The benefits of Hatha Yoga: Search

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2012年9月24日星期一

Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga - Part 1

What is the perfect Yoga? Is it hot Yoga, based on correct alignment; Vinyasa Yoga, only to be performed with props; or do props take something away from Yoga practice? What about Yoga styles which are not from the Hatha Yoga tree? So - what exactly is the right Yoga for you?

Below, I will cover some of the statements I have heard over the years. Some of these statements are straight from the ego, self righteous, and a bit intolerant of other styles of Yoga. Please don't be offended, and please try to understand - we are not all the same.

"Yoga should be hot; otherwise you're getting nothing out of it."

Interesting - I heard Bikram make similar claims on the television show, "60 minutes." I am in admiration of Bikram, and his wife, Rajashree. They have trained many good Yoga teachers, Yogis, and Yoginis.

However, there are many Yoga practitioners who practice at moderate temperatures and receive fantastic health benefits from their daily practice. When people make statements such as: "Yoga should be hot; otherwise you're getting nothing out of it." They scare off those potential Yoga practitioners who believe them.

This could be a person who would have improved their life through the practice of Yoga. Let's stop the "my way or the highway" mentality. If you truly care about people, tell them the whole truth and give them options. If I can't please someone with the Restorative and Vinyasa styles in our wellness center, I will find someone who can meet my student's expectations of Yoga.

Lastly, I do personally like the heat. However, in New England, I know many people who don't. Even at moderate temperatures, many students get quite warm in a Vinyasa class.

"If your alignment is not perfect, why bother to practice Yoga?"

Without a doubt, alignment is very important, but some of us really need to use props to find the best alignment for our bodies. Yoga teachers need to encourage all of their students to practice more often and accept some limitations that come with each body.

Yoga teachers should be careful not to discourage those students who have limited range of motion. Again, props can be used by any Yoga practitioners, and with the careful guidance of a compassionate Yoga teacher, progress is made.

One last note on this point: No two bodies are alike, so let's be more understanding of ourselves and those around us. This applies to Yoga and life.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

2012年9月13日星期四

Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga - Part 2

This is a continuation of answers to some very "interesting" statements about Yoga and its many styles. Please don't take the statements in quotations too seriously; let's hope these answers will open minds.

"Mine is the best Yoga style and all others are inferior."

Many students make this claim and I "set them straight," right away. If you are getting a lot out of your Yoga practice, don't be so quick to "put down" other styles of Yoga. It is ironic when people practice something that literally means "unity," and then they let the ego get in the way.

Shouldn't we just be happy that someone else is trying, or practicing, Yoga - instead of sitting on the couch? If you are a Yoga teacher, do not encourage this kind of thinking. Yoga teachers are very often familiar with many styles of Yoga, so we should know better.

If you are a student, please open your mind by trying other styles of Yoga. You will find more treasure each time you visit a different Yoga class. Always come back to your root practice, and teacher, but leave your mind open.

"Are seniors really getting anything out of Chair Yoga?"

The very first person who said this to me is now a Chair Yoga teacher. You can imagine the convincing I had to do, including her participation in Chair Yoga classes. The energy, and enthusiasm, within Yoga classes with seniors, is priceless and contagious. Some participants feel improvements right away, and their attendance to Yoga classes is much more regular than any other age group.

Chair Yoga is not only for seniors but for those who are wheelchair bound, in physical rehabilitation, or going through a healing process. The positive results of Chair Yoga practice are quite dramatic. Anyone who witnesses the healing effect of Chair Yoga practice is an instant believer.

For me, Chair Yoga is a God given gift that I happily pass on, and it improves everyone's health in the process. Anything this good should not be kept a secret.

"If you need to use props, you are a beginner."

Absolutely Wrong! Your style may not use props, and you may not know how to use them, but props do help with alignment. Most of us mere mortals do not have perfect bodies, so a prop can make a tremendous difference with alignment.

If you want to know more about props, visit an Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, or Kali Ray Tri Yoga class. There are also a number of books, and a few videos, available. The guidance of a compassionate and competent teacher will help you learn so much about props to help your practice, and that of others, who feel intimidated by Yoga.

2012年9月12日星期三

Yoga in Practice: In Search of the Perfect Yoga - Part 3

This is the last in this series of answers to statements about Yoga students who are searching for the perfect Yoga, or the perfect Guru.

"You can't teach me anything about Yoga, I already know it."

You are absolutely right. There is an old Chinese saying, "A closed mind is like a closed book: just a block of wood." In other words, a closed mind still must go through a deep awakening process to reach its complete potential.

However, I am getting on in years, and do not have the desire to teach the intolerant, or those who already know everything. My answer to this student is: You are right, and please stay with your current Guru.

It should come as no surprise that, very often, the student who says he or he already knows everything, does not and never had a Guru. If intolerance cannot be purged from within a particular Yoga student, he or she should be banished by any self-respecting Guru.

Life is too short to waste your time teaching those who don't want to learn. In talking to my colleagues, I have found similar sentiments. Who among you wants to waste your time?

"What could I get out of Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, or Jnana Yoga?"

Each of these styles has so much to offer, but they could be classified, for the most part, as non-physical styles of Yoga. Let's briefly take a look at each one.

Bhakti Yoga is most often practiced within India. Bhakti Yoga literally means -unity through devotion to God. Therefore, this is a sectarian practice, most often practiced by Hindus. However, there are Jews, Christians, and Moslems who practice Yoga exclusively with members of their own religion. The practice of Bhakti Yoga is deeply spiritual.

Karma Yoga is unity through selfless service; also known as the Yoga of action. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. could be considered Karma Yogis. Both were men of peace and action who ultimately gave their lives for what is right.

Jnana Yoga is unity though knowledge or the path of wisdom. Through Jnana Yoga you will discover truth without delusion or bias. Jnana Yoga requires the serious student to meditate often.

So, now you see the "big picture" and the need to keep the Yoga community together. Yoga literally means unity or union. Therefore, we must be living examples of it.

2012年9月24日 星期一