Guest guest Posted March 7, 2001 Report Posted March 7, 2001 iyengar - no breathing, no bandhas, no drishti, no practice...you call this yoga?<br><br>Alignment? What does this have to do with yoga? Some kind of modern obsession. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 It's true that none of these elements appear in Iyengar Yoga, and also that IY develops a different body type, but different paths may lead to the same ultimate goal.<br><br>I liked Eric Schiffman's story in his book Moving into Stillness, where he describes how after studying meditation with Krishnamurthy for some time, he was still not getting the results he was looking for, but after one session with Iyengar he left his body in shavasana and experienced Samadhi. (perhaps it was just exhaustion?)<br><br>i used to think that the reason practice was never mentioned in Iyengar classes was so that the students relied on coming to class, and it was all about developing an attachment to the teacher (and supporting him/her financially). But over recent years Ashtanga has also become commercial too. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 In fact, astanga yoga is the only (!) hatha-yoga style around which applies the ujjayi breathing technique, the bandhas and the dristis during its practice - all other hatha-yoga systems do not.<br><br>If the ujjayi breath, the bandhas & the dristis were the key elements of yoga practice, then astanga yoga alone would be "real yoga" - a myth which the astanga mafia would like to make us believe, but which obviously is not true. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 There's an iyengar studio in Munich - one of the top ones in Germany according to S2 - that has a big notice "Üben, üben, üben" ("practice, practice, practice") right by the door to the main practice room. <br><br>I've never done any iyengar classes there, just been for occasional workshops with visitng ashtanga teachers, so I don't know what they recommend to their students in class. But the notice seems abundantly clear. It certainly stuck in my mind, I use it as my motivation mantra when I get home from work and a cup of tea seems more appealing than getting my mat out. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 Fyi: the "top one" (üben, üben, üben) has its own website too, at <a href=http://www.iyoga.de target=new>http://www.iyoga.de</a> . The sticky mats they sell there may be of interest to hard-core astangis also. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 my question is where is the vinyasa in Iyengar? Quote
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Posted March 8, 2001 swami karttikeyananda at sivananda headquarters ashram used to tell us "practice, practice, practice" was how to reach samadhi. i replied, "no, that's how you get to carnegie hall." much merriment ensued. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2001 Report Posted March 9, 2001 A cup of tea for me too, please. Lu Quote
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2001 Report Posted March 9, 2001 Allen,<br>I thought you were drinking bavarian bear! - And now: tea? Do you know "Prince of Wales" black tea? - Skol! Quote
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