Guru Gone

Dear Yogis!

On Juneteenth, June 19th, a day of reflection on the end of slavery, the Ashtanga world got together to discuss ‘Ashtanga Yoga 2021 & Beyond’, how inclusive, modern, inviting and how sincere the yoga world is. When I say ‘the yoga world’ I mean highly respected teachers such as my teacher David Swenson and others on the world circuit like Eddie Stern and Adam Keen.

We need discussion, said Adam Keen. We don’t want to rehash the past; we don’t want to hear the old stories again! The backdrop to this conference is of course the pandemic and the spare time people have had to think about questions of cultural appropriation and abuse scandals of previously highly respected teachers like Pattabhi Jois and more recently in the Sivananda school.  

What is the role of the guru? What do we preserve? What is tradition? What do we lose if we deny the traditional structures of the yoga/hindu/vedic tradition?

David said something I’ve heard him say before and I like: ‘When I hear the word ‘tradition’ I’m always fascinated to know what does that mean? What is tradition? If you went to class (when he was alive) with Pattabhi Jois one day and the next day with his son Manju and the next day with his daughter Saraswathi, and then with his grandson Sharath, and then with Sharmila, his granddaughter, you will have had five different experiences. The original practice of yoga was for Indian-born, male, Brahmin kids. The vast majority of us would be eliminated from the possibility of even doing yoga. That was the tradition. Should we honour that? At some point, it is about the information, disseminating it and letting people choose.

“Honouring the tradition is going to be a little different for all of us because we have a different experience and a different relationship to yoga. The tradition is not a cookie cutter. We won’t look exactly the same. The tradition is malleable but when it goes too far, is it still the tradition?! That’s the paradox that we’re playing with. When we’re all gone, Ashtanga will still be happening but who knows what it will look like”.  

Any time spent in David Swenson’s company is time well spent!

Zoom Classes 

Roll up roll up! I know it’s hot but don’t skip a stretch. Wet and wring out a flannel with cold water and have it by your mat to mop your brow occasionally. It really helps. I also have to do a bit of advertising; I am sorry… I’ve been buying a hand sanitiser that is made from essential oils, created by a nurse. It’s really refreshing… nothing like putting the on the acid burn of the normal sanitiser! Have a look. They don’t know I’m writing this. I’m just telling everyone! Anyway, come to class today at 5.00. For all classes and especially today, you can book here.

Yoga in the news 

The Guardian has: Scarborough hopes to woo millennials with surfing, yoga and dolphins. ‘Zoe Burns, 30, has run sunrise yoga classes on North Bay beach since Covid forced her to relocate from hotels and gyms. While the first session did not go to plan – “a dog ran over and peed on the yoga mats. It was a comedy of errors” – they have since proven popular.’

WNYC (radio) has: A New Book from Jessamyn Stanley, Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance. “Because yoga is about looking within yourself it always leads you back to your own cultural identity, it doesn’t lead you to someone else’s cultural identity. But, because American culture is so deeply embedded in white supremacy and colonialism and colonisation, and particularly the way that yoga in south Asia has been shared with the rest of the world that is also embroiled in British imperialism and a strong legacy of colonisation, all of that has led to the way that we approach yoga, coming from a space of theft, wanting to put on the cloak of another person.”

Insider has: I did yoga in the immersive Van Gogh exhibition. Take a look at the beautiful pictures!

Have a beautiful weekend.