Dear Student…

Feb 7, 2012 by ArkieYogini

…it’s not the teacher — it’s the method.  And it’s you.

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Practice Schedule

Jan 30, 2012 by ArkieYogini

In the interest of full disclosure, I feel kind of obligated to list my own practice schedule.  The orange indicates my practice time, blue is when I teach classes, and green is when I’m at my day job.  It’s a rather simplified version of my schedule.  Things change month-to-month at the studio, and I often find myself attending the classes of other teachers or manning the front desk.  Notably absent is my exercise schedule.  A couple of the classes I teach (Wednesday/Thursday at 5:30 pm) are fitness classes…so I get an hour of movement in those classes.  I also occasionally attend some of the other fitness classes at the studio, but am finding this harder and harder to fit into my schedule.  So, my regular exercise is crammed into whatever time I can find available in my day.  Usually 15-20 minutes.  I’m a big fan of plyometrics and high intensity interval training — and it’s not necessary to exercise for an hour using that style of training.  I also didn’t include my yoga reading time…which is right before bed (not ideal…but it’s all I’ve got now).

Anyhow…that’s about it.  Looking over my planned schedule for February, it seems as though I’m almost spending as much time in my sitting and pranayama practice as I am in my asana practice these days.  Couldn’t say the same for my practice a couple of years ago.

Life is busy…and I don’t even have a child.  But it’s super-important to make time for your own practice — whatever that practice may look like.  Even if it’s just 5-10 minutes whenever you can fit it into the day.

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SH*T Ashtanga Yogis Say

Jan 30, 2012 by ArkieYogini

It was only a matter of time, I suppose.  Haha!

A little something to bring a smile to your face on the start of a new work week!

~ Kathryn

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Prem Talks About His Early Years Of Practice [Video]

Jan 29, 2012 by ArkieYogini

Just something interesting to watch on a Sunday morning.  Always fascinating to hear experienced practitioners and teachers talk about their early yoga experiences…and what drew them to their practice.

Enjoy!  Now…to get dressed for Sunday morning group practice…something I look forward each week.  I haven’t checked the weather yet…but I’m hoping for a cloudless sky this morning.  Nothing quite like watching the sun rise during practice.

xoxo Kathryn

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Practice What You Teach…Not While You Teach

Jan 28, 2012 by ArkieYogini

My apologies in advance for the yoga rant.  It’s been on my mind for a while…might as well let it out.

I don’t think anyone would disagree with the idea that teachers should practice what they teach.  This isn’t a revolutionary idea.  And when it comes to yoga, a student deserves to attend class with a teacher who has a dedicated personal practice outside the teaching space…who is committed to their own journey in the yoga tradition.  This practice looks different for different people and even different yoga traditions.  My practice doesn’t necessarily look like your practice, and vice versa.  If a teacher does not have a personal practice…then I have to ask the question, “what exactly are they teaching?” And, “are students better off watching a yoga video at home?”  After all, there are live yoga classes you can watch in the comfort of your own living room.

Some teachers develop their own personal practice while they are teaching a class…as in, at the same time they’re instructing students.  Who’s the teacher, and who’s the student in that situation?  As a student, I would think twice about returning to a class where the teacher flowed through sun salutations at the front of class while he/she taught.  I would wonder why the teacher feels compelled to make the teaching experience a personal practice experience for himself/herself.  How is it possible for the teacher to really observe the students and, thus “teach” the class if he/she is caught up in his/her own breath and drishti?

There are situations (i.e. demonstrations) and even styles of yoga (yin yoga, for example), where it makes sense for a teacher to perform asana with the students.    But these situations are limited, and still allow for interaction with and observation of the class as a whole.  If I were to lead an Ashtanga or a vinyasa class from the front of the room, it would be nearly impossible to observe the class while moving through the postures.

One more thing…lest I sound totally insensitive.  I do understand and empathize with new yoga teachers who feel more comfortable teaching while moving with the students…but, with time and greater familiarity with the practice it’s important to move toward teaching outside the comfort of the yoga mat.

Okay…that is all…yoga rant over.  I shan’t say anything more on the subject.

p.s. The beautiful image in this post is of Kino MacGregor.  Photo taken from the Yoga Shala’s photostream on Flicker, which you can access here.

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Receptivity And Awareness On The Mat

Jan 25, 2012 by ArkieYogini

If you have time, check out the link to David Garrigues’ latest blog post – Variance in the Breath, Effort, and Receptivity.  His blog should be on your RSS feed if it isn’t already.  Always good stuff.  In fact, I won’t post any of his quotes or videos here with the hopes that you’ll click through and discover his amazing site. 

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in this idea that it’s the breath that drives the movement in a yoga practice…well, not just the breath…but rather, a controlled and regulated breath that drives a practice.  And maybe some days it does.  There may be days when you want to experiment with the effects of a long, drawn out, rhythmic breath.  There may be other days when you adjust the pace and quality of the breath to inquire into any possible effects.  Personally, I find myself often drawn toward sustaining a specific rhythm and quality of the breath throughout the practice — which can have dramatic implications in movement.  I don’t think there’s anything wrong with experimenting in this way — perhaps it is part of the learning process.

In his post, David talks about not only becoming aware of the breath, but also becoming receptive to the forces behind the breath.  When you become aware of…well…yourself, you open up the possibility of having this awareness direct the breath.  Instead of placing some sort of contrived rhythm and quality to the breath, you can allow that quality to spontaneously arise from within.  This may mean that sometimes the breath is slow and deep while other times the breath may be quick and shallow.  It’s a subtle dance…between effort and receptivity…and it’s something I’m still just learning.  I have a feeling I’ll be learning more about this dance throughout the rest of my yoga journey.

Amazing how something so simple as the breath can lead to such powerful insights on awareness.

~ Kathryn

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