Keep in mind that, when you practice yoga, you’re not practicing to improve yourself. You are perfect. The practice is there to help you know that.
– Maty Ezraty
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Category: Yoga
she would say, repeatedly. Ideally … both ? But if a teacher was as detailed, in today’s social media crazy world, reality is that students walk out or rant nonsense on Yelp, no matter how much of an expert a teacher may be. It’s true – as for so called “popularity”, in many cases, it’s sometimes just about the high-usage time-slots and the attitude of “just give them what they want” mindset that may prevail in the gyms and studios that wins over. It is a practice not to fall into that ego-laced trap.
I hadn’t been to a yoga class lately so I walk into local gym with minimally trained yoga or less seasoned instructor (everyone has to start out somewhere and I may have been guilty as well) who has 30+ packed bodies in the studio room, shouting out scripted cues that may or may not make sense relative to that unique individual, nor truly … serve each student’s needs to optimize their health. More than quarter of the class seemed to be barely keeping up and more than half, noticing poses are in need of adjustments but … there’s none offered … Maybe with the endorphins rush, the students may feel like they got what they needed – a temporary fix and a high but … was that really yoga? Just like for your child, you want better teacher/student ratio in that classroom, right? ; it’s really no different with a yoga class – unless of course it’s a practice not training and you know what you are doing for the most part; and there more for the “vibe” of a group class.
So it’s about the intention of every class. Yes, that is good for your health – to be in a community to practice your yoga – to breath the same air; to feel each other’s aura, feel the vibrations … the energy – it’s about the ripples of human connection – it’s always about energy. Maybe it’s enough for me as a teacher to just hold space of camaraderie and safety – after all, it’s about sustaining and supporting repeated practice in continuum that’s essential.
Did someone mention she was a bit … intense?
Here I am in Anjaneyasana (AHN-jah-nay-AHS-uh-nuh) – Cresent Lunge – prep – I love her guidance in the use of props – Iyengar influence throughout – but it’s vinyasa flow too just to heat up our body furnace:) So get your legs/hips to that place of strength and balance before you raise your arms, okay? Yes learning about my own body’s idiosyncrasies, learned that my arms are a little short relatively for the floor reach with natural ease – I am not going to collapse my stance, I am getting the earth to meet me; not the other way around of straining to reach, thus, ruining my hips and back and chest – basically, the entire upper body alignment.
None of us are looking at the mirrors that surrounds us. Rather, we are directed to see our reflections with our own proprioception. It’s a training to avert our eyes away from the mirror to look inside – as we grew up checking ourselves in the mirror with the rhetorical – “do I look alright?” “is anything wrong with me?” “am I presentable?” hahaha – it’s all about the exterior image. (And as Judith Lasater used to say, the teacher holds the mirror where we see ourselves reflected. Comfortable or not, she shares the truth.)
Tuck in the tailbone … not 
It’s about the “lift”:)
The Bridge Pose moves the heart closer to the mind 
It’s also all about safety and … patience. Patience with ourselves we find so many faults with – those self-defeating questions and self-doubts:
- I used to be able to do this, why not now?
- why can’t I do this?
- if only I were more flexible …
- why can’t I look like that yogi on the cover of Yoga Journal magazine, lol?
Then comes process of “acceptance” and then … “gratitude”. Gratitude for this life; for this beautiful and perfect body of imperfections. It’s not a defeat. It’s an awakening. Of the Mind. It’s beautiful how a repeated practice can transform us.
Lots of learning and to respect privacy, I cannot post all the intricate teachings that took place … and while we were serious students, there often were moments of laughter. Just wanted to show how hands-on and super detailed she was in all her cues and explanations. That’s why she’s a true teacher we, yoga teachers who had the privilege to learn from her, so respect.
Want to learn posthumously? I don’t think she released any of her teachings online – she was direct, in your face, in the same space, highly charged energy – a real teacher. But if you want to get a glimpse – a sense, there are some very good interviews and some video footage of her teaching.
When talking about tailoring or customizing a sequence or modifying an asana, she had quoted something like:
” as long as its for the benefit of that student; not benefit of teacher’s ego; benefiting your ability to be nicer to your knees, your hips, or this or that (just insert any problematic body parts) – it is a privilege to teach yoga to this student at that moment.”
