Yoga in SF is all about if one can wrap their leg around the neck while balancing calmly on just one hand or may be even a finger. Now you can do all of that with a partner, either to impress the partner or be impressed by the partner. I do think western Yoga has become a separate species, a form of its own. Yoga exists today only because it has been resurrected by the west. So, the path of Yoga evolution is completely in the hands of the west as well. I do hope it finds a balance somewhere instead of calling anything Yoga.  I have always dreaded the poses that one needs to do with a partner, a handstand or downward dog or the wheel or anything else. I don’t like involving another person in my practice. Partner and acro yoga creates a great break point for me.

Of course, I can ignore all the white noise and stick to my practice and what I believe in. I do understand I do not have to get into a tizzy just because anything can be called Yoga. The Yoga lessons that made a big impact for me were not the physical aspects at all. The Yoga sutras made a lot of sense, especially the santosha and aparigraha. The contentment and being non-greedy have been some of my biggest lessons from the Yoga Sutras among others. I do not find any of it here in SF Yoga and I will not shell out almost $20 for a physical practice anymore. Home practice it is for me, for a long time. Adios, (SF) Yoga!

I was at a “vinyasa” class last week. Music was Jazz. Sade and others were taking turns to provide the vocals.  The instructor told us to press on the golden egg between the root chakra and the genitals. Some more chakra talk continued. My golden rule of thumb had always been to avoid a class where the teacher talks about chakras. I normally draw the line at bandhas. Most instructors understand bandhas. Chakra talk is so DC (Deepak Chopra) and is what I classify as saccharine sweet. It is mostly mumbo jumbo to me. I understand chakras in the real yogic sense, but not in a yoga class where the instructor is trying to sound cool.

In my home practice, I follow the KYM and astanga style. The breath is super long, the asanas look like it is done in slow motion. There is no hurry to jump through things in milliseconds. The “Vinyasa power” uses a lot of movements so quickly, that my knees buckle. Moving from a mostly hyper extended trikonasana to warrior 2 to ardha chandrasana to standing splits. What does it all mean to the knee? Is it okay to put your knee through all these movements one after the other? This style is torture to my knees and my breath. My knee screams violence. Especially the ardha chandrasana, the standing splits and the lunges. The darling poses of western vinyasa power.

One aspect of my issue is the knee injury, for sure. What matters is also the yoga instructor. I believe any style of yoga can be good if the instructor is good. I have attended amazing Bikram, Vinyasa, Hatha, Astanga classes. Each one of them can turn bad if the instructor is just so so. The yoga education, practice of a teacher matters a lot and how they translate their knowledge to guide the class. It is a combination of things.

For now, I have decided to take a break from vinyasa power in Vancouver. It is quite possible the teachers are not as good as in San Francisco. Or it may be that I am attached to my experiences of San Francisco. I have also been studying a lot about Yoga and I have changed a lot too since I went to India and KYM. My understanding of Yoga has gained a lot of depth as well.

Vinyasa power feels like Bollywood yoga and Disney combined in one. Everything is perfect, color coordinated, sweet, cute, lots of songs, nice outfits and so predictable. I have decided to go Indie and try other styles. “Hatha” seems to make sense to me as the asanas are done at a much slower pace and does not feel too scripted. I keep reading about Yin. I will try that as well. Ultimately, I will be happy in a yoga class which does not use music. Silence must be encouraged and that is the style what I enjoy the most. Astanga fits the bill for most part, but just a little too aggressive for me.

I am looking for a style that has no music and a little mild. I hope this is not too much to ask. No offense to Sade, Marvin Gaye, Beatles, Reggae, Rock, Trance and others.

Using music is alright, if the music used is good. I am aware of the reggae, rock, trance and all the variations.  In San Francisco, the music choice was quite decent. Even though the Sanskrit was butchered in all the new age lounge music, it still had a rhythm. Om Man-ee pad-meh hooooom. During my teacher training in San Francisco, I was even taught how important music is and how it must be used to build a tempo. Personally, I do not want to use music as it is a distraction to go to Apple music and buy the songs. It costs extra and it is unnecessary nuisance. If I do use music in my class, I make sure it is interesting.

I go to “Vinyasa” and “hatha” yoga classes in Vancouver just to mix up my home practice and a led class. There is no special importance placed on the music. It would be better without music, but they play some kind of elevator music. Same constant thing with no rhythm. Sun Salutations or Savasana, it is the same.

What do my readers think of using music in a yoga class?

Lulu and lemon sounded silly and quite ridiculous to me.  I did not know these are clothes I cannot afford in this lifetime, or don’t want to as I have no need for them. I spent less than one minute in this store and made for the exit. This is a shop specific to yoga clothing and was started in Vancouver. It definitely has a huge following everywhere I go.  Just when I am studying and going deeper in yoga and realize that you don’t need much at all to be in the Yoga path, here is one store that will sell you so much to look the part. Amazing, how many people fall for it.

This happened 10 months ago. Sivananda ashram in Kerala is notorious for its factory style boot camp yoga teacher training classes, it is absolutely ridiculous. I have been practicing yoga for many years now that I know what I can do or cannot do. I usually will not push myself to get into any contortion my body is not ready to do. But in this class I did not even realize when I was getting hurt. The teacher is simply yelling into the mike to go into the poses deeper and deeper. The blocks are only in the mind and not in the body. All I remember is after the session I limped back and cannot remember walking correctly ever again or sit without pain even in a simple sukhasana.

The next day I spoke to the teacher about it and he tells me these injuries are mostly in the mind. Huh! I did not know that a block in my mind can hurt my knee so bad. I thought what a ridiculous explanation for my injury. I left the ashram after that and will not step back into it. This is not my first injury in all the years of my yoga practice. I have been injured before and I know injuries are great teachers to stop and make you think. It never made me question my choice of teachers or the course. I was the one always at fault. But not this injury. This should not have happened. Anyway, I have to deal with my knee injury and the wrong yoga choices I had made. Sivananda ashram is probably the only event in my life that I regret getting myself into.

I have complete faith in Yoga that it can heal my knee back. If I do the right kind of Yoga, as in KYM style of therapy yoga or at least mindful yoga. I do like this Indian saying a lot- do not give a garland to a monkey.

And then I read an article in the magazine Hinduism today, that some nut case has patented this sequence as “Superbrain Yoga”. I could not believe the nuttiness involved in patenting something that is followed in a religion for hundreds of years.

The nut who patented Thoppu karanam goes by the name ‘dates of life’. Click on the piture to read the article.