I might drop Intermediate altogether and just keep Primary on Friday, I like the backbend work more in VK at the moment and tend to do arm balances in my evening practice. Besides, coming across *this yesterday has made me think that there really is no point in keeping up an Ashtanga practice for some future visit to Mysore. If this the way things are going I don't think I want any part of it, although a visit to Rolf in Goa one day might still be on the cards
I keep Primary because I still love it and like the idea of keeping some link between early and later Krishnamacharya, besides It's a nice way of practicing the Asymmetric hybrid postures.
The lotus sequence we developed on the course was to practice, as usual, through the essentials of Tadasana, some key vinyasas from Triangle and the On one foot elements ( including half lotus as prep). Then choose the Half lotus subroutine in the Asymmetric portion before Paschimottanasana. Next we go for the spread angle subroutine from Seated to open the hips nicely. Shoulderstand prep, then lotus variation in headstand and the second shoulderstand, then spend more time than usual in Lotus and it's vinyasas. The spread angle subroutine I found to be wonderful prep for my lotus.
I remember trying to get the lotus to headstand move before the course, trying it again and again and not getting anywhere, seemed impossible, absurd, undoable until I saw Ricky and Chris do it in LA. Perhaps it's all the bandha work in pranayama but I managed it first time yesterday. Here it is, the first time properly and then the second time with a handy cheat bringing first one leg and then the other up onto the forearms.
*Just interrupted my practice to add a note. In relation to the link above, I'm just saying it's put me off any future visit Mysore (had always thought I might go one day) . I'm not suggesting that it reflects the current shalasjust perhaps future ones, can't get much more polar opposite than AYL and this thing opening in Encinitas.
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OMG how can they even think about creating a JOIS signature clothing line? *gasp* I guess you are right, they will loose so much respect from this initiative that I wonder why they do not have any common sense (or an advisor) to stop daughter and grand son and son from participating in this. Thanks for posting the link.
That's a very Karandesque pose!
Is that Jois link a joke??? Can't believe it. Yes the way they went about opening Encinitas has caused many to rethink, and they want to open one here in NYC. There are already WAY too many authorized and/or certified teachers here, trying to make a living.
You already know I'd never, ever go back to Mysore again. I still can't quite believe what happened to Venki either. That back bending class used to be amazingly intense. It's definitely not worth traveling for any longer!
Eh... things change.
Now you have a clue as to why Lino withdrew his certification. He's the only one to take a stand (so far).
That made me sit up CK, felt like throing my hands over my ears and sining lalilailailia.... Poor Lino, that must have been heartbreaking.
Thank you Boodi for noticing the pose too : ) yes, very Karandaesque, did you give it a go, it's tricky.
I just have this nightmare roselil that all the other shalas get pressured to change to the logo/brand and sell the gear or lose their certified/authorized status. Have they changed it to Jois so they can lay claim to the sequence, difficult to TM something called ashtanga. I noticed there is no mention of Krishnamacharya on that website just this 'Pattabhi learned the ancient asana system as a child in South India'. in the 'Legacy-mysore' section.
OK going to shut up now, not my place to comment really.
So Lotus to handstand, nice move, shame about the landing.
An interesting footnote: In the new Guruji book, Sharath is listed not as the usual Sharath Rangaswamy or R. Sharath, but as R. Sharath Jois.
Cara, no no Lino is not the only one, nor the first. I am not too much into the Mysore scene, but Paul Dallaghan of Yoga Thailand already returned his certification last year and also several others of the certified old-timers have not been back to Mysore after Guruji passed away and have expressed that they do not intend to do so, as they see Pattabhi as their teacher and not Sharath who was not even born when they first started practicing ashtanga.
So Grimmly, I do not think your nightmare will come true. The new brand of Jois Yoga will only be attractive to a section of the ever growing yoga market. We, who have been around long enough, should probably even feel relieved that by them changing the name, we can continue to keep our ashtanga practice as part of a living tradition, even if it should turn into a niche in the big picture.
Hmm, not only did Sharath add Jois to his name, his mom has apparently abandoned her husband's name altogether and taken her maiden name back? Saraswathi Jois it says at http://www.joisyoga.com/hp_founders.html
I'm glad Paul made a stand. I met him when he was teaching vinyasa class at Crunch gym! Too funny.
