tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post2833039285181928887..comments2024-03-21T00:30:14.738-07:00Comments on Yoga in the Dragon's Den: Practice, and musings on the place of teacher and self-feedback in the practiceNobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-50425353752235934382011-01-22T14:18:08.171-08:002011-01-22T14:18:08.171-08:00sereneflavor, thanks for the encouraging words :-)...sereneflavor, thanks for the encouraging words :-) <br /><br />"The cow thrives, when the farmer gazes at her." How hilarious!Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-48196081773238656932011-01-22T14:16:56.212-08:002011-01-22T14:16:56.212-08:00Hello Susan, thank you for your valuable comments....Hello Susan, thank you for your valuable comments. You said, "it can be helpful to talk to a teacher about it, but ultimately only we have any idea what is going on in our body at any given moment, or whether trying to get into padmasana today is going to aggravate our knee or not." <br /><br />I think this is very well-said and true. It is so important to listen to our bodies closely and make good decisions based on this. <br /><br />Your comment made me really miss practicing at my teacher's shala :-)Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-67980592479844161762011-01-22T11:56:02.009-08:002011-01-22T11:56:02.009-08:002 things. Nothing wrong with enjoying what your bo...2 things. Nothing wrong with enjoying what your body can do and show it off thanks to your hard constant work. I think some people call it a reward. And to agree with Susananda, I used to have a very "intense" Jamaican boss who used to say: "The cow thrives, when the farmer gazes at her." Hilariously, she meant it as a compliment when she observed us giving an exceptional lesson!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-52872899309835354202011-01-22T03:15:11.902-08:002011-01-22T03:15:11.902-08:00Hi Nobel,
I see what you're saying... but I t...Hi Nobel,<br /><br />I see what you're saying... but I think we all have to develop the same ability to make these constant judgment calls throughout practice, whether we go to a shala or not.. it can be helpful to talk to a teacher about it, but ultimately only we have any idea what is going on in our body at any given moment, or whether trying to get into padmasana today is going to aggravate our knee or not.<br /><br />I've done lots of long periods of home practice, and still practice at home whenever I skip the shala. I think people who have a shala they love are mostly very conscious that it can be a crutch, because simply put there is just an element of 'more energy' there. I think it's important to maintain the ability to self-practice. Self-practice has its own advantages in that I might play around a little bit or add things in, I might listen to music and also I can become incredibly absorbed in the practice without all the distractions of the shala. But the downside is I become lazy, which I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't also mean slower.. this practice takes up enough of my day as it is! I'm much more likely to resist the temptation of child's pose before kapotasana at the shala. I guess the 'extra energy' can come from a desire to impress or to please one's teacher, to show that one is making a sincere effort.. or just be a case of 'inspiration' from one's shala mates, the very real effects of the energy fields and ujjayi breathing and tapas of the others. Or a mixture.<br /><br />Apart from the energy crutch, I go to a teacher because 1) she actually made me believe I could do things I never thought I'd be able to do (karandavasana) and 2) she picks on annoying things in my practice which I don't think need fixing and would have no inclination to work on by myself. And she is usually right, so this part's important.<br /><br />Have a nice Saturday, off to do my washing now :)susanandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07608125527941228200noreply@blogger.com