This is a repost of one of my favourite posts, some glorious early photos of Norman Allen as well as  a short documentary at the end of the post. Norman, as far as I know, still practicing, still teaching. Given that Pattabhi Jois is said to have stopped practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa relatively early, by my reckoning, Norman may now have been practicing longer than his teacher.

So why is it that Norman Allen isn't on 'the list'..... and never has been?

A short reminder of how the KPJAY list came about. 

Originally Pattabhi Jois just gave his blessing to teach, 

Tim Miller writes about this 'blessing to teach' following Pattabhi Jois' third trip to the US in 1980

"Guruji gathered us together for one final meeting.  At this gathering he told us which westerners he felt were qualified to teach.  It was a fairly short list—David, Brad, Nancy, Gary, and a few others.  Since Brad had decided to move to Maui, he wanted me to take over his school in Encinitas.  He asked Guruji, “What about Tim?”  Guruji looked perplexed and said, “Who?”  “Tim,” Brad repeated,  and pointed at me.  “Oh, that man,” Guruji replied, and studied me for a moment.  “Yes, that man is some better, okay.” Dust. Tim Miller (http://timmiller.typepad.com/dust_by_tim_miller/)

Note: None of those names above, including Tim Miller, are on I believe Sharath's current list

I believe Tim Miller may have been the first to ask for an actual piece of paper.

In the 90s following the writing down and publishing of the count I heard a couple of teachers started suggesting there should be more formality around who should and who shouldn't teach.

I'm not sure when the Ashtanga.Com list first came about, 2004 I believe  See my Ashtanga History 1980 to present for 2004 Ashtanga.com list (87 teacher) The Ashtanga.com list was originally just a resource of where teachers could be found, addresses/contact details (pre internet), the teachers were either recommended by Pattabhi Jois himself or by letters from senior/ long term  teachers/practitioners etc. 

Begs the question whether given the internet we even NEED a list any longer.

In 2008 there seems to have been a bit of a falling out between Ashtanga.com and AYRI ( later KPJAYI and now Sharathjois.com). AYRI own list came into being in 2008 I believe - See my Ashtanga History 1980 to present for the first list. Pattabhi jois wasn't well ( he died the following year ) and Sharath was taking more control of the shala. Letters were sent out asking teachers to return their letters of blessing to teach, certificates etc. to be renewed (although it appears some never were). They were told that they couldn't be on any other list ( i.e. the Ashtanga.com list). 

So, by the time the the first KPJAYI list of authorised teachers came about, there was perhaps less warmth between Sharath and those first practitioners who actually did the ground work of spreading/propagating the practice. As far as I know, Norman Allen was never on the KPJAYI list, nor were David Williams, Nancy Gilgoff, David Swenson, or those teachers Tim Miller mentions above, Brad Ramsey, Anthony Gary Lopedota, they were never carried over from the Ashtanga.com list to the KPJAYI list.

One of Sharath's main arguments in his new code of conduct is that these teachers no longer came to Mysore. Although one might ask why, when they had practiced with Pattabhi Jois for decades, they SHOULD then come and bend the knee to Sharath, we might wonder if it indeed matters. Sharath is fond of insisting that the practice hasn't changed, if that is the case then there is surely need to come. He does mention that he has been running some teaching workshops  for authorised teachers (Special trainings) and that these of course haven't been attended by the senior, early teachers. I've heard from a couple of Authorised teachers about the content of these expensive trainings run by Sharath and there really doesn't appear to be anything that stands out as essential to the new order, mostly just practice and conferences.

Given that these senior teachers, the elders of the practice, have practiced from their youth into middle age and beyond it strikes me that it is their experience that should be sort.

In the next few days I'll see about putting up some other post of those who are not on the list....and never have been. 

Here's Norman.

It seems to be Norman Allen week on fb this week, 

It was just a small photo in one of many yoga books. And yet this picture set a revolution in motion. It brought Europeans and Americans to Pattabhi Jois in India, and Ashtanga Yoga to the West.

In 1964, André van Lysebeth, a Belgian, found his way into Pattabhi Jois’s tiny Yogashala in Mysore. With his profound knowledge of Yoga and Sanskrit, André became intrigued by this old yogic system. He spent two months with Pattabhi Jois who taught him the first and second series. Among the many books André van Lysebeth wrote in the ensuing years, one carried the title "pranayama". André wrote this book directly after he spent time with Jois. A photograph of the guru including his name and address was published in "pranayama”. Through this book, Pattabhi Jois’s name started to spread slowly in the Western world, mainly in Europe. So it came as no surprise that quite a few Europeans were among the first Westerners who travelled to India with the goal of meeting Pattabhi Jois.

A little later, David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff joined the tiny Yogashala in Mysore. They were the first to invite Pattabhi Jois to California, USA, to teach a workshop, in 1975. Only ten to fifteen students participated in the first workshop. This was a very modest start, compared to the amount of people who attend Pattabhi’s classes today.

Manju Jois accompanied his father on this legendary trip. He decided to stay in America to spread the traditional technique of Ashtanga Yoga there.

As time went by, Ashtanga Yoga became more and more known in the Western world. Pattabhi Jois was invited to teach many workshops not only in the U.S. but also in Brazil, the UK and many other countries. Today, the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is one of the most famous yoga traditions in the world. One can find Ashtanga yoga classes held almost everywhere. Stars such as Madonna and Sting commit themselves to this ancient practice, a fact which has undoubtedly increased the popularity of Ashtanga yoga even more.

Below a taste of the interview, follow the link for the full Interview