No Grim I didn't do anything beyond standard 2nd today. I did lift my Karanda though! But I'm still just touching and not holding, though I have now dropped the face plant. No face plant!
My practice has just been SO crappy & uninspired. I no longer expect to enjoy it. That's a bit sad I guess, but during the rare sessions I have a good time I'm surprised... I guess that's a good thing.
I didn't know about Paul, but the polarization very sad indeed.
Hope this doesn't mean that it will no longer be possible to do a month of yoga at the Mysore shala for 455 Euros because I think that's amazing value.
When I look at other options, it seems to cost about that for one week and, as of today, that's reality, not a delusion.
The more choices there are, the better, but I have to take care of my pennies.
I've noticed that more than one of the US-based senior teachers are offering Ashtanga teacher training courses. They respect the lineage by saying explicitly that certification/authorization can only come from Mysore. And they market their courses as being accessible to people who cannot make annual trips to India. But reading between the lines, I also get the sense they want to continue Guruji's legacy and aren't totally convinced the official system is doing that most effectively.
I can't help but see parallels to organized religion here, too. At some point one sect splits into two because of disagreements about something. Sometimes the separation is passionate, rife with controversy. In other cases it's friendly and just a matter of setting priorities differently. In any case, over time there are many varieties to choose from, each with its own diverse group of leaders and practitioners.
As someone who tries to simplify life and minimize whenever possible, I sometimes wonder if we should do more merging and consolidating instead of splitting and reinventing. It does seem that would be rolling the boulder uphill, though...
I was wondering Mike if it might be a step towards offering teacher training outside of Mysore. Which in a way makes sense, getting too busy out there now I hear, plus what with the new Yoga visa restrictions... Kind of liked though, that if you wanted to be an Ashtanga teacher you had to have been going out there every year for a bunch of years without any expectations.
And of course if your going to open somewhere in LA, I guess you have to play the game just to stay afloat, you need to sell the t-shirts. Perhaps choosing Jois as the name of the brand was a mark of love and respect rather than anything sinister. Tim is on the edges of Encinitas, Carlsbad address no? Seeing as it started in Encinitas (in the US) it makes sense to open it there. So easy when business and yoga come together to get cynical and suspicious ( i became furious and very unyogic in the business yoga section of my recent course) and it was always going to be hard for those who had practiced for years to see Sharath as their teacher and come to terms with any kind of change.
Ok, I'm trying here, can you tell.
first i want to say, that if one doesn't have faith in the system and the lineage, why would one even want to have authorization? i'm saying that if one feels like the system has failed, than just find something else, but no need to keep banging one's head.
my impression of what is going with the over seas shalas, is exactly what brought Guruji to the states in the first place: students with loads of money to burn. They want what they want and they are willing to pay for it. Not everyone wishes to travel to india, if you have the money why not bring the Guru to you, and what better way to do it than by building the Guru a Shala. or five. I don't think any of this was the Jois family's idea, and i don't think they view it the way we do, as commodification of the practice and the legacy. I don't think we ought to look at this with western eyes.
That said, Grim, i think you SHOULD go to mysore, with no expectations. and i really do mean no expectations. The rule still is you do your primary first trip. I think you will find that the real experience is there. Saraswathi teaches is her housedress for goodness sake, i don't think there is any pretense of expecting big money and a fancy lifestyle by selling out the jois name.
No I don't think they've (the family) really 'sold out', just poorly advised perhaps, it's all a bit clumsy. Maybe it's just a really badly done website. I hate the whole business side of things but guess sooner or later somebody had to get real, Ashtanga is huge now, business decisions had to be made sooner or later.
Painful for the older practitioners perhaps but they are probably already established such that it doesn't affect them too much and the future practitioners, well this will be all they know. Going to be tough for those who've been practicing five, seven years or so, in this transition period. Easy to say if they don't like it they should just do something else but this practice, can't just give it up. I've dropped 2nd and mostly practice VK now but no way I can bring myself to give up my Friday Primary.
And I should go, I love that room (thinking of the Govinda Kai videos of the mysore room) such an intensity to it. I'd be be quite happy practicing Primary for a month, then going back to room for some serious pranayama and meditation, maybe take some sanskrit classes....hmmmmm
Hi Grimmly, need some tips on how to round the back as you lower the lotus to the arms....thanks.
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