a way, not "the" way

What's a girl to do? So many different styles, teachers and rules. I think I found "a" way that makes sense.

"a" way, not "the" way

It can be a bit startling the first time (or maybe even the first few hundred times) you realize there are lots of different styles of yoga with lots' of different types of teachers with lot's and lot's of varying viewpoints regarding “real” yoga. After a while it can not only be a bit unnerving, but it can be a bit irritating. Different teachers all touting they know “the way”, the “right way”, the “sacred way”, the “way it was originally meant to be taught” or passed down, or whatever. In fact, the whole thing reminds me of my college boyfriend. He was a great person, he treated me well and he believed his way of believing in God was not only the right way, but the only way. In fact, he believed everyone who didn't believe like him was wrong. Not only in college, but even now, I can sometimes buy into such believing. In some ways, it is easier to go along with people who believe so blindly that they have the way. It's certainly easier to go along with it rather than question and find our own path.

The difference among yoga styles came up again for me as I attended the Sri Vatsa Ramaswami teacher training in May. It was mind blowing. The contrast between Sri K Pathabi Jois' Asthanga Vinyasa Yoga and Ramaswami's style called Vinyasa Krama really knocked me off the mat.

As I look back on the last four or five years I have devoted a lot of practice time and study time to Sri K Pathabi Jois' style of yoga practice, called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. In this sometimes called “gymnastic” like practice you move through a series of poses in the same order, with a strong breath practice and your heart rate gets up. It is not uncommon to sweat buckets and finish the practice in a pool of water on your mat. All of this internal heat that is created is said to help detoxify the body. When I was first introduced to the practice, I threw myself into it with all of my might. I continued to teach other forms of yoga, but Ashtanga was my love. Some might say my obsession. In my opinion, the practice seems to lend itself to this obsessional quality. Maybe because it is so challenging and maybe because it takes such dedication and devotion. Maybe it gets this type of reputation because so many Type A personalities are drawn to this style of practice. It seems to catch the people who's minds don't settle down in a slower paced sort of practice and it seems to catch the people who are interested in a work out. As they said on the Seinfeld show “not that I think there is anything wrong with that.” Really. I don't. Seriously.

Although I have made some effort, I have never had the opportunity to meet Sr K Pathabi Jois but understand he has kind eyes and a gentle smile. I understand people's desire to travel at great lengths to see him and practice with him. I used to dream about going to Mysore India for a month or two to practice with him. I think this dream began to fall apart when I realized how much ego was tied into that plan. Wouldn't people think I rocked if I went to study with Sri K Patthabi Jois? Wouldn't it be cool to say...wouldn't my physical practice shift with 60 days of mysore practice in mysore. Wow, I might more easily put my foot behind my head. Wow.

So, there I sit in front of Sri Vatsa Ramaswami. It was my second time seeing him in person. The first time was four or five years ago when I attended a half day workshop. The half day was a bit frustrating because I had a difficult time understanding his accent and I couldn't fully do all of the postures (needless to say this was very early on the yoga path). So, anyway, through a series of events it seemed time for me to try seeing Ramaswami again. Everything seemed to fall in place and I was able to take the time off work and spend seven days in chicago for the training. I spent that week studying with RamaSwami in the same studio where I have attended numerous Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga workshops.

As I arrived for the first class, there were two students in the hallway and we began waiting for the studio to be unlocked. In arrives Sri Vatsa Ramaswami. He is an older gentleman with beautiful brown skin and kind eyes. He is quiet and unassuming. He wore gray dress pants, a white cotton long sleeved shirt (untucked) and a thin sweater vest. I introduced myself and told him how glad I was to meet him and have this opportunity to study with him. He responded kindly and then was silent. No idle chit chat. No talk of the weather, of his flight from India, of his anything, of my anything.

Silence. We continued waiting for about ten more minutes. This quiet, unassuming manner was consistent throughout the week. He taught standing in front of the room, barefoot and in the same (or similar) clothes he had on in our first meeting. He didn't make jokes, he didn't add commentary to the practice, he concisely instructed us with a compassion and kindness seeping through his pores. During our breaks he would quietly walk to the entryway and sit on the bench. He would respond when asked a question and would otherwise sit. Just sit.

The week consisted of lots of asana practice, more pranayama practice than I have ever done and more chanting and talk of the sutras than I have ever had the opportunity to study. Ramaswami said things like “yoga is not a work out...go to the gym to work out and then practice your yoga.” He talked about the importance of NOT getting our heart rate up when we practice yoga. He noted that historically the belief in yoga is that our lifespan is determined by the number of breaths we take, therefore we don't want to be panting through our practice because ultimately it would shorten our life. Ramaswami also talked about practicing asana practice seven days a week, even on full moon and new moon days. He said not to study the vedas on the full moon and new moon days. Any time Ramaswami noticed people getting too hot or not breathing steadily he would have us rest on our backs.

WHAT? What is happening? How can this be? How can this cool as a cucumber teacher who studied with Krishnamacharya (the father of yoga as we know it) for thirty three years have such a wildly different approach to yoga than say Sri K Patthabi Jois who also studied with Krishnamacharya? It's maddening. How can they both be right? Doesn't someone have to be wrong? Don't I have to pick?
Can I practice both? Can I teach both? Is this world about to come tumbling down?

Ramaswami never once said anyone else or anything else was wrong. He never once used another style to compare to the practice he was teaching. He never said other practices weren't as good. He never said his practice was good. He didn't say his practice was “right” or “the way”. He never once did anything other than provide instruction in a clear and concise manner stating it was exactly as his teacher taught him. He provided little physical adjustments but offered verbal instructions when necessary and useful. He quite obviously practiced what he taught...moderation in speech so not to excite the senses. Slow, steady and deep.

During the time I was in Chicago for the training I didn't pop Ibuprofen. The hamstring, piriformis issue I have been having after doing forward bends didn't bother me once l week. I didn't have trouble sleeping. I didn't wake up sore or agitated. I didn't once ponder the idea of skipping out of part of the training. The mind felt even and steady. There wasn't a lot of mental activity. Time seemed to move slowly. I didn't find myself obsessing over the difference between my body and my neighbor's body. In fact, there seemed to be an exceptional amount of space. Something was different.

So what does all this mean? Maybe it means nothing. Maybe it means I have had the great fortune to meet an amazing yoga teacher. He exuded yoga. He likely unknowingly helped me question a pattern of beliefs I had bought into about the practice and he deepened and widened my understanding of yoga. After the week I see more clearly that I can practice different styles of yoga. In addition to Ashtanga Vinyasa, I can also practice a style of yoga that is both challenging and complete and different from what I have known for the past five years. He helped me see that my needs and interests change and that they may change again. He inspired me to study, he inspired me to practice and he inspired me to live in this life with less suffering. Maybe it isn't “the” way but “a” way.