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I'm afraid so Susie, Sorry. I tend to think of it more as April fool singular rather than fools plural though, myself 'playing the fool' here rather than actually seeking to fool anyone. On fb when somebody suggested it wasn't genuine because the A was missing from KPJAYI in the letter form Sharath, I complained that he 'gets me every year.' No offence or disrespect intended.
Of course we're all already authorised to teach ourselves. I was watching David Keil's DVD yesterday, which while excellent did give me pause. The first part is all about anatomy and physiology but the second is about giving adjustments. He begins with all kinds of cautions with regards to giving adjustments and assists and I had to wonder why bother, really. I went years without any adjusts and assists and taught myself up to most of Advanced B. The whole point of a posture like Marchi D for example is perhaps that it's designed such that you don't need an assist, the knee is there to assist you in your twist. We think we need an assist because we are in a hurry, more time on Mari C perhaps all that is required( or perhaps another variation of marchi C, a hidden asana not actually found on the series charts but always present, available to us all the same). The improved anatomy and physiology from the first CD is probably all that we need to improve our awareness and common sense in practice. I did nod though when he said assists can break bad habits, I'll give him that( I'm sure I have plenty), but getting deeper into postures, time is the only assistant we perhaps really need.
And then I was looking at websites of Mysore teachers, Sharath and Saraswati are away June/July when I might have been able to make it this year. I thought to look at the BNS Iyengar website and there are Bio's there of his asana teachers. All their awards in competitions are listed and it put me right off. Is that why it's thought I /we would go to Mysore, to improve our asana....to competition standard LOL. I just want to improve my breath and perhaps understand my practice a little more. But of course we need no assist with the breath either, we know how to breathe, long and slow and full. And if we can't breath like that in a posture then either we aren't ready for the posture and should work on an easier variation or we should be using that as a guide, a teacher to suggest that we need to create more space in a posture, back off a little and stretch up within it. Sharath has assistants in the mysore shala we have have time and the breath in our home shala. Great to go to teachers when we have the opportunity (see my previous post) but I'm yet to be convinced of hands on assists. I heard that if you were struggling guruji would first tell you then demonstrate and only then adjust you hands on, Ramaswami mentioned that Krishnamacharya was the same, hands on adjustment being a last resort rather than the first we seem to have now. perhaps I'm still being the folk in this.
Actually, let me qualify that a little, with Manju I felt it was mostly assists rather than adjustments, the assists seemed to be more supportive allowing whoever was being assisted to still do the work for themselves .... I guess in the beginning I used a wall in a similar way. (Krishnamacharya actually mentions In Yoga Makaranda that we can use a wall to assist us), A block beside our mat can help too perhaps or a strap. Of course we tend to frown on 'props' in Ashtanga (not all teachers) perhaps in a busy room where there is only one teacher to go around they should be more encouraged. I've seen somebody around my age using a blok and still managing to stay 'on count'.
You nearly got me... I thought I'd missed some major post somewhere about you planning to go to Mysore! Ace certificate though. I tend to agree about the assists - you need to be reliant on yourself. The teacher might be able to hold your foot behind your head, but what good is that unless you learn some proper preparatory exercises to allow you to do it yourself? And being forced into mari D can't be good for the knees.
Seems you got a few there, good work! I am so scared of being made a 'fool' of that I'm afraid I always spot them now. My own was going to be wishing everyone Happy Moon Day on Twitter, but then got freaked that people would believe it and miss their practice!
"Assists" versus "adjustments", - I like that. Getting ready to go and see Manju again, excited to get some of those fantastic assists, and that really is the perfect word to describe those magical hands of his. I have told a few friends of one experience with him, Mysore style practice in the Maritimes, giving me an assist in Marichyasana B. By the way I'm pretty sure he rubs his hands together before contact which definitely produces a heat / energectic effect (affect?) So as I was saying, Mari B, I'm there, struggling and straining to get my head / face / chin anywhere close to then floor, always making it harder than it has to be - when Manju steathily swoops in, BARELY touches me - and immediately I glide down, grounded. It was unbelievable. So although I agree some teachers take the opportunity to make the adjustment more about their egos than your knee, those gems like Manju who are out with giving assists are worth the trek into the shala for. Those ones are golden. Of course the home practice is the true gold standard, but I like that idea someone said about Mysore rooms like schools of fishes, or birds, we all come together more or less in silence all doing the same moves at slightly different tempos together and then we disperse. As I'm sure you've felt there is a certain energy and commradery generated with the group practice.
Also I totally bought it you had me, ha ha ha, had to scoll down here to the comments to see what was going on! Good one!! Hahaha, you've got a license to Kapo.
"I don't have a cerificate, I have brains." -Manju Pattabhi Jois
14 comments:
Yay!
;-)
Well, GrimlyMan, note the "as set out by the institute".....I dare you to do Khumbaka now!!!!!
Nuno from Portugal. Great! I bet Anthony will go to Mysore, I can't wait for the review of the Mysore experience :)
this is just fantastic. how kewl
April Fools!
