Re: Iyengar yoga recommended to me; I have questions
Originally Posted by
Sahasranama
Iyengar is no saint, he is just as commercial as any other yoga teacher and he will say anything to attract more costumers. He is often criticised for teaching physical only yoga. This is not entirely true, there is certainly a meditative aspect to doing hatha yoga postures. Focusing on physical alignment is not something to shun, it's good to prevent injuries.
Sahasranama,
I'm not really sure of that..both of my instructors met BKS Iyengar and one of them learnt directly from him during late 70s.. said he is a pleasant person. If he is commercial he could have been a billionaire by now considering how people in the west are exploited in the name of yoga. There is a no copyright on Iyengar yoga like some people who went to the west during 70s and 80s and copyrighted few sets of asanas. There is of course meditative aspect of Raja Yoga (Hatha Yoga) but he teaches through Pranayama and not all his students teach Pranayama in their own classes. If you think he is focusing on only physical aspect it's because people are only interested in becoming slim, lose weight and also to recover from physical ailments. He learnt from Shri Krishnamacharya for less than 2 years and was asked to go to Pune to teach. He practised and popularised yoga but still very humble and always pays homage to his guru in every one of his books..to me it's a mark of a teacher and a real master.
Most people who learn yoga don't even know what's the end to yoga just like martial arts ..both are not just for becoming fit and prove yourself to others.. it's way of life.. realising yourSELF through your body and mind. Like Bruce Lee says only if you know the philosophy and technique you can perfect..students should be interested in taking the initiative of knowing the philosophical part of Yoga or any martial arts...rather not just be satisfied with techniques or asanas. The onus never lies on a master to teach everything he knows until a student requests him or her to teach what all he or she knows.
It's very sad to see in Bangalore itself..there are new yogas (like judo+yoga etc.,) and people are buying them and I have seen people teach Iyengar yoga just by learning from his books.
Last edited by realdemigod; 27 July 2012 at 12:27 PM.
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