- Alignment and Injuries, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Teaching Ashtanga, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
Yoga Practice in Good and Bad Times
“Your toothache is impermanent, but your non-toothache is also impermanent. With that insight, you look at birth, death, old-age, ups and downs, suffering, and happiness with the eyes of a sage, and you don’t suffer anymore. You smile, no longer afraid.” – Thich Nhat Hanh The Sutras does not say that, “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of life.” It says that “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. ” The world turns, burns, rises and falls. Teachers come and go, hamstrings tear and heal. In yogic terms, the gunas will keep interacting with prakriti and, while I play in this world, I can’t stop it.…
What does a Good Yoga Teacher Look Like?
Today, I read an article where the characteristics of a certain celebrity was being used as a model for a good Yoga teacher. This celebrity did something that the author considered brave. While it is true that the characteristics, listed in the article, make a great Yoga teacher, I was concerned. I was concerned because there are teachers out there that do have these characteristics but they usually are not that popular. I was concerned that we cannot recognize these characteristics unless they come in a pretty, wealthy, high visibility package. I was concerned that we don’t have the ability to recognize the teachers that spend 24/7 bravely living their truth…
A.P. P Goes to Mysore: Everything is Energy. Energy is God
Everything is energy. Energy is God-Sharath Jois This is probably no surprise to those of you that have been following my blog over the last month but I went through a very brief (thank goodness) period of confusion. I had stopped listening to the still voice within. The ego is an amazing story teller and I had begun to listen to its harrowing tales. Many teachers say, if you really want to see if you have overcome your ego, go spend time with your relatives! Well, I am used to my family so that wasn’t much of a trigger. Coming to Mysore was a huge trigger. I often share these…
- Adventures in Mysore India, Ashtanga Adaptability, Ashtanga Quotes, Social Media, Teaching Ashtanga, Uncategorized, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Sutras
What is a Yoga Teacher?
I used to have such a hard time describing what Yoga was! I always tried to frame it in a way I felt would be PC or approachable…and failed miserably. Even after studying the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which gives a very simple definition of Yoga, I still had trouble with it. After I started teaching, it got worse. I became a card carrying member of the “Yoga gross over simplification club” because I thought, “I need to get people into my class with something catchy!” As the years progressed, I started to notice that nebulous definitions of Yoga led to nebulous teaching and nebulous integrity. When Yoga can be whatever…
Divine Dissatisfaction
The path of yoga is not for the faint of heart. The end result might be nice but the process, for most, is not. Many people stop the process because they don’t understand what is happening. We are sold on the idea that everything that is good also feels good. We have been told that ease is a sign that we have made the right decision so we search for ease and run away from the feelings mentioned in the poem below. This is why the yogis warned us about dvesha or avoiding painful or sorrowful experiences. If we are having an experience, there is something that needs to be explored. If…
How Would Your Life Change If You Were Practicing Yoga?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe yoga as ‘the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”. The fluctuations of the mind keep us from knowing our Selves and experiencing the world through a clear, focused, and uncluttered mind. How would your life change if you had the ability to see everything as it is and everyone for who they are? “When we see the world through our thoughts, we stop experiencing life as it really is and others as they really are. When I have a thought about you, that’s something I’ve created. I’ve turned you into an idea. In a certain sense, if I have an idea about you that I…
Making the Philosophy and Poses of Ashtanga Accessible for All