Really?? April Fools I mean ????
If so I was completely sucked in!! And would be a little sad!!
I'm afraid so Susie, Sorry. I tend to think of it more as April fool singular rather than fools plural though, myself 'playing the fool' here rather than actually seeking to fool anyone. On fb when somebody suggested it wasn't genuine because the A was missing from KPJAYI in the letter form Sharath, I complained that he 'gets me every year.' No offence or disrespect intended.
Of course we're all already authorised to teach ourselves. I was watching David Keil's DVD yesterday, which while excellent did give me pause. The first part is all about anatomy and physiology but the second is about giving adjustments. He begins with all kinds of cautions with regards to giving adjustments and assists and I had to wonder why bother, really. I went years without any adjusts and assists and taught myself up to most of Advanced B. The whole point of a posture like Marchi D for example is perhaps that it's designed such that you don't need an assist, the knee is there to assist you in your twist. We think we need an assist because we are in a hurry, more time on Mari C perhaps all that is required( or perhaps another variation of marchi C, a hidden asana not actually found on the series charts but always present, available to us all the same). The improved anatomy and physiology from the first CD is probably all that we need to improve our awareness and common sense in practice. I did nod though when he said assists can break bad habits, I'll give him that( I'm sure I have plenty), but getting deeper into postures, time is the only assistant we perhaps really need.
And then I was looking at websites of Mysore teachers, Sharath and Saraswati are away June/July when I might have been able to make it this year. I thought to look at the BNS Iyengar website and there are Bio's there of his asana teachers. All their awards in competitions are listed and it put me right off. Is that why it's thought I /we would go to Mysore, to improve our asana....to competition standard LOL. I just want to improve my breath and perhaps understand my practice a little more. But of course we need no assist with the breath either, we know how to breathe, long and slow and full. And if we can't breath like that in a posture then either we aren't ready for the posture and should work on an easier variation or we should be using that as a guide, a teacher to suggest that we need to create more space in a posture, back off a little and stretch up within it. Sharath has assistants in the mysore shala we have have time and the breath in our home shala. Great to go to teachers when we have the opportunity (see my previous post) but I'm yet to be convinced of hands on assists. I heard that if you were struggling guruji would first tell you then demonstrate and only then adjust you hands on, Ramaswami mentioned that Krishnamacharya was the same, hands on adjustment being a last resort rather than the first we seem to have now. perhaps I'm still being the folk in this.
last line, should read of course, 'perhaps I'm still being a fool in this', not 'folk'
Actually, let me qualify that a little, with Manju I felt it was mostly assists rather than adjustments, the assists seemed to be more supportive allowing whoever was being assisted to still do the work for themselves .... I guess in the beginning I used a wall in a similar way. (Krishnamacharya actually mentions In Yoga Makaranda that we can use a wall to assist us), A block beside our mat can help too perhaps or a strap. Of course we tend to frown on 'props' in Ashtanga (not all teachers) perhaps in a busy room where there is only one teacher to go around they should be more encouraged. I've seen somebody around my age using a blok and still managing to stay 'on count'.
oh no was it April fool's? --tehehehe here I was thinking how forward thinking it all was :-)
You nearly got me... I thought I'd missed some major post somewhere about you planning to go to Mysore! Ace certificate though. I tend to agree about the assists - you need to be reliant on yourself. The teacher might be able to hold your foot behind your head, but what good is that unless you learn some proper preparatory exercises to allow you to do it yourself? And being forced into mari D can't be good for the knees.
Seems you got a few there, good work! I am so scared of being made a 'fool' of that I'm afraid I always spot them now. My own was going to be wishing everyone Happy Moon Day on Twitter, but then got freaked that people would believe it and miss their practice!
:)
"Assists" versus "adjustments", - I like that. Getting ready to go and see Manju again, excited to get some of those fantastic assists, and that really is the perfect word to describe those magical hands of his. I have told a few friends of one experience with him, Mysore style practice in the Maritimes, giving me an assist in Marichyasana B. By the way I'm pretty sure he rubs his hands together before contact which definitely produces a heat / energectic effect (affect?) So as I was saying, Mari B, I'm there, struggling and straining to get my head / face / chin anywhere close to then floor, always making it harder than it has to be - when Manju steathily swoops in, BARELY touches me - and immediately I glide down, grounded. It was unbelievable. So although I agree some teachers take the opportunity to make the adjustment more about their egos than your knee, those gems like Manju who are out with giving assists are worth the trek into the shala for. Those ones are golden. Of course the home practice is the true gold standard, but I like that idea someone said about Mysore rooms like schools of fishes, or birds, we all come together more or less in silence all doing the same moves at slightly different tempos together and then we disperse. As I'm sure you've felt there is a certain energy and commradery generated with the group practice.
Also I totally bought it you had me, ha ha ha, had to scoll down here to the comments to see what was going on! Good one!! Hahaha, you've got a license to Kapo.
"I don't have a cerificate, I have brains."
-Manju Pattabhi Jois
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