• we still idolize extreme ranges of motion in the media and therefore frustration for a modern teacher is twofold: on one hand the practice is remote and unapproachable (not flexible enough) and on the other the messaging is an insidious dictate of need...

• The exaltation of curious shapes by force is a legacy we’ve inherited. To be progressive teachers, we must sort through and deliberately choose what to get behind: what is sensationalist, relevant, updated, therapeutic, damaging; and where we are within the timeline.

• Forceful aggressive assists involving pulling, pushing, pinching, being stood and sat upon have a curious appeal for some. Boundaries are crossed, rules are written, messages conveyed. I used to feel like an inadequate teacher because I didn’t do vigorous assists. Now I feel assured that this is not the path to increased motor skills.

• Is it still yoga if you don’t do postures? What is our working definition of yoga?

• The Hadza people, in north-central Tanzania, are among the last hunter- gatherers on Earth. We all used to all move for sustenance like they do; in all different ways, planes, speeds, distances. Our eyes and inner ears and nervous systems were stimulated by the dynamic natural world. Once upon a time, movement was not a choice, it was food. And shelter. And survival. 

• It used to be a privilege to NOT move. To afford such a thing as leisure. Now our economy is largely dependent on sedentary bodies working at desks and screens. We’re getting tighter and more closed in. Now it is a privilege to move—A privilege to afford the time and space to move for fun/health/personal development.

• “When you understand a technique, you know a technique. When you understand a concept, you understand thousands of techniques. “  -author unknown

• Theres a limit I think to how generous we are with yoga’s definition. Is running or rock climbing or trail running yoga? Where are its boundaries? Is it an approach or a movement practice? Is it absorption? Being in the zone? People going to a class need to know that when they sign up for yoga they are not going to do animal moves or rolling baddha konasana before winding down for sivasana. I did that.

• If i were my grandpa and you changed the class I’d been enjoying for years, I’d cuss and yell and put up a fit. You can’t just change it on people. If you want to teach a new class at another time slot be my guest.

Music:

1. Basse 2 by Monplaisir- Sous Tensions Original Soundtrack

2. Soporific by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

3. Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0