Amen to this. I’m often pretty disillusioned by the yoga world – as a teacher I hope to model a way of practice that is inclusive, adaptable, that meets the moment as well as the practitioners that attend my classes where they are, and that is more focused towards the development of awareness through the accessible tools of gentle, mindful movement, breath, relaxation and an attitude of open exploration into what is present. Athletic performance isn’t important to me in this practice as such. I know it is for some people and that’s fine. It’s just not what I teach and, at times, that has felt like swimming against the tide in the yoga world – one that seems to place incredible emphasis on the imposition of gymnastic postures on the body and the achievement of them as a means of validating self worth and degree of enlightenment. It’s so refreshing when I do meet a teacher (and students!!!) who are interested in exploring what is underneath this need for validation, who yearn to meet life in all its forms as the full expression of themselves (which could be athletic performance – and that’s fine – it’s just not the point of yoga for me). I love to meet yogis and truth seekers who don’t necessarily ‘practice yoga’ but who have this commitment towards authenticity, presence and owning their path with integrity, compassion and a willingness to be and be human. Thank you to you all.
“Instead of asking, ‘how can I make this pose look cooler,’ perhaps we can ask other questions. Like, ‘what’s in a pose, really, and what’s beyond the pose? What’s the big picture of your teaching, perhaps of your lineage? Where is the real potency in the tradition?’ It’s easy to teach a sequence. It requires much more of you to provide context to a practice that deserves such reverence. Let’s strive to provide everyone with a practice that supports our daily lives, a practice that has incredibly deep, long and profound roots in healing – not harming.”
http://yoganonymous.com/asana-the-new-body-image-problem