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“Yoga as Medicine”
is a book authored by Timothy McCall MD and an interesting compilation of yogic techniques. It has a sub-title “the yogic prescription for health and healing”.
When I first read this book, I remember how it changed my perspective as I was practicing at a place where there was no concept of that – that idea that yoga is medicinal.
While inspiring and beautiful to see what a well trained body is capable of, most of us do not have hours a day to train our body to perform beyond the norm – or willing to, opting rather to take up multitudes of other disciplines (Pilates and Dance comes to mind) … It’s understandable as most of us, instead of spending hours on a yoga mat are working 8+ hours a day using our brain and in postures that may not be the best for our spine nor our internal organs. We are working as teachers, fire fighters, peace officers, health care providers, builders and contractors, architects, coders, programmers, parenting or studying and training as students – whatever you do off-the-mat, we are trying to find our purpose and make a difference. While nailing an advance pose gives one a certain high – called ego – especially because as a teacher noted, ah , maybe 3% of the population could do this to the spine, etc, I know the allure as I have experienced it – our drive to do something difficult and challenging in spite of the pain or costs. We want to achieve a goal in spite of the suffering. Sometimes, in fact, maybe we want to suffer. Then what you achieve seems so much sweeter. We are complicated, yes.
Some of these full expression of the pose, can be accomplished by maybe 3, at most 6% of the population ???!!! This was said by this one yoga master as one of his students took her hands up then back bended all the way for those hands to land to the floor behind her into a “Chakrasana” – a wheel pose. A teacher is saying this jokingly. No joke. So I let go. That ego, I let go.I humbly want the caring yoga for the rest of us – that 97%.
SO jump forward – Yoga for me, is all about the therapeutics. It’s a physical exercise of course as well …but it’s more. It’s about …
FILL IN THE BLANK AFTER TAKING SOME CLASSES, OKAY?
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Yoga Book Club? Here’s a recommendation 🙂
One of my Yoga Therapist Teacher Training Program’s faculty member, Baxter Bell MD published a book called: Yoga for Healthy Aging. Subtitled “Guide for Lifelong Well-Being” – Highly recommended for those who seek Yoga from a perspective of therapeutics and REAL fitness.
So I am thrilled to be assisting this master teacher Monday nights ! Not only is he trained in Western Medicine as a Medical Doctor, he’s also trained in the Eastern Medicine as an Acupuncturist and … brings tools of yoga intelligently as a Yoga Therapist. Here’s someone who has studied both Western and Eastern medicine and thus capable of bridging the two and integrating both understanding into a Yoga Therapy protocol – practice – then an offering of this – group class !. Just the idea of him as a yoga teacher is, to me a representation of this whole yogic philosophy of seeming dualism vs. oneness. East West – Yin Yang – Moon – Sun … we can go on and on about opposites or polar divides and how they come together for that wholeness and balance we all seek.
He teaches a wide range of classes but the particular class I assist is called “Yoga for Back Care” and located right by Kaiser Medical Center off Piedmont Avenue. It’s a class where teacher knows “everyone’s name”. Not so big as you’d get lost in the crowd, not so small that communal vibe is amiss. Quite the teacher (& 2-3 assistants) student ratio for optimal learning and care.
What a honor to get to learn by assisting and observing. In this day and age – not really surprised to see a teenager and her dad ( in his 30’s? 40’s) in this very class. A real mixed aged group all seeking spinal health:) In this age of intense competition in sports and expectations to perform athletically or on the job – if you drive a lot; sit in front of a screen a lot; travel by air a lot; had a baby and been carrying that baby a lot; many many causes in our modern life style, Yoga for Back Care is probably needed for all generations. It’s needed if not for specific care (Scoliosis, Spondylosis, Slipped Disc and other more specific conditions require a medical approval and/or advice before starting yoga) for everyone’s spinal pain prevention and maintenance. We are blessed to have this amazing teacher in the Bay Area.
Have a wonderful 4th of July holiday and for the lucky ones – a vacation week – everyone with postural and breath awareness 🙂
