by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat (Written a few weeks ago, before I left Glenorchy - in case the time frame or location confuses you!) I've just walked out of my second Mysore-style Astanga class with New Zealand's Peter Sanson and I don't know whether I'm coming or going. It's like my brain's in first gear, or submerged in water. If I feel into it, it's like a consciousness shift, where I'm going sideways from one way of being into another way of being but I'm caught in limbo … [Read more...]
Leaving behind window shopping for the soul & committing to a tradition
By guest author Carmen Howell of The Sadhana Studio The title for this article came from a blog, where the writer shared her "tempest of emotions, regarding the question of whether to take and commit to a teacher'? The advice she received was that window shopping for ceremonies, teachers and/or traditions prevents a situation where one can go deeply into any one tradition, and will only result in a shallow experience and knowledge of a topic. In short, window shopping can be delusional … [Read more...]
The evolution of lineage: Why what is taught changes over time
by guest author Jenifer Parker, owner of Healium Yoga Studio in Wellington Editors Note: This article originally appeared as a comment in response to Kara-Leah's article 'I don’t know how to teach yoga anymore. Or do I?' Foremost, the role of the teacher is to get the students on their feet in the teachings of the lineage, and then set them on their way. This is no different than sending a child to school, expecting that he will pass each year, gaining knowledge, gathering new teachers, and … [Read more...]
I don’t know how to teach yoga anymore. Or do I?
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat I don't know how to teach yoga anymore. I haven't known how to teach yoga since I came back from my Immersion Training with Shiva Rea. Ironic eh? Before certification, I knew exactly what I was doing, and taught with ease and love. After certification, I questioned everything I was doing, and taught with effort and struggle. I don't think I can blame Shiva though, or her teacher training. It's something that's happened inside me, to my … [Read more...]
Parampara: The importance of lineage in Yoga
by guest author Mike Berghan, Te Aro Astanga Later this year I will celebrate 20 years of Ashtanga Yoga practice. My first year of practice was like most people, attending a class 2 evenings a week, but from Nov. 1993 I have maintained a daily Ashtanga practice. In this time I have learned many things. One of the most important being the concept of Parampara, or Lineage. Parampara is the passing down of knowledge over generations, from teacher to student. This concept is central to Yoga … [Read more...]
A video interview with Swami Shantimurti of Ashram Yoga
by Kara-Leah Grant It's just three weeks until the International Yoga Conference and Festival at Kawai Purapura so I took the opportunity to have a chat to one of the many highly respected yoga teachers who will be at the festival - Swami Shantimurti. Swami Shantimurti is the senior teacher at Auckland's Ashram Yoga. He's been teaching since 1978 and has seen the growth and change of yoga in the West. According to the bio on Ashram Yoga's website, Shantimurti has spent extend periods … [Read more...]
Dumped by my Guru
by columnist Gabrielle Harris, The Suburban Yogini My freefall descent happened 6 months ago. It wasn’t gentle zen-like parachute descent, but the type of ungraceful fall where not only was I kicking and screaming, but all the office workers in the building I was sailing by were laughing and poking faces at me. My lesson on non-attachment had publicly arrived. It happened on my level 3 teacher training. I had travelled to Australia to be with the teacher I was attached to. He made me … [Read more...]
Dude, where’s my Guru?
Last week's article, Dude, where's my teacher, totally surprised me. I didn't expect people to resonate with it so much. There were all kinds of comments, as it flitted around the social media sky. The weird thing was, I'd written it on the Sunday night, exhausted, out of time, just wanting to go to bed, and I thought it had sucked. I knew I hadn't captured the most important nuances of my search for a Real Yoga Teacher. So I'm back to dish up those nuances and set the record … [Read more...]
Swami Ji reveals why every yoga practitioner needs a guru
Swami Govindananda, affectionately known as Swami Ji, is a Kiwi boy born and bred, so he always loves coming back home to spread the yogic word. He's back on tour here in New Zealand in April, May and June. You can find full details of his workshops and retreat here. An entertaining and inspirational speaker, Swami Ji gives some interesting insight into what it means to be a swami, and why every serious yogi needs to find a Guru one day. 1. What does it mean to be a Swami? In … [Read more...]
Dude, where’s my teacher?!
I've been totally short-changed on my yoga journey. Never once have I had a Real Yoga Teacher. You know - the kind you have an on-going relationship with.. the kind who supports your yoga journey parsing out morsels of wisdom and insight at the exact moment you need them... the kind who's interested in your development and answers all your questions. Nope, thanks to some cruel twist of fate, I've been left to blunder through the mine field of yoga all by my lonesome. Partly this … [Read more...]