Ashtanga Certification: Includes a list of Certified Ashtanga teachers* - Manju in Athens 2015 and a new Ashtanga Parampara interview

"Eligo in Summum Pontificem" College of cardinals playset. Think one of our Ashtanga artists should make one for all the certified teachers- see LINK

I received notification early this morning of a new Interview on Lu Duong's excellent Ashtanga Parampara interview platform, this time the interview is with Harmony Lichty

LINK

The notification, as does the interview, come with an editors note mentioning that Harmony, along with Magnolia Zuniga ( also interviewed on Lu's site) have been Certified.

*Editorial Note: At the completion of this interview on March 7, 2015, Harmony (along with Magnolia Zuniga), was blessed with the designation of "Certified" by KPJAYI. Both were formerly "Authorized: Level 2". 

I was going to add a note to the non-Ashtangi friends on my FB Share explaining what 'Certified' means in the Ashtanga context but wasn't exactly sure myself so decided to come over here to pick over it a little.

My first thought was that being Certified was something like becoming a Cardinal, a Prince of the Church.... but without the influence, as in you don't get to elect the new Pope/Director. Sharath of course wasn't elected, directorship of KPJAYI is hereditary it seems.

Conclave ( Electing a new Pope) Sistine chapel

I know, I didn't get to vote for the Queen either, although there was talk once about the next King being elected. Charles would no doubt be overlooked in favour of the supposedly more Dashing Prince William. It would have been Tony Blair of course but he spoiled things for himself a little with Iraq.

Manju of course would have been the next Director after his father Pattabhi Jois had he not moved to the US and decided again and again against going back to take over.

Imagine if Manju had gone back, EVERYBODY would be practicing half at least of 2nd series followed by pranayama after their practice as well as chanting. The chanting of course would no doubt help keep the numbers down, eliminating that particular problem ( took me a long time before I came around to a little chanting after my practice).

*Note: I hear there's a chanting class at KPJAYI now, compulsory I believe but not perhaps as well as attended as it's supposed to be.

I suspect Sharath might have quite liked that scenario (Manju in charge), Sharath could have just got back on with the practice he loves and in peace without all the hassles of running such a large school.... perhaps that was Manju's thinking also.

Manju by the the way is offering his Greece Teacher Training in Athens this year rather than Rethymno, Crete. I'd love to go again but have barely bothered with my 2nd series all year, preferring instead to slow my Primary down ever more such that I have to split my Krishnamacharya Primary group asana practice over two, sometimes three days.... although every couple of days I'll remember to work on the 2nd series backbend sequence just to keep my hand in. I could brush it off of course but I'm also all the way over her in Japan (sigh), how I love Athens, Crete... Greece!

Manju will be teaching around Filopappos, bottom of the picture to the left a bit.

"Just to keep the hand in", that I seem to remember was Manju's expression when I asked him what he practiced these days, '....part of Primary, Part of Intermediate and a few Advanced postures just to keep my hand in',  or Something to that effect

LINK

I do kind of like the idea of all the Certified teachers having more influence on the direction of Ashtanga, on the election of future Directors ( personally I prefer an elected council or board rather than Director for life position and a nonprofit version of KPJAYI), I'm all for democracy me (deep down so Greek).... another reason to go to Greece, re encounter our Greek Heritage ( in the Philosophical, cultural sense) rather than running off to India to embrace Indian culture when we've barely attempted to understand fully our own. Of course there was crossfertilization,  how Indian is Greek Culture, how Greek Indian. Richard Freeman ( my vote for the next Ashtanga Pope of course) recommends an excellent book on his suggested reading page The Shape of Ancient Thought by Thomas McEvilley,

LINK

Do we have enough Certified Teachers to form a College of Cardinals, let me think, there's Tim..... and Tim........ and.......

I Jest

There's my own Ashtanga Vinyasa teacher Kristina Karitinou, Authorised by Pattabhi Jois and Certified by Manju (I should try and find out who else Manju has certified as they don't think they are listed as certified on the KPJAYI list).

Below are the Certified teacher on the KPJAYI list on going to press



* I had to lift those names out from among the authorised teachers, apologies if I missed somebody This is of course only the KPJAYI list, there may be others who are out of favour, authorised by Manju or have asked for their name to be removed. Always a problem with 'authorised lists'.

-Trying to work out another list based on Ashtanga.com and perhaps bring them together, check back later in the week.

Some obvious admissions for one reason or another that undermine it a little perhaps, sure I could come up with ten names off the top of my head who I would like to see included.

UPDATE: Here's an interesting list, those teachers Certified (35) as of Oct 2008 around a few months before Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Passed away.




UPDATE: If we have to have a list of those who have put in the time and been recognised then my preferred list is on Ashtanga.com which includes an interesting referral system.

LINK

.... but anyway, there you go, a Conclave right there.

So many teachers in that list I would love to take an extended workshop with. I'm not one for long periods in a shala, I  prefer exploring my Ashtanga vinyasa practice at home alone but a week or two, a month with somebody who has incorporated their practice into their lives, reflected on it intelligently over so many years, count me in. I'm not interested in how to get into a new asana but rather in how to approach my practice, how to continue to learn from it.

I've tended to see 'Certified 'as suggesting, Ambassadors of Ashtanga vinyasa, the great and the good if you like....and I see this group ( and those too who are for one reason or other not on or no longer on the official list ) as in some sense, the guardians of this *recent tradition of practice (in the sense of this approach to a generally fixed sequence). It lies not in one person (however inspiring to many he may be) or one place but in those who have inherited a practice, practiced and enquired into it selflessly (some more than others at different periods no doubt*) with dedication and belief for a significant period of their lives. Isn't that parampara honouring a teaching by enquirying every deeper into it.

*Nice thing about being Certified is that I understand you can't have it taken away so are free to explore, take it apart, put it back together, drift here, there and then and come back to a deeper understanding of your practice.

And there's a great responsibility there. I look at this list of teachers and I don't see dogma but long term practitioners ( those who I know a little about) who have explored their practice, incorporated it into their lives in their own distinctive ways and passed on this tool of enquiry, their own inimitable approach to it to others.

Personally I feel they should have more influence in preserving the integrity of the practice and ensuring it's future, if you're going to certify someone then I think that should also mean that you trust them to pass on the teaching, not only teaching practitioners but also training future teachers.

Congratulations then to Harmony and Magnolia and thank you for taking on the responsibility for the future of this practice that we all love, in our own way and in whatever form we chose to explore/practice it.

The College of Cardinals (seen here in 1922) was formed in 1061 to elect the pope

The above picture is from 1922, two years before Pattabhi Jois first met Krishnamacharya in Hassan and eighteen or so before Pattabhi Jois submitted his proposal for a four year yoga syllabus to the Sanskrit college ( Primary to Advanced B based on Krishnamacharya's three groups Primary, Middle, Advanced). 

The first College of Cardinals was formed in 1061


See also perhaps my earlier post

Consistency and compatibility: A response to criticisms of Ashtanga Vinyasa PLUS a 'lost' photo and Surynamaskara and pranayama in puja

and this one

Turning Ashtanga's KPJYI into KPJYF, a charitable foundation?