Yoga And Ego, Two Things That Do Not Mix. #Yoga

In the past several years we've experienced the downfall of important 'modern' yoga leaders including John Friend who originated the Anusara yoga practice and Bikram Choudhry and his hot yoga practice. While no one can take away the fact that these people have introduced and inspired many people to practice yoga, it is most important to understand that ego and yoga just do not mix.

Yoga and social media has become an interesting trend in recent years, something you will have to make your own personal judgement on. In some cases good instruction comes along with the pretty poses and in other cases it appears to just to be about gaining influence and making money.

While yoga can be a physical practice, is is really about healing and focusing inward. When ego becomes involved we start focusing outward;  caring too much about how we look, teachers seeking to control and not guide students, injuries, and even sexual abuse.

A good teacher is your guide to developing a personal practice unique to your needs, both physical and emotional. I've personally taught Ashtanga yoga Healing Therapy to people 13-85 who are athletes and with serious physical problems including cancer, obesity (now slim and fit) spinal surgery, arthritis (adult and children), emotional issues, and even someone with  late stage emphysema. Therefore perceptions by most people of what Ashtanga is as a purely physical practice are wrong. 


By Allen Barkus. Allen has been practicing Ashtanga yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2004. His initial teacher training was with David Swenson and has been the student of Manju Jois since 2004. Manju, along with his father, introduced Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga to America in 1975. His studies focus on Healing Therapy. He is available in Philadelphia for private lessons and clinics and travels around the world teaching clinics. www.AshtangabyAllen.com

What Is Yoga? This May Sound Like A Silly Question But Is It? #Yoga

By Allen Barkus- www.AshtangabyAllen.com I teach yoga privately in Philadelphia and clinics/training's worldwide focusing on Healing Therapy for body and mind.


To start with...This post is not about judgement. In all honesty I'm glad that people in general are seeking ways to move and improve themselves, ideally with proper instruction to progress and avoid injuries.

What is yoga? In the simplest form the answer is that it is an ancient system for healing for mind and body in Hindu tradition. What you may not know is many things that are called yoga created in and for our Western society are not actually yoga in any traditional sense.  While it is great that people are doing these practices, many are externally rather than internally focused as yoga is meant to be practiced.

The most basic core of the physical practice, actually 8 limbs, is pranayama. Pranayama is internal breath control, during practice as Ujjayi breath. Therefore if you are not breathing properly you are stretching, not doing yoga.

Some of the things we are told are not quite correct: One of those things is things is that you are "detoxing" while sweating during hot yoga practices. In traditional yoga your internal organs detox by internally heating your body through breath (pranayama), movement (vinyasas), the positions (asanas)  and internal locks (bandhas). With external heat you are mostly just sweating. The assumption that all sweat is bad is also not true. In traditional yoga you practice with a clean body,  ideally with a hot shower,
the toxins evaporate and you rub the good minerals back into your skin to reabsorb.

Tips For How To Choose A Yoga Teacher By Allen Barkus, Available For Private Lessons In Philadelphia And For Clinics Worldwide. #Yoga #YogaTips #Ashtanga

Tips For How To Choose A Yoga Teacher
By Allen Barkus

https://www.ashtangabyallen.com/  This post has been viewed over 6,000 times worldwide.



As a yoga teacher who has been teaching teachers for many years there are some very important things I recommend you to consider before choosing a yoga teacher, both private and for going to classes at a yoga studio or gym. Ideally I recommend a studio.  A good teacher understands the practice is purely about you and can guide you towards a lifetime practice to keep your body and mind healthy. A not-so-good teacher does not take the time to understand an individual student's' needs, potentially leading to injuries. Recently one of my former students whom has physical limitations trusted a new teacher at a studio and ended up becoming seriously injured, leading me to want to share these guidelines:

1. The first thing you should ask your teacher is about their own personal practice. The guideline I use before teaching a teacher to teach is that they should have 5 years of personal daily practice, not just going to classes. There is a lot to be learned from a personal practice. In Ashtanga yoga the traditional way to learn is Mysore style, a guided practice that allows you to progress only as you are ready and able.

 Ideally your teachers should be experienced and follow a direct yoga lineage. My teachers were taught by Manju Jois, whom brought Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga to America in 1975 along with his father. I started my practice in 1998.  In 2004 Manju became my teacher and continues to be my exclusive teacher.  Manju's father, K. Pattabhi Jois, originated the modern Ashtanga practice. Pattabhi Jois was taught by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, also the teacher of B.K.S. Iyengar, and is considered to be the "Father of Modern Yoga".

2. Should you go to a yoga studio or gym? Having a yoga studio focused on a style that suits your needs, physical, emotional and/or spiritual is ideal. If a yoga studio is not available to you, yes there are good teachers that teach at gyms. I met my first teacher at a gym.

3. Once you do get to get to a class there are some very important things to keep in mind. The first thing is the time on your mat is purely about you and your teacher should understand that. I've encountered situations when teachers bring their personal issues into their classes, not a healthy environment for students. A good teacher understands their students have busy lives and that is their time to focus on themselves for personal fitness and healing. The second thing to keep in mind is that a good teacher will take the time to observe you and get to know you and your limitations before giving assists in asanas/poses. In one case I had a teacher at a studio that had never seen me before stand on me, something that could have easily injured me, when he could have easily given me a more gentle/thoughtful assist.  The third and possibly most important thing is that you have to be mindful of your own body and not to do things you are not ready to do, an easy way to get injured. Yoga is a life practice; Every body is different and some things will be easy for you and some things harder. Therefore you should be just focused on your own practice, not what anyone else is doing. If something is too hard for you, just take a break and do child's pose.
Your teacher will explain what that is.

 If you make a commitment to your practice you will be amazed about what you are able to accomplish. One of my students lost 70 pounds in 8 months just doing his practice with no other life changes. He also healed a serious breathing problem and some other issues.

4. What about yoga online videos, streaming classes, DVD's, and books? I personally think these sources and be both helpful and damaging without the guidance of a personal teacher since basics including proper breathing and alignment need to be understood. If proper alignment is not practiced injuries can easily happen and an experienced teacher will alter asanas/positions to your personal needs and abilities. Also if not doing proper breathing/pranayama you are doing stretching, not yoga. Therefore if not breathing properly you are not gaining the full benefit of the practice.

By Allen Barkus. Allen has been practicing Ashtanga yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2004. His initial teacher training was with David Swenson and has been the student of Manju Jois since 2004. Manju, along with his father, introduced Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga to America in 1975. His studies focus on Healing Therapy. He is available in Philadelphia for private lessons and clinics and travels around the world teaching clinics. www.AshtangabyAllen.com