200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course is wrong

Why we should not teach 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga

The same way there is no 200 Hour Iyengar Teacher Training Course.

1. Dedication to the Ashtanga Yoga System

When you start practicing the Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa, respecting the series and respecting the order of the asanas, wether it is with Sharat, Sarawasthi or any another teachers following that system you will soon realised that it takes a lot of commitment to achieve the Primary Series.

The Primary Series can not be learn in one month.

The Primary Series should not be teach by non practitioner.

2. Teaching a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course is disrespectful

First toward all practitioners in the world who wake up early morning to practice.

Second toward senior teachers who have a bigger knowledge than any other so call Yoga School in the world teaching that method into a one month format.

Third: you can teach something else, call it as Vinyasa Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Flow Yoga but using the pretext that you have been watching videos on Youtube, knowing the sanskrit counting for all vinyasas does not make you a practitioner.

Or if you really want to teach it then PRACTICE IT!

That is at least the last thing you can do.

Be honest with yourself and with your students and wake up every early morning, unfold your mat and go and sweat on your mat each day of your life, not only 3 weeks, not only 1 week, no do it regularly, try to understand the concept of Tapas if you are calling yourself a "Yogi" or a Yoga teacher.

3. Selling a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Course is lying to students

Yes that is a big lie.

Because most of the time students who register to this kind of course have absolutely no clue about Ashtanga Yoga, some of them does not even know who was Sri Krishnamacharya, some of them does not even know what is the "Mysore" Style..... they are fully beginners, and in one month they will become certified in "Ashtanga Yoga" as for most us it takes at least 18 months just to assimilate the Primary Series!

I was one of them, in 2012 I attend a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course. And it took me 4 years to understand that it was wrong.

In the West we have the conception that India is the source of Yoga.

Therefore we tend to believe any yoga teachers who will wear a dhoti, a dot on the forehead and speak in Sanskrit.

From our point of view we will be completely amazed by it.

Then when we come back to our country we will be proud to say "My Indian Teacher", it will give more weight to our resume and to our yogic experience. Because we trust.

The reality is slightly different. Some Indians Teachers know it even thought they have a very limited understanding of the West, but who cares, they start surfing on the wave of Yoga and start making so much money that they won't stop.

They are not even practicing what they are teaching. But under the pretext that they know all sanskrit name of all asanas, that they "know" the Primary Series and the vinyasa counting it is sufficient for them to declare themselves as practitioner of the Ashtanga.

Same for westerners, they come to Mysore because that is the "place to be", take a picture with Sharat or just sit at the entrance of the main shala for the picture and then when they come back home they are claiming to have learned yoga from the source..... after one or three months practice.....

I met a girl in Gokulam who was practicing with Sarawasthi. She then become friend with Sharmilla and told me that after 6 months she wanted to get her authorisation from Sarawasti.

I told her it is not gonna happened. She did not believe me. Not to mention that she was a beginner and a Zumba teacher....

A teacher capable to jump back and jump front does not mean that he/she is practicing. Watch their practice when they are showing asana, if at all they can show.

In two seconds you can see that Mark Robberds, Iain Grysak, Steve Hyland or John Scott are practitioners because they are carrying their practice into their body.

Actually their practices are printed into their body. The body don't lie!

As soon as they move to show one simple asana you notice it.

Catching, not catching?

Some people might say "It is not because you bind in Marychasana D or catch in Supta Kurmasana that you are a yogi". I fully agreed with that!

However, in order to be able to catch or bind take commitment, regularity, dedication, practice.

Because anyone with a regular practice can do it, that is the powerful message of the Ashtanga Yoga Practice.

You can do whatever you want with your mind and your body if only you have the dedication for it.

The same way some people without any practice might be able to lift up in Mayurasana, just by the strength of their arms but certainly not because of a regular practice.

Unfortunately this little circus trick might be sufficient enough to impress beginners students.

Do not become an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher but do become a Practitioner.

Enjoy your practice!


Here are few Ashtanga Yoga Teachers that deserve more than a look:

Iain Grysak (Ubud)
Steve Hyland (Pattaya, Thailand)
Mark Robberds (Australia, or Bali or everywhere else in the world)
John Scott (everywhere in the world)
Manju Jois
David Swenson
Richard Freeman
Mary Taylor
Laruga Glaser (Sweden)
Nicola Legrez (Paris, France)
Arnaud Kancel (Montpellier, France)
Caroline Bourlinguez (Paris, France)
Ajay Tokas (India)

All of theses brillant teachers are having intensive workshops, training courses. Just have a look, if you want to start your journey with the Ashtanga start it on a good way!

- Namaste -

The marketing of Yoga

The superficial side of Yoga

As per some magasines or articles from internet, there some external signs that prove that you are a real yogi. And where is the best place in the world to prove that you are a real yogi? Bali of course. The trendy place is Ubud, a real yoga hub. Therefore there is a mixture between real practitioners and fake one.

The fake one are just there to show themselves and eat only vegan products because they are of course practicing Ahimsa, the others well they just go on their mat whatever the time of the year, not only for the good sake of a TTC.

