Yoga Folks discussion
General comments on yoga books
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Ignoring India's roots in books?
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I'm thankful that my yoga teacher has always included all facets of yoga in our instruction, including the Yoga Sutras, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. I think those are every bit as important, if not more than, the asanas.
Do you know of a yoga studio in San Diego where they teach the Yoga Sutras, etc.?
Mod
http://yogameditationnataraja.com/lec...
Thank you for the information.I do feel that people get into a yoga practice for many different reasons. There is certainly a studio for whatever aspects of yoga compel you to practice. It may be intimidating or alienating for some future practitioners if they were faced with all parts of yoga at once. I am thankful that it is relatively easy to start a yoga practice at whatever level that is comfortable. For me, I enjoyed the physical aspects to start with, and am getting more and more interested in the spiritual sides of the practice. The breathing is life-changing to me, as is the increased mental strength, and the newly gained flexibility. Yoga has truly been a life-saver for me! It got me through a divorce. There was a period of time my yoga class was the ONE thing that kept me going.
Seems like yoga in America is currently very un-Indian. I teach yoga at a university and most, if not all, of the foreign students from India have never practiced yoga. But then you have these very American looking females (blonde hair, blue eyes) practicing in front of a statue of Shiva and spouting out Sanskrit like they're fluent in it.
This is just a very strange thing. And I dont really understand the grand scheme of everything. And I'm not sure if we're dishonoring or honoring India by turning a very male-dominated practice from their country into what it is over here (which is very female-dominated, fitness industry). And are the Krishnas and Shivas and Sanskrit enough homage to the tradition? Does having more knowledge of chakras and the Upanishads and Buddhism and doshas than the average yoga instructor make me "more" yogic? If I wear lululemon am I "missing the point" of yoga? I dont know the answers to these questions. And I think it's something a lot of instructors struggle with.
From this post, I went on a googling spree and found this: http://seattleyoganews.com/yoga-in-in...
I kind of went off-topic, but this post just made me think of the different cultures quite a bit!
Mod
Mod
The more I study and practice, the more gratitude I feel toward the small set of individuals in each generation that keep the authentic teachings of Yoga alive. We’re living in extraordinary spiritual times. Both India and the West are rediscovering the fullness of the eight limbs of Yoga together.
It’s a great opportunity that so many people around the world are doing Yoga asana. It’s a great start.
Now we are learning that there are higher limbs of yoga to explore—particularly the final three limbs—through meditation.
One thing to remember: the fullness of Master Patanjali’s Yoga tradition was largely broken by the invasions of the Moghuls and later colonization by the British in India. How bad was it? T. Krishnamacharya, the father of modern yoga, had to travel to Nepal in the early 1900’s to learn inner yogic meditation practices and study the Yoga Sutra from a Buddhist monk in Nepal. But he resuscitated the lineage.
The non-fiction book “White Lama” by Doug Veenhof is an excellent source for the state of Yoga in India during the first half of the 20th century.
It’s a process. We’re all rediscovering teachings from the 2nd Century and Master Patanjali together. And good we are all asking, "is there more to yoga?"
Hope that is helpful.
James Connor
author of The Superyogi Scenario
http://theconversation.com/the-diffic...