Vinyasa Yoga?

[OakLeaf]

my practice, my decision

I think my favorite teacher uses the phrase "you are your own teacher" at least ten times every class.

Now, I've worked with another teacher who gave lip service to the concept but habitually pushed me beyond my limits (verbally, not physically, but in such a way as to get my ego very much involved ). I wound up with a minor injury almost every time I did his class. Needless to say I stopped going to his classes... Still, I think working with a well-trained teacher has got to be safer than working on your own with no one to watch or supervise.

Like most things, from food to disease, north/western culture places so much emphasis, from infancy onward, on NOT listening to the body, that it can be very difficult to unlearn those lessons and listen to the guru within.

[Catrin]

This has been an interesting discussion, and as I said, I am holding off on trying anything new until I am released from PT. It will also be almost the start of riding/mtb season when that happens so I still won't be taking on yoga then. I may give it a shot next winter, we will see.

Part of my problem is that not only do I ignore pain (improving here though) - even when I am injured there are things that don't hurt that should. Still trying to figure out the difference between actual pain and soreness, and you would think that I would have that figured out at my age

[Owlie]

Like most things, from food to disease, north/western culture places so much emphasis, from infancy onward, on NOT listening to the body, that it can be very difficult to unlearn those lessons and listen to the guru within.

This is true, though I've not thought about it before. All those "pain is a sign of weakness leaving the body"-type sayings...

I've taken one yoga class through my undergrad institution. She actually wasn't a bad teacher. She gave tips on how to modify positions if we needed to. Her favorite thing to say was "Yoga is not supposed to hurt. If it hurts, back off," though this was a class pitched explicitly for beginners. I wonder if her more advanced classes had the same kind of tone.

[jessmarimba]

Along with the "yoga isn't supposed to hurt" reminder, we also get frequent reminders that yoga isn't a competitive sport.

[goride]

My favorite yoga instructor reminds us not to get ourselves into anything (meaning yoga positions) that we can't get ourselves out of. Although she also admits it's good life advice, too.

[OakLeaf]

Another response from a yogini blogger: http://www.rachelyoga.com/2012/01/a-response/