Pulling the Rug Out from Blind Traditionalists

It's raining here in Toronto.

As I sit on the 'ol futon, laptop in hand, I remember an article that I sent Hil a few nights back. It talks about how Krishnamacharya (THE mastervul yogi who taught Iyengar and Jois) developed yoga.

If you're into your yoga, I would highly recommend you check out the following link:

http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/466_1.cfm

None other than Calgary's own Norman Sjoman is referenced in the above article. And in it, he talks about how (most likely), the Ashtanga system is a product of Krishnamacharya's brilliant synthesis of everything that he saw around him, and taking it further by putting it directly into yoga. For instance, Sjoman takes note how much of the heart of Ashtanga, such as the vinyasa, came from Krishnmacharya's exposure to indian wrestling techniques and british gymnastics.

So - all you blind hardcore ashtangi's who think that this entire series of asanas that we do came from palm leaves eaten by ants, and has been practiced for 5000 years should come to your senses.

Perhaps Krishnamacharya did see these mythical palm leaves. (I'd like to think he probably did - it makes the world a more fantastical place.) But I'd also like to think that they inspired him and his teaching, as opposed to giving him a word for word, instructional account that say, (insert accent here) "the revolved triangle asana was meant to be done with the hips squared to the front edge of your mat".

Puh-leeeez.

As opposed to getting hung up with all the semantics, wouldn't it be better to just practice for the sake of practicing? There's nothing wrong with being "traditional" and keeping an eye on where you came from (Krishnamacharya was an undeniable visionary and scholar).

However, realize that the yoga we practice today, comes from a respect from tradition, but is also being constantly evolved to stand the ultimate test of time - change.

Yoga is meant to set you free as opposing to tying you down within a crush of ideology and dogma. Learn to look inside yourself.

Happily skipping marichiyasana D and doing what's right for me,

jeff

PS, for even more interesting info on the whole, "where does our system come from?!" debate,
check out Alan Little's excellent blog posting at:

http://alanlittle.org/weblog/yogateaching.html

PPS - the above photo is from a sequence where later on, Krishnamacharya is actually warming up and using a skipping rope before practice, doing some "double-dutch" to augment the cardio-vascular part of his practice.

jk. (however, I wouldn't be surprisesd if "K" looked at skipping ropes, and wondered how they could be useful for yoga)