's really shining bright now. It's not all good, but

there is a continual us/them dichotomy that is embedded

in some fanatics that is new age at its craziest. In

fact shining a bright light on some of the simmering

hatred that some members of this group feels toward

"them", is what always pushes the buttons among the good,

pure folks.<br><br>I for one am tired of the ass-tanga

gestapo.<br><br>I hope you find peace in whatever it is you're

looking for.<br><br>surya

[Guest guest]

It's amazing what this club has turned into. I'm

not even sure why I'm checking this site any more.

Maybe it's the Jerry Springer attitude of it's

participants. Whatever happened to "Do your practice, all is

coming"?

[Guest guest]

Therein lies the heart of the matter in this

debate about teaching: the REPRESENTATION of Sri K.

Patthabhi Jois's teaching.<br><br>Should anyone that knows

the basics of 1st or 2nd series consider themselves

qualified teachers of "astanga yoga" in the line of Jois? I

say no.<br><br>That's why I agree with Senor about

Larry Shultz. That is, I believe that Larry is way out

of line in his fraudulent claim of studying "8

years" with Guruji, when in fact Larry has never even

been to Mysore to study with Guruji once.<br><br>But

on the other hand,<br><br>There are only a bare

handful of "certified" by P.K. Jois astanga teachers in

the whole wide world. Maybe, there's about 1

certified teacher for every 100 million people on the

planet.<br><br>I see no problem with people teaching or sharing

yoga without certification, as long as they have the

basics down, aren't playing a guru trip, and aren't

misrepresenting themselves and the teachings of others.<br><br>I

think that anyone who wishes to form an astanga vinyasa

"club" as a means of helping their own practice is doing

far more good than harm -- as long as they do in fact

have a good grasp of the fundamentals of this teaching

and have studied with a bona fide (certified) astanga

teacher.

[Guest guest]

Thank you,I totally agree, you state it very well.

[Guest guest]

OH lighten up surya I'd lose that crap detector if I were you it's obscuring

your view. <br> PEACE--- the ass-tanga gestapo