People don't seem to see this as a big deal but it feels like the end of an era. Perhaps it was naive of me but I'd held on to the idea that the Mysore Shala and Sharath, as Pattabhi Jois' grandson, represented everyone who practiced Ashtanga, whatever period and with whomever they began their practice be that in a shala or in their bedrooms with Yoga Mala, as well as whatever form their practice happened to take. I'd hoped all would be welcome. I guess we still have Manju Pattabhi Jois for that and hopefully Saraswati.
I can't help but feel that Sri K Pattabhi Jois would have been as saddened by this as I am.
Home Ashtangi's may well feel a bit excluded by the new rule change.
Well, we all knew he would have to do something about the numbers visiting Mysore.... but this?
"4. Students who are applying for Sharath’s class must have studied at least 2 months with any of our Certified/Authorized teachers( mentioned in our teachers list) before coming to study with Sharath in Mysore Shala."
Many who happen to fit this new criteria will no doubt welcome it as meaning less competition for places and thus improving their chances of being accepted into the shala for their preferred dates.
I'm not convinced this was the best response, surely there were other options (see links at the end of the post).
“No one owns Yoga,” said Sharath Rangaswamy, the grandson of the late Ashtanga Yoga guru, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Sharath paused comfortably, sanguinely sitting in lotus. He looked around the room, and then continued, “You don’t own it. I don’t own it. No one owns it.” LA Yoga
"No one owns Yoga...." and yet Ashtanga practice feels a little more controlled this morning, a little more corporate. Only those who visit Mysore and practice with Sharath for an extended period may become authorised and only those who have studied with an authorised teacher may practice with Sharath in Mysore.
Bit of a bugger of course if you have no authorised teacher near you but are a committed Ashtanga practitioner and have been dreaming of making the trip.
I know of several students who practice at home and travel down to London to practice at the weekends with authorised teachers, sure there are similar stories for all the major towns/cities with Ashtanga schools, people who visit when and where they can.
Does the odd weekend, when you can manage it, over a two month period count or do you need to show evidence of two, month long six-day a week passes, it's a little unclear, slightly vague.
How long before it becomes six months or a year or six months within the last year?
It's been mentioned that Sharath is considering asking for a letter of recommendation from an authorized or certified teacher, this however isn't currently in the new guidelines and may just be an option under consideration.
Before his passing BKS Iyengar asked for students to have practiced with one of his authorised teachers for 8 years.
Think mums juggling kids, work and home,....some can miraculously swing it if they have a shala nearby and a very understanding and helpful partner but then of course chances are they might not have the opportunity to visit Mysore till the kids are grown anyway. But then chances are they might not be able to swing a full month in Mysore, Saraswati is an option and who better to take you back to scratch.
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| Saraswati |
See the quotes from the end of the post lifted from Ashtangaparampara, recently authorised and certified teachers who went to Mysore without having practiced with authorised teachers.
And what if your teacher is no longer on the list ( I just checked somebody who was on and then off is back on again and somebody else now off, one can't keep up) or never on the list in the first place, or never bothered to become or seek authorisation ( Manju seems less concerned about authorisation, you learn the practice and then pass it along. I've never liked the idea of authorisation personally, my understanding was that it was not really Pattabhi Jois' idea/intention either but was somewhat pressed upon him by certain early teachers). And several very senior and long term Ashtanga teachers are not on that list although on the original Ashtanga.com list. Not naming names but it's ridiculous to think that somebody who has studied for years with a senior teacher who studied with Pattabhi Jois for decades isn't invited/welcome.
Is Manju on the KPJAYI List ? (Yes)
I've been asked many times over the years why I have never been to Mysore, never quite sure why exactly so the answer has probably changed each time. Now at least I have an easy answer, I haven't studied with an Authorised teacher for the required two months so am not welcome.
Typically, around this time of year I've been thinking about making the trip (it was Krishnamacharya's city after all), but to practice with Saraswati rather than Sharath ( no slight on Sharath but I'm unlikely to stay for the full month, prefer a small shala and from interviews and I have a soft spot for Saraswati) as far as I can tell this proscription only applies if you want to practice with Sharath (for now at least).
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| Saraswati |
Unfortunately it may mean demand to practice with Saraswati may go up and it might be harder to get into her shala.
We really must try and persuade Manju to stay in one place somewhere for a month.
No doubt the coming uproar over this will lead to it being changed and more enlightened solution to the numbers applying will be sought.
Somebody needs to set up a petition perhaps.
But of course there wont be that much of an uproar we're very good at living inside our own little bubble of self justification and mythologising, we try not to think about it too much in case it turns out to be a Chimera, because we put so much effort into our practice we tend to be defensive as hell.
I also strongly recommend you take one (or more) of Pattabhi Jois' son Manju's workshops/intensives/teacher trainings (http://www.manjujois.com/). I've been to two of his TTs and a workshop day and desperately wish I could make it to his Intermediate TT in Athens later this year too, as well as asana you'll get to practice pranayama with him and chanting too ( even if you sit next to somebody loud and just open and close your mouth - did that the first time but was into it by the 2nd). It's old school, just like his father taught him and Saraswati back in the 50s.
As well as attending one of Manju's workshops you could also 'Keep calm, grab a frappe and visit Greece).
