gdp's Comments

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : What to Do When Yoga Isn't Working. ~ Kathryn Slater

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Well, I for one, found a new style. This is not the first time. The first time is when I found a new style right in the neighborhood. That taught me alignment. Then my home practice took on a whole new dimension. Now, this time ... it isn't so clear-cut. There is a softness there that hadn't been in the other styles. If it influences my home practice, then I'm sitting pretty, pardon the punny phrase ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : A Scientific Approach to our Yoga Practice. ~ Nina Mel

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:14:28 +0000

Yes, bring it. The overly muscled, the inflexible of hipped, the average double digit U.S. size. There should be room for everybody ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : There's Something Wrong with Our Fame-Driven Yoga Community.

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:02:59 +0000

I love consequentialism. It is the fallback position of the popularizer. But it makes sense. What's a pragmatic person to do?!?

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : There's Something Wrong with Our Fame-Driven Yoga Community.

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:46:30 +0000

Too bad the economy is what it is. Teaching is just another form of selling. A selling of knowledge. Many of the yoga teachers I've had the karma to meet have talent enough to sell me furniture or lease me an apartment, in the same way. If only there were plenty of jobs.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 8 Replies for When People Say Yoga Is Too Expensive. ~ Sarah Weaver

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:42:08 +0000

Yeah, the studio got rid of most of that and just hired people for pay ... They'd also got rid of practically all their by-donation classes ... They found there is diminishing returns in that ... even when the yoga teachers don't try to work themselves out of a job - and in fact, try to hang onto and upsell regular students with impunity ... online competition can do it for them <smirk> Many are diversifying and following the "Wellness Center" model--offering classes people actually would like to take (as opposed to the spiritually/creative-only imperative), and can afford, e.g.., they charge a lot less for their Zumba classes ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 10 Things that Make Me Crazy about Yoga Conferences.

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:32:37 +0000

Maybe they should have been at a conventional resort instead ... PRODUCING their usual bakasana-on-the-beach shots, rather than continuing their hypeCONSUMERISM that they work so hard for and afford so well during their usual work/non-vacation lives. Americans work too hard. Those who are high enough on the food chain that they can get away for vacation may be the Masters of the Universe who need a real break--no bottle of snark necessary ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 8 Replies for When People Say Yoga Is Too Expensive. ~ Sarah Weaver

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:47:51 +0000

At a studio, you have carte blanche to market your private yoga instruction services with impunity - even if they do not have rooms for such dedicated purposes onsite ... a lot of it is in how the yoga teacher plans their income streams. WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY (until I found that the style taught, was not midscale-gym-yoga-like enough for my tastes) I had long-term-near-permanently defected from a conventional yoga studio and started taking yoga at a nonprofit yoga studio and quasi-community center that taught in the Himalayan tradition.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 10 Things that Make Me Crazy about Yoga Conferences.

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:19:53 +0000

Yay ... us!! Although I come from a very different place, neither being a yoga teacher nor one of the target demo for these conferences ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 8 Replies for When People Say Yoga Is Too Expensive. ~ Sarah Weaver

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 02:30:02 +0000

It's good to know you are being facetious in the banning of yoga DVDs... particularly since my home yoga and pilates practice has been like this: ... no technology ... (maybe music) ... maybe a little list (compiled on a PC, though) all the equipment I need ... at ready reach or at most a stopwatch [yup, I used to stretch using a stopwatch!] Hours of yoga at home and am not much into using any real-time guide (such as video or CD)... So ... banning DVDs are bad for the DVD artist (and their royalties). It may be a blow to their ego, but I use yoga and pilates teachers' DVDs for reference purposes only .... [used to work out to them a long time ago ... but then needed to innovate my own system] So, the live hatha teacher I take from fairly frequently, won't have a DVD any time soon ... DVDs are not her competition ... Just don't have the time, money or exercise-type elasticity (i.e., cannot swap out all the cardio I need to manage my condition (which I also can do on my own, at minimal cost--though not exclusively so) ) to take any form of a yoga class (live or otherwise) more than twice a week ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 8 Tips for Doing Online Yoga at Home. ~ Esther Ekhart

