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| I tried a vinyasa class last night and once again I was suprised at how it made me appreciate my Iyengar class even more. I can't imagine even attempting a vinyasa class without having attended my Iyengar classes. It was interesting watching a lot of the students (many new to yoga) they were really having a difficult time trying to figure out what the poses were. Their was pretty much no alignment going on and though the teacher tried she didn't really have time to give much instruction on aligment while flowing through the poses. I enjoyed the class but it felt really sloppy to me. Only the teacher didn't look completely sloppy to me. She definately had some good aligment but the way she flowed through her vinyasas was different than ashtanga and felt sloppy to me as well. I have also found that in both ashtanga and vinyasa the instructions for tadasana are different than in Iyengar and for me at least the Iyengar was relieves more of the physical strain on my body.
A while ago I asked what everyone thought about experimenting with forms of yoga other than Iyengar. Ironicly my experimentation is bringing me closer to my Iyengar practice. I have a much deeper respect and admiration for Iyengar himself. I am trying to learn as much as I can now about his teachings and the Iyengar way. I am enjoying checking out other classes but I think I have found my path in yoga. Yeah!
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| I think it would depends on the teacher as well as the style of yoga.
I appreciate Iyengar and what it can do for my practice, but I feel ashtanga is much more suited to me. Both practices are very very different.
I don't know about anyone else, but after an Iyengar class I feel relaxed and tall. After an ashtanga practice I feel rinsed out, invigorated, strong, relaxed. Ashtanga definately gets a sweat on fast and it's a rigorous and fast practice. I find Iyengar to be more particular about things, much slower, ... I'm new to Iyengar so I'm still building a relationship with it 
I find that lots of the instructions are different. In trikonasana, ashtangis hold the toe for example.
I'm friends with Iyengar, but I'm best buddies with ashtanga.
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| I have to admit, astanga is my second favorite so far. Vinyasa yoga seemed a little to sloppy,dancy,wavy, for me. Not that it is really sloppy. I am not trying to insult it it's just so far different from what I am used to that I felt like I was doing something wrong through the whole practice even though my poses are pretty strong. I do enjoy astanga. I have used a couple of really good astanga dvds that I still really enjoy. I find that I sweat equally in both classes though. Although I think the astanga class might make more sweat but in an unfair way... after all the heat is on in the room and up to about 85 or 90 degrees. I sweat in my Iyengar class from holding the poses so long. I think the two forms seem to be relatively closely related. Well as far as what I have experienced so far. |
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| admittedly, one of the problems that i have with the way that vinyasa yoga is taught in this area (whether it's astanga or free form vinyasa) is that there isn't a lot of attention paid to alignment--all of the focus is on the 'flow' and clients 'having a good time.'
i think of yoga as a skill that i'm teaching. there are physical aspects, mental aspects, and spiritual aspects to this skill. when we teach other kinds of skills--like math or basketball or prayer--we do not take the attitude that the technique is unimportant, that the feeling is what is most important. but for many yoga teachers, they believe that technique is less important than having a 'good' feeling and having a sense false accomplishment by being able to 'flow' through postures.
i teach vinyasa yoga, but i place a strong emphasis on alignment not only in the postures themselves, but in the transitions. i spend a lot of time teaching people how to transition between postures, because this sets up the proper alignment for achieving the posture before moving into the next transition.
many of the vinyasa teachers in my area say that i'm crazy and that i shouldn't teach this way. But, i value yoga for what it is and what it does. I'm not trying to 'make money' teaching yoga (seems to be that the 'feel good' mentality comes out of the desire to have more clients, to make more money because clients are coming back to feel good). I'm trying to teach people a skill that will better their lives. They--and their money--will come and go as the need to take classes and find teachers arises. For me, money and clients will come and go--and that's ok. I teach what i feel i need to teach, what i feel my clients need, and considering my success, many people appreciate that.
it threatens other teachers. sometimes they get very aggressive about it. |
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| Technique vs. feeling is an interesting discussion.
I like listening to Joe Satrini, he's probably got the cleanest guitar technique of anybody I've ever heard. It's absolutely incredible, the technique precision with which he puts down his jams. He's really a guitarist's guitar player. But he'll never be as big as Kirk Hammet, or Jimi Hendrix, or Bob Dylan.
Why?
Because he's got no soul.... He's all technique and no passion. OTOH, we have people like the Sex Pistols, and The Ramones, and The Dead Kennedies, and they're ALL about passion, but they have no technique. Personally I think things are somewhere in the middle. You need enough technique to get to where you're going, but not perfect technique. That's when you start producing the true greats. |
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| That's also a bit like what makes a good project manager. someone who never follows process or sticks to it come what may will be 'ok' but never excel. For that, you need someone who knows when to bend the rules.
Fee |
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| yup.
mostly, i was refering to false feelings and coddling.
as opposed to real feelings, passion, 'soul' or whatever else you would call it. and i break 'rules' all the time. depends upon the need, the rule, etc.
no one in my area lets a 75 year old woman near hand stand, crow pose, etc. i do all the time. My osteoperosis group--all of whom have developed a great deal more bone density since taking my classes--all do 'crazy' poses. Why? the rules say 'be gentle with old people, their bodies can't handle it.' and 'liability issues! keep them on the floor!" but these perspectives will never provide enough weight bearing exercise to fix the problem. It won't give them confidence to try new things and trust their own healing.
so handstand it is grandma--build muscle! build bone! trust yourself and go for it! you're still alive, so you're young enough!
people freak. i had a daughter call me and say 'wht do you think you're doing?" and i said "i know what i'm doing, what do you think you're doing? you want your mom to live or what?" now, daughter takes my classes too. both do hand stands. They were scared, sure, but they're more fit for it.
they're safely modified (wall,s chairs, support of teacher or partners), they're safely vinyasa-ed to that point (warmed up, etc). and they're safely instructued.
but the **** pose is contraindicated by so many 'rule books.' so, yeah, break em when necessary. |
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finding a path