Or go spend a month or two with Kristina Karitinou in her summer shala in Rethymno Crete and have her work your asana off
http://www.yogapractice.gr/
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The video below was filmed while I was visiting Kristina's shala for Manju's teacher training (that's me in the bandana) 2013, Hyon Gak Sunim, a monk in the Korean Zen tradition was also there and offering chanting in the morning at Kristina's house.
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http://www.yogapractice.gr/
The video below was filmed while I was visiting Kristina's shala for Manju's teacher training (that's me in the bandana) 2013, Hyon Gak Sunim, a monk in the Korean Zen tradition was also there and offering chanting in the morning at Kristina's house.
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Just home from work, now that's out of my system I'm jumping on the mat for my 1/2 primary 1/2 Intermediate.
Appendix
I'm reminded of a couple of the Ashtangaparampara interviews where some of the interviewees talk about being taken through the whole sequence from scratch by Sharath..... here are just the first couple I found before I had to run out for dinner.
Feel free to add your own story of visiting the Mysore Shala with less than the new criteria in the comments.
"It wasn't until I made it to Mysore, India, in February of 2004, that I had the full experience of practicing in an actual “Mysore class.” So my first real Ashtanga teachers were Guruji and Sharath. I guess I’m one of the fortunate ones to have made my way to Mysore early on in my experience with the practice. I showed up in Mysore with very little prior teachings or influences, so it was easy for me to take in every little bit of detailed information I received from Guruji or Sharath without question."Ashtanga parampara - Harmony Lichty Certified Ashtanga teacher
"I decided to try an Ashtanga yoga class in my local gym in Dublin... I was very fortunate that I went straight to Mysore to learn the practice directly from Guruji and Sharath."
Ashtanga parampara Gillian Mooney. Authorised Ashtanga teacher.
"Going to Mysore as a complete beginner was the best decision I could have made."AshtangaParampara. Caroline Simpson Authorised.
"Did you learn the Mysore practice at KPJAYI when you visited India with your daughter? Can you please share that experience with us?
"I can honestly say I learned the Mysore practice in depth. I was very green and stiff, so stiff I could not do Marychyasana D without assistance, the second day practice, I got tapped on the shoulder, and told to go upstairs, where we did finishing postures. I remember tossing and turning all night wondering if I should go home, my ego was bruised. I stayed. That was in 1999, when Guruji and Sharath were in the small shala, sometime after that Guruji would sit in front of me and take me through the rest of the postures of primary series, I was meant to stay a month, and stayed for 7 weeks, and have been back 11 times. It is something one never forgets, his consistency, compassion, love, and energy. What more can one say!"
Ashtangaparampara . Lynne Pinette. Authorised
"I learned Ashtanga at a non-traditional studio, where we had one Mysore style class per week and all the other classes were taught as Led Primary. My initial trip to KPJAYI was literally my first foray into daily Mysore practice - what a way to start! But it was the getting there that I think really had the largest impact. When I went to Mysore I only knew one person who had gone before. She was incredibly helpful and got me connected so that I could set up accommodation and taxis, but otherwise, I was kind of flying blind. I had no idea what to expect".
Ashtangaparampara. Anna Muzzin Authorised
"I went to Mysore in 2004, where I met Guruji and my current Ayurvedic doctor (Anil Kumar). At that time, I was still not strong enough to practice the recommended 5-6 days a week. We decided I would practice 4 days a week. Guruji told me which days to practice and he and Sharath began teaching me second series within a week or two. They taught me the series pretty quickly. It was shocking, as I had only practiced primary up to that point."
Ashtangaparampara. Magnolia Zuniga Authorised
Final thoughts
“No one owns Yoga,” said Sharath Rangaswamy, the grandson of the late Ashtanga Yoga guru, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Sharath paused comfortably, sanguinely sitting in lotus. He looked around the room, and then continued, “You don’t own it. I don’t own it. No one owns it.” LA Yoga
No one owns Yoga.... and yet Ashtanga practice feels a little more controlled this morning, a little more corporate. Only those who visit Mysore and practice with Sharath for an extended period may become authorised and only those who have studied with an authorised teacher may practice with Sharath in Mysore.
Some other viewpoints
A new rule in Mysore- Do you care? http://pegmulqueen.com/2015/07/12/a-new-rule-in-mysore/
Thoughts on the New Rule for Study in Mysore http://theconfluencecountdown.com/2015/07/13/thoughts-on-the-new-rule-for-study-in-mysore/
Thoughts on the New Rule for Study in Mysore http://theconfluencecountdown.com/2015/07/13/thoughts-on-the-new-rule-for-study-in-mysore/
Wild Speculations http://yogazoe.com/wild-speculation/
Alternative solutions ?
My personal favourite solution to increased numbers applying to practice with Sharath in the big Shala in Mysore is to restrict those visits to once every two years, problem solved.
My personal favourite solution to increased numbers applying to practice with Sharath in the big Shala in Mysore is to restrict those visits to once every two years, problem solved.
See also perhaps my earlier posts on the board of trustees and Ashtanga training centres idea (perhaps headed by certified teachers, why certify them otherwise).
Ashtanga Certification: Includes a list of Certified Ashtanga teachers* - Manju in Athens 2015 and a new Ashtanga Parampara interview
Turning Ashtanga's KPJYI into KPJYF, a charitable foundation?
Consistency and compatibility: A response to criticisms of Ashtanga Vinyasa PLUS a 'lost' photo and Surynamaskara and pranayama in puja