You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Why practicing ‘Freedom Yoga’ can work wonders for your practice”.
Why practicing ‘Freedom Yoga’ can work wonders for your practice
May 18, 2009 By 4 Comments
exceptionally well laid out – it’s more than tough, zigging and zagging ‘tween outter/inner teacher orientations, yet still remaining true to going one’s own path – thank you
so many snippets i liked, but some were:
“true distinction between freedom-base & fixed-based yoga..whether you practice from within, or..controlled by an external force”
“The issue here is actually to do with the application of your practice, not the style”
and one i feel more often than i like :
“My Heart is weary and I need to be gentle and loving with my practice today” – and i ignore it only at my peril
i also especially liked that you pointed out the necessity of navigating risky pose (for that person), either via a skilled teacher or oneself
the only thing i can quibble about is, “sometimes it’s just a simple lack of empowerment” -
though true, it’d also add, sometimes it’s just a simple lack of knowledge
a super simple example, i’ve loved side to side salsa style movements for forever, but never knew or realized my knees should align with my feet to prevent excess torque – til my wife and i decided to study fitness
like my dad would say, simple when you know how
great thoughts bruce, thank you
Cheers Adan.
I think it’s only natural that at some point we feel the need to ask questions about what “Yoga” really is. To provide context as to why I wrote this piece, going from “Heretic Student” to so-called “Yoga Teacher” there was (and always will be) a strong calling inside me to define my own sense of purpose and intent when it comes to my identification with Yoga: “Who am I”
I remember very clearly doing my one and only class with Dharma in NY and what struck me most was the pure joy and fun he infused into the practice. He implicitly asked everyone there to be all they could be, but he never demanded it, and his love felt unconditional.
As humans, we will always have opinions that don’t align with someone else. Finding peace with this innate truth is to realise that whether you choose to open or close your heart (in the face of darkness) is what really matters most.
Hey Bruce,
Dude, I LOVE this comment. Love it, love it, love it. You sum up the whole point of spiritual practice so succinctly.
Thank you!!!!
KL
bruce, your last lines really laid out well,
“whether you choose to open or close your heart (in the face of darkness) is what really matters most” -
and isn’t it nice when, as a species, the group of us as human beings, have a growing body of knowledge to help us see if our own map, or that of our teacher, aligns with the best we know how to know at this point in time…
more and more, i think learning the current state of the art of the human body, which is part of what the yogis of the past did for several thousand years evidently, is essential -
now finding the time, monies, and trusted materials to study anatomy etc, that takes some effort
but i find myself more and more opening my heart to that necessity
thanks again so much, all the best to you
adan