I found an article on the Yoga Bali spirit web titled "13 signs your officially an Ubud Yogi".

On many yoga blogs it is very trendy and "cool" to speak to potential new students with a friendly manner using cute nicknames. Also we can see some Yoga teachers using quotes that never existed such as "99% Practice, 1% Theory - Patanjali". I've seen this quote on a Yoga teacher blog in which it says that this teacher is teaching the Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali.

The real sentence was "I am teaching Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa as per the tradition of Patanjali in Mysore".... believe it or not this teacher is referring about the Series of the Ashtanga Yoga....

You might think that I woke up from the wrong foot, or that because of my head injury I am becoming deluded or simply "who does she think she is".

I am fine with it. I truly believe that when we are serious toward the practice and the teaching there is absolutely no need to sugar coat what we really or what we try to convey in order to attract more people, more likes, more views. We should be completely detached about it.

If at all you have something you want to give, offer, to teach then do it. Full stop.

There is no need to fake a cool attitude with a superficial smile.

Back to the article I found I just want to underline some points about it.

Here are some examples:

"You've definitely brought your own smoothie bowl additions to breakfast on more than one occasion. Or been "that person" who completely tweaks the menu to create your perfect custom made smoothie bowl and end-up paying twice as much with all the additions, but it was totally worth it, so who cares"....

well I do believe that the waiter cares a lot! If you are not happy with the menu then go back home and prepare your own smoothie bowl. It is not a so cool attitude to have to discuss and waste the time of the waiter if you are not happy with the ingredients, you are just becoming a pain in the a**, that's it and there is nothing to be glorify and proud about.

"You know exactly which cafes in Ubud sell the best raw, vegan, chocolate cakes and ice creams. You also know their prices, opening and closing times, where the best seats are (wtf???), the staff probably know your name, you're probably thinking about going back for the second time again today"...

The word that came to my mind by reading it is "stalker", then the second thought is "get a life!". How comes you are thinking going back for the second time in the day while there are so many things else to do in Bali. Knowing the best seats.... really? If knowing the best seats is a guaranty of been a real true yogi in Ubud then let me pass this one, thank you.

"After walking down Jalan Hanoman, you frequently get home and can't figure out where all the money you just took out from the ATM went. But oh my god, the clothes, these leggings and this mala and this vegan chocolate ice cream are just too good. I HAD to. Just HAD to"...

Please take note that the most important thing is that the food HAS TO BE VEGAN, of course it has to, in order to underline the fact that this person is a Yogi and then following "Ahimsa" (non violence)... However what about Santosha (Contentment), Aparigraha (detachment), Tapas (discipline, austerity)? I don't see any mention of them, but that is okay the cake and the ice cream were vegan. And what coud we say about those same yogis wearing the beautiful leather belt at the waist with all pockets? After all yoga is all about balance, you don't eat animal but there ain't no problem at all to wear them as a bag. Amen to that...

"Glancing at your bank statement, you don't know whether to be embarrassed or proud of the fact that you've spent more money in yoga studios and raw food cafes than on your rent"...

Nothing to be proud about. There are others places cheaper than Yoga Barn for instance to take yoga classes. Spending money on raw food cafe and yoga classes do not define anyone as a yogi, travelling 12,000 kms in order to pay the same amount of money as in your country for a yoga class is not very clever at all. It is just superficial. And yes we fully understand by the article that this yogi is vegan and eat raw food, this point is very important, remember Ahimsa....

"You watch the sunrise from your scooter almost every morning on your way to yoga class, and spend savasana watch it go down from the studio windows"...

First of all that is so cliché. You can be sure that you can find a picture resuming that sentence on Instagram at the moment I am writing these lines, with a very spiritual sentence such as "surrendering my soule to the Universe before going practicing".... then excuse me but if you are really following the yogic practice you should be ON YOUR MAT by that time starting your practice and not on your scooty taking the pose. And savasana is savasana... if you are lying on your mat and watching the sun then you are not in savasana, you are just lying on your mat....

"You've go a different mala to match ear pair of leggings, tank combo you own"... simply why??
"When your friends back home ask what you do all day long, you laugh and say: take class, eat, chat with friends... its hard to put in words, you have to come to visit"... 

Just tell the truth, as a Yogi I spent all my money buying superficial things in order to fulfil my empty life. Now I am broke and desperate because I did not really practice Yoga at all...
I don't know what is a "true" or a "fake" yogi.

However I do have much more admiration and respect to those people who are handling their early morning yoga practice before taking the kids to school, taking their shift from 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM, running after work to pickup kids from school, food shopping, cooking, cleaning, people who have "an ordinary life" to others but who take time to live their lives without lying and follow their passion whatever happens to them. They are the real heroes!

Big up to that Yoga teacher who is cumulating hours of teaching, continuing education, do not sell his/her soule to social networks and still keep time for traveling, learning, experiencing in a soft and humble way without spending too much money on unnecessary things, traveling light and who can adapt to anything anywhere in the world.

Asia is beautiful but when you stay more than one month than you start discovering the other faces and you realise that there is a huge difference between the postal card, the social media and the reality. I feel very grateful to meet such good people on my way, they are so rich from their experiences, they are the real yogis to me.

