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| During my web surfing, I came across this stunning footage of Iyengar...enjoy
http://www.esogarden.com/index.php?/weblog/1938_practice_with_bks_iyengar_and_krishnamacharya/
Edited by Krisita 2007-04-12 4:37 PM
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Location: London, England | Hi there,
Yes, we showed that at Yoga for Peace, a workshop I taught at, assisting Danny Paradise and about 100 students It's a great slice of history.
Nick |
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| Ok, bear with me, I’m learning. I’m just trying to piece this together. The video shows B.K.S. Iyengar performing an Ashtanga vinyasa. Is this because Iyengar’s teacher?? was Krishnamacharya who taught Iyengar Ashtanga, and later Iyengar developed his method. I’ve taken both Iyengar and Ashtanga classes, and they were so different, how did Iyengar develop his method? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| There is a lot of information about all this but I am a slow typer so I won't give the whole thing
BKS was sent to teach across the country from his guru when he was only about 16. He really didn't know a lot at the time and had to learn more about the poses, so he studied on his own and broke down the poses bit by bit until he felt he understood them better. I am sure he taught vinyasa at that time as he was sent to teach young men. Over time he began to find that the vinyasa and complex poses just didn't work for everyone all the time. I wonder if some of this came to him as he began to teach more women, who at that time would not have had any athletic background? This is my own thought - I haven't read it anywhere... but he had to find ways to get typical bodies into the poses deeply enough to get the benefits. At first he supported them himself and later developed props both so he himself could stay in the poses longer to study them more and to help his students. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Well, I'm not sure I would describe it as "Iyengar was taught Ashtanga by Krishnamacharya". He is shown practicing jumpings in that footage, and jumpings became the entirity of the Jois Ashtanga practice. Iyengar also practiced and taught jumpings while he was younger, but his teaching moved away from that over time. One article I read on Krishnamacharya describes his teaching as evolving over the years and depending upon whom he was teaching. It was said that he focused on jumpings during a period when he was mainly teaching young men (teenagers or so, I think). At other times he taught other styles to other audiences. ... bg |
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| If anyone wants this video from me, I may be able to give it to then. So, let me know. I am not promising as I shall have to check on it first. |
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| Oops: I did not write my response. That performance can not be called Vinyasa as a complete sequence. Of course parts are there. But, that is true in any style. For example, if you go to my class, or even Bikram Class, you shall find something common. Does not mean there are no other things than the video or particular styles.
It is obvious that BKS Iyengar guruji did more therapeutic work than that found in Ashtanga Yoga Style (not Ashtanga Yoga of Classical Yoga.) And, I am sure that Ashtanga Yoga is NOT suitable for everyone because
Every is NOT suitable for Ashtanga. In fact 99 percent of those who practice it are not suitable for it.
And, Ashtanga Yoga is NOT greatly therapeutic like Iyengar Style exercise are. Ashtanga is more suitable for those who are ready for it. And, it does provide much more workout than any other style, including Olympic Level Gymnastics.
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| I remember some footage from Guruji that stated that he performed these "jumpings" for demonstration purposes. Its a question I have been dying to ask him. One of these days I will when I am back at RIMYI.. I just found this forum.. this is great to read all these great posts. I write a blog called theyoginme.blogspot.com Please come visit sometime.
Namaste
The Yogi
theyoginme.blogspot.com |
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Veteran
Posts: 210
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Thanks for the link buddy gonna check this out later. |
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