Do not ask me that question!

Did not go to the led practice yesterday because of my "lady holiday" and also I had a tooth extraction the day before the pain killer made me sleep until 7.30 AM.

Anyway as I do not like the led class it was all good for me!

I went to the conference, each Saturday there is a conference with Sharat. I took the opportunity to ask a question, "THE" question that should not been ask to Sharat during this Conference.... I did not know they were "authorised questions" and forbidden question. Now I know.

My question was: "When are we supposed to practice the full vinyasa between each Asana. And then in Janu Shirshasana why there are only 22 vinyasa as we are not counting the Urdhva Tadasana"....

Sharat: "Where did you read or learn that"?

Me: From John Scott and Gregor Maehle...

Sharat: "DO NOT ASK me this kind of question".

Me: Ok and I sat down....

He was angry. I had absolutely no clues he was having issue with theses questions and during the all so call conference he was saying "If you have to read a book read the Yoga Mala from my Grand Father. Follow the Parampara, one Guru, one student. If you go to other teacher it is because your mind is not calm. The main shala is a pure place, do not come with this kind of question, etc, etc....".

I switched off.

Next time better to give us a guideline of which questions are allowed and which are not.

At the end of it I went to him and told him " I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you by my question, please accept my apologies".

He barely looked at me.

Anyway, this will not change my life.

Of course I did not get any answers to my question and I do believe I won't have any answer from anyone.

Then he also spoke that there were not such a thing called "Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga" but only Ashtanga. He said that all new style of Yoga such as Sivananda Yoga,  Flow Yoga, Flow Ashtanga or Vinyasa he does not agree with this kind of "new style",  almost all students were laughing about it..... while some of them are probably teaching it! It sounded a little bit of hypocrisies to me.

Anyway it was my experience with the "Guru". I don't believe I will ask another question, or maybe we should only ask him to tell us story about his grand father as a student did, it seemed the question was inappropriate but in comparison of mine it was a better question!

As for me I would love to quote Manju Jois:

Sri Manju Jois Ji

• Drop the label: Yoga is not a label you can sell, there is not Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hot, Hata or Bhakti,..., yoga is simply yoga

• There is no series: "when I learned from my father (Sri Pattabhi Jois) I was taught all asanas. My father never stopped me because I could not do some and neither he mention any first, second or third series."

• Yoga is simple and yoga has to be fun: forget about drishti, bandhas, instructions and all that follow. Just practice and have fun and the breath will coordinate by itself and bandhas engaged. So have fun and all is coming.

No need for drastic changes: if you turn vegan because you do yoga, and then you look sick, then I would recommend to stop doing yoga and start eating again." Let the changes happen spontaneously and over time.

On difference between western and eastern mentality: "asian people do what you teach them without asking. You give an asana or a mantra, they do it and let the benefit arise trough time and devotion. Western people are more analytic, they want to know the meaning of the mantra before chanting it, they want to know what muscles to engage and what is that asana specifically good for, they have no patience of experiencing but they crave ready and fast, empty, answers."

- Namaste -