I wasn't sure I would post again but I read a comment from somebody this week who made me think that, now more than ever is when we should be posting, as many of us who do not choose to look the other way try and navigate our way through these times. Jois shared a simplified version of his teacher Krishnamacharya's teaching, like the boys in the palace for which it was designed (Yeah, it kinda was), it's given us some discipline, the broad brushstrokes of a practice. Now it's time perhaps to step out from behind the veil of dogma and enter the side rooms where Krishnamacharya would perhaps teach the more subtle, mature, aspects of practice as found in his early Mysore texts and that perhaps intuitively we suspected were available to us from our own practice.
If I continue to post here, rather than continue to dwell on the negative (that much), I hope to look forward to exploring practice 'after Ashtanga'.
Below is a slightly developed comment I posted on an fb thread this week.
Two things came up this week. A friend returned to a shala I once practiced in for three months. My first thought was how nice it would be to practice there again but then, as I clicked through the photos, I saw the picture of Pattabhi Jois on the alter that I remembered from when I had practiced there and realised that, however much affection (love actually) I may have for the teacher or the room, I really had no desire to practice in a space that keeps Jois' photo in pride of place when in full knowledge of the recent accounts of his abuse by victims courageous enough to submit themselves to the online abuse they receive in turn from many of their peers.
The photo was admittedly small and if not on the alter then perhaps relatively discreet, surely it would be easy to just ignore the photo and practice. I'm aware of the teachers affection for Jois and from where it stems, I understand that it's hard, still I personally wouldn't choose to practice there while it remained.
If that small photo on the alter is relatively discreet then what to make of Jois Yoga. As far as I'm aware the walls are still chock full of giant photos of Jois, how does anyone bring themselves to practice there, how does the teacher teach, the owner justify it, what a daily slap in the face of #metoo and of anyone who has ever spoken up or come forward, inside or outside the yoga communities
.
Later in the week I saw a photo of hundreds of Yoga students (600 I now hear), practicing in what looked like a gymnasium or conference hall (aircraft hanger?). At first I thought it was an old Bikram photo but it was actually Sharath in Madrid and I felt quite dismayed. I remember when we used to be proud of the fact that we taught and practiced in small rooms, that our practice seemed to be the polar opposite of Bikram. But this photo, along with the absurd Paramaguru tourism title that Sharath continues to allow to be used in promotion and now there on his website, speaks to me of a blossoming Bikramesque ego.
But perhaps it has nothing really to do with Sharath, he's clearly just embracing the money tree now. For those attending, perhaps it's more of an Ashtanga festival. We all love (in my case loved) Friday Primary and the thought that whatever the level/series, every Ashtangi around the world was practicing Primary series that morning.
What remains a comfort to me however, is occasionally visiting the fb Ashtanga Home Practitioner page and seeing how, mostly, everyone there just seems concerned with their practice, in exploring and developing their practice, (mostly) sharing rather than showing off to inspire and support each other, just as in the old blogosphere. Jois, Sharat, seem of little concern to most, they take their inspiration however and from whatever teacher or online source they find most beneficial but mostly it seems to come through their own practice.
I know too there are Ashtanga shalas and teachers less concerned with dogma and personalities or self promotion and more concerned with the practitioner who shares their room and how they can most support them.
The practice is about the practice, Jois didn't invent it, only simplified and somewhat codified what is there available for us all in Krishnamacharya's early writing, the details of the practice, the little differences (Royaalll with cheese) are less important than that we do practice... something, as regularly as possible, with commitment and sincerity. From that discipline, that foundation and it is only a foundation, we can build a practice that has some relevance in our lives and perhaps those around us.
Surely there will always be a community of somewhat (however loosely) like minded practitioners.
I may no longer identify as an 'Ashtangi' (Note: I've changed the blog title to (after) Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama Yoga at home') but recognise that my practice is still pretty much half Primary, more Krishnamacharya than Jois perhaps, more influenced by Simon Borg-Olivier these days than Swenson and Freeman but more similar than different.
This week is my holiday, rather than run off to Okinawa I decided that, like many Ashtanga practitioners I suspect, all I really wanted to do for the week, was have a longer, more savoured, practice each morning, practice my Pranayama twice a day, Sit as much as possible, reread the 4th pada of YS and review some of the online courses I have.
