BEFORE YOU ASK...

I do not 'teach' yoga, I learn Yoga, and if you like, I will learn yoga with you. I do not teach any martial arts, I learn martial arts, and,if you like, I will learn martiala rts with you. But though I will learn some things with you does not mean I will seek you out. You must seek me, find me, learn from me at your own expense-which means money, effort, and suffering sacrifices. There are no contraints-no restrictions other than thsoe you impose on yourself and others... What,if anything, you learn with me as we learn together, is yours and yours entirely, as I lay no claim to any of it...it is your responsibility, your problem, your effort, however miniminal, your sacrifice however little sweat is raised...your pain how ever excruciating it may be and the AIM, if any, is one you have to forumulate for yourself, if you in learning with me, can REMEMBER YOURSELF.....

A RECENT EXPERIENCE IN A YOGA CLASS I ATTENDED

Recently I dropped in on a Yoga Class for 'beginners' of all sorts, but mostly mostly women(I was the second male in the class but did not participate,preferring to observe,but which made me actuely aware of things). The 'instructress',younger than myself(I am 74 as of this writing)but not, as is said,'a tender spring chicken' 'SELF-PERFORMED' her routine and the 'beginners' imitated as best they could what she did and listened to her suggestive,hypnotic voice in the partially darkened room as she covered a number of areas, none of which were defined or fully explained but merely tossed out,here and there. She rang some cymbals adn later struck a Tibetan Singing Bowl at the class conclusion. She also interjected a few words on 'CHINESE MEDICINE' and gave a sort of 'QIGONG" methodwhich made me realize that her mention of this had no real bearing on 'yoga' which she was demonstrating but a pretense to knowledge she might not possibly have,but had only read about. The 'yoga poses' and routine I do not fault,but only criticize the way she presented them and how she ignored the students for the most part except for when she got up off her spread,plastic mat and went around to a few,but not all,to 'adjust' which was very limited,which told me she was not aware of concerned with anyone actually to the extent of really teaching them.

GREAT SYSTEMS OF YOGA

Great systems of YOGA exist but they are not to be found in store front studios,health spas or clubs or mixed martial arts dojos and seen easily on DVD's or read at lelisure in New Age Books that proliferate so easily these days-though perhaps a few 'gems' may shine here and there. It is not merely sincerity and honesty that is important for yoga practice but UNDERSTANDING. This is often lacking in its full meaning in both the instructors and the students,though both may well be able to utilized the jargon and do many complex,rubbery stretches of various kinds.