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:33:29 +0000

I'm not. It's what the studios have wanted since the mid-'90s. I realize, of late, how important doing yoga in community is, but there are so many others (the majority, in fact) who consider yoga practice personal and private, possibly only shared or observed by friends and loved ones: http://athomeyoga.typepad.com/at_home_yoga_with_l...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Breaking Apart the Beauty Myth. ~ Jessica Bahr

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:06:24 +0000

Lena Dunham's writing is fine; fairly precocious in fact, I don't like her acting. I meant to emphasize not to knock being a member of the lucky sperm club (born into money and connections in your field), whatever your looks. Being born on third base could trump lack of beauty and talent almost any day. Economics strikes again ...!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Breaking Apart the Beauty Myth. ~ Jessica Bahr

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:13:05 +0000

And what if the average jane were not creative or wasn't a member of the lucky sperm club? http://www.sodahead.com/entertainment/lena-dunham...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Breaking Apart the Beauty Myth. ~ Jessica Bahr

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:28:54 +0000

Since I have the majority "look" and am of the majority opinion ... I really don't like it when people tell me I have "inner beauty" ...not that that's chopped liver; but I was born kind and insightful or whatever ... despite that, who wants what anyone or everyone could develop ... ? Economic law of scarcity strikes again ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : How to Know a Real Voice When You Hear One. ~ Michelle Marchildon

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:02:12 +0000

"Therefore, if someone is telling you they are a real voice in yoga, and that everything is love and light, and the only thing that matters is love, and people are always good, and the world is always sunshine, and if we chant our hearts are one, and that everyone else is un-yogic, and that your butt looks good in Luon, run. That’s right, run." Oh, yeah ... too much of that going on ... and it's usually delivered by someone adept at doing "Yoga Voice" http://recoveringyogi.com/yoga-teacher-voice/ to boot ...

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Raw & Real: The Healing Power of Pole Dancing. ~ Michelle Cordero

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:49:29 +0000

One of the comedians in my (pro choice) tradition has stated, "It's a fetus until it graduates medical school."

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Wanted (My Yoga Wish List). ~ Kate Stone

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 03:05:03 +0000

YESSS! If not ability, then what is brought to the table, mentally. I had been there. And I'd had the classroom assistant humiliating me and "riding" me with commanding and adjusting me for every pose for a good 30% of the class, it felt. But please give your class another chance. Or try to change minds. Or both. If the minds of the teacher/assistant/studio honchos cannot be changed, then there may be many other classes/studios to choose from. If not, there are online and DVDs.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : The Bikram Mirror is for Scrying. ~ Jazmyn Burton

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:52:13 +0000

Dance students understand the function of the mirror. And so do alignment-oriented yoga students (other than Iyengar). So other than moving towards better alignment, I'm not sure what you mean by scrying ... I just hope that scrying does not include competition with anybody in the class, including the teacher. Signed, My Dance Teacher Should Teach me Dance and Not call it "Yoga"

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Wanted (My Yoga Wish List). ~ Kate Stone

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:33:28 +0000

No, you're not. Own your feelings, then disown whoever told you your feelings were wrong.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Wanted (My Yoga Wish List). ~ Kate Stone

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:31:19 +0000

Just move on and allow them to practice to their own ability. Yeah, just like we used to do in aerobics. Even if some of us had to "take back aerobics " at first ... Sometimes, yoga teachers can be so dogmatic they make those aerobics drill sergeants look downright kind. Signed, Climbed back up out from that rabbit hole

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Prison of My Own Making.

Sat, 9 Mar 2013 16:22:10 +0000

You seem so real as a yoga teacher. I wish more of them were like you rather than like Hilaria. I don't care how cheap her classes are, sometimes your heart has to be in the right place, for any amount of money ...