Note: I've no interest in promoting these posts through fb anymore or anywhere else, but do feel free to subscribe (old school).
If I continue to post here, rather than continue to dwell on the negative (that much), I hope to look forward to exploring practice 'after Ashtanga'.
Below is a slightly developed comment I posted on an fb thread this week.
***
Two things came up this week. A friend returned to a shala I once practiced in for three months. My first thought was how nice it would be to practice there again but then, as I clicked through the photos, I saw the picture of Pattabhi Jois on the alter that I remembered from when I had practiced there and realised that, however much affection (love actually) I may have for the teacher or the room, I really had no desire to practice in a space that keeps Jois' photo in pride of place when in full knowledge of the recent accounts of his abuse by victims courageous enough to submit themselves to the online abuse they receive in turn from many of their peers.
The photo was admittedly small and if not on the alter then perhaps relatively discreet, surely it would be easy to just ignore the photo and practice. I'm aware of the teachers affection for Jois and from where it stems, I understand that it's hard, still I personally wouldn't choose to practice there while it remained.
If that small photo on the alter is relatively discreet then what to make of Jois Yoga. As far as I'm aware the walls are still chock full of giant photos of Jois, how does anyone bring themselves to practice there, how does the teacher teach, the owner justify it, what a daily slap in the face of #metoo and of anyone who has ever spoken up or come forward, inside or outside the yoga communities
.
 |
| Jois Yoga - photo from an image search on google (chosen because everyones face is hidden in baddha padmasana). |
Later in the week I saw a photo of hundreds of Yoga students (600 I now hear), practicing in what looked like a gymnasium or conference hall (aircraft hanger?). At first I thought it was an old Bikram photo but it was actually Sharath in Madrid and I felt quite dismayed. I remember when we used to be proud of the fact that we taught and practiced in small rooms, that our practice seemed to be the polar opposite of Bikram. But this photo, along with the absurd Paramaguru tourism title that Sharath continues to allow to be used in promotion and now there on his website, speaks to me of a blossoming Bikramesque ego.
But perhaps it has nothing really to do with Sharath, he's clearly just embracing the money tree now. For those attending, perhaps it's more of an Ashtanga festival. We all love (in my case loved) Friday Primary and the thought that whatever the level/series, every Ashtangi around the world was practicing Primary series that morning.
 |
| Sharath in Madrid 2018 - photo from a google image search, shared publicly on Facebook and Instagram |
What remains a comfort to me however, is occasionally visiting the fb Ashtanga Home Practitioner page and seeing how, mostly, everyone there just seems concerned with their practice, in exploring and developing their practice, (mostly) sharing rather than showing off to inspire and support each other, just as in the old blogosphere. Jois, Sharat, seem of little concern to most, they take their inspiration however and from whatever teacher or online source they find most beneficial but mostly it seems to come through their own practice.
I know too there are Ashtanga shalas and teachers less concerned with dogma and personalities or self promotion and more concerned with the practitioner who shares their room and how they can most support them.
The practice is about the practice, Jois didn't invent it, only simplified and somewhat codified what is there available for us all in Krishnamacharya's early writing, the details of the practice, the little differences (Royaalll with cheese) are less important than that we do practice... something, as regularly as possible, with commitment and sincerity. From that discipline, that foundation and it is only a foundation, we can build a practice that has some relevance in our lives and perhaps those around us.
Surely there will always be a community of somewhat (however loosely) like minded practitioners.
I may no longer identify as an 'Ashtangi' (Note: I've changed the blog title to (after) Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama Yoga at home') but recognise that my practice is still pretty much half Primary, more Krishnamacharya than Jois perhaps, more influenced by Simon Borg-Olivier these days than Swenson and Freeman but more similar than different.
This week is my holiday, rather than run off to Okinawa I decided that, like many Ashtanga practitioners I suspect, all I really wanted to do for the week, was have a longer, more savoured, practice each morning, practice my Pranayama twice a day, Sit as much as possible, reread the 4th pada of YS and review some of the online courses I have.
***
Note: I've no interest in promoting these posts through fb anymore or anywhere else, but do feel free to subscribe (old school).