Not the boho "chic" travelling to the other side of the world and spending all of his/her money in good trendy places, buying stuff more expensive than in the West, the famous cool attitude digger.
We tend to attract people like us.

And when I take time to have a look at my circle, people I know and with whom I am interacting, people I met during my traveling time, I feel blessed because I know that I am on the right path.

Have a good practice!

Article initially published on Xandra Yoga

Practice with Steve Hyland, Asthanga Yoga Pattaya

This morning I have started practicing under the guidance of Steve Hyland.

He is not a famous "Ashtangi" still he is certified, he has been practicing  with Richard Freeman and Hamish Hendry.

He has installed his Yoga Shala in Pattaya Thailand, a place well known for the night life and "local" girls. However I have absolutely no regret because Steve he's extremely well qualified.
From a purely physical and external point of view, my practice was not the most aesthetic nor the lightest but from a purely introspective point of view it was revolutionary.

I did listen my body and my breathing pattern, respect all aspect of my body and did not push anything too far or not enough. I was in tune with myself and it was probably the very fist time it happens to me.

The end of the year has been slightly uncomfortable and my body took the hit. During my last day in Mysore I had a nice talk with Trupta and explained him something that happened to me the day before: "As I was walking back home I suddenly started thinking of one heating argument I had before and others stuffs... then I start having such a huge pain in my left knee that I walked back home limping".

Past and present emotions can be so powerful they can impact our body and well being. I knew it before but I never really measured it to that extend.

Knees represent the refusal to yield, to bend, to obey, to submit.

While I was walking the thought that came up to my mind was an argument I had during which someone was telling me what kind of clothes I should wear in order to  be "more respectable in India", then the feeling of working for a cause that I did not share and the lack of integrity.

Introspection

I then realised that working on the external side was not properly useful unless we have no idea of what is happening deep inside of us. That is the one of the most difficult thing we have to face as human being and practitioner, do we really take time to understand our inner self? Are we really willing to do this personal work?

It seems that everyone wish to take care of themselves, that is one one of the reason why Yoga has become so popular.

Yoga is "healing". That is what social networks are saying with all "yogis" posting beautiful filtered pictures in crazy postures including spiritual sentences to caption that moment.

I am not bitter but I am becoming tired of it. The more I am practicing the more I understand that it is not the journey at all. The more I am travelling looking for teachers with who I can practice and evolve the more I understand and realise that I do not know myself and furthermore I never ever let myself to blossom fully.

Home is not a place where I will buy nice furniture in order to be happy, lately I finally understood it. I agree in some way I am very lucky to be able to travel but it is a choice that I have done and now my quest is knowing me better in order to teach what I found on my special quest.

That is only through that particular path that I am able to practice Yoga. Being able to declare that I have read the Sutras and understood the Upanishad and the Gita in order from time to time to place on of these sentence below a picture of myself performing the full wheel is not for me.

You can not buy wisdom, you can not find wisdom in a book and no one can teach what wisdom is.
Being grounded is the very first thing to learn and to practice, that what we should look for.

Making peace with ourself before making peace with others, mastering our emotions.

Being able to understand that we are not what we thought.

Being able to be alone in order to do introspection.

Introspection is a powerful tool, we should allow ourself to it.

Namaste
More articles here: XandraYogaBlog

What is like to practice Yoga in Mysore?

I am attending since the last week Anatomy class with "Ken the Rolfer". If you don't know him I suggest you google his name. He is a Rolfer and an Ashtangi. Being able to receive his knowledge his priceless.

That is the advantage of being in Mysore. 

Sunset at Ganapati Temple

Most of the world renamed practitioners are coming in the city to practice with Sharat or Sarawasthi or Masterji. Therefore as during the day you don't have that much to do, because lets say that there is not a lot of activity in Mysore, you have some great Ashtangis willing to share their experience.

I am not saying it is for free but at least you it is fully affordable.

When you are in Mysore you met a lot of people just like you.

No one will be surprised that you are teaching Yoga and practicing Yoga, therefore no silly question such as "Oh you teach Yoga, but outside of it what are you doing?". 

No one will be surprised to notice that after your 2 months in Mysore you will probably travel to Indonesia or Thaïland.

No one will be surprised or impress that you have being the last 5 years homeless just travelling with your yoga mat, because a lot of them have been doing it before you and they fully understand that you are on a Quest which is basically knowing who you are.

No one will be impress by your practice, because they have been there BEFORE you ;-)

You will meet a lot of wellness therapist: Yoga Thai Massage, Acupuncteur, Chiropractor, Qi Chong, Shiatsu, Rolfer, you name it, you find it!

You will be able to learn from a lot of people, there is always something happening in Mysore, you will be able to learn how to cook, to do rangoli, to paint, pottery, how to apply henna, bollywood dance etc.

And the most important thing, YOU HAVE TIME ! As I said outside of the morning practice there is not much to do, therefore everyone is participating to entertain the community and in the end it works pretty fine.

Now the big question is to know if Sharat will be there next year or not... No one knows.... but for sure if he is not coming than the local community in Mysore will have the economy going down.

- Namaste -