I have a confession to make.
I am a recovering yoga snob.
This might sound funny to you but it’s a very serious condition.
Since I first got into yoga, my natural inclinations have been towards alignment and joint mechanics. In 2002 when I found Iyengar Yoga and learned that their central focus was exactly this, I was immediately hooked. I already practiced near 4 hours a day and when I started receiving more in-depth teachings, I lit up like a rocket ship. My body got stronger, my flexibility increased and my life efficiency was juiced.
The deeper I got into the practice though, the more self-righteous I became. I judged other techniques and I formed a team around me who supported my views.
Going to a class outside of the Iyengar system was excruciating! I would look around the room and see so many misaligned poses. Poses that would make me cringe. And while there’s something to be said about teachers letting their students do whatever they are doing and habituating unhealthy movement patterns, my judgment was through the roof.
Judgement is something that is quite natural for me, actually. It’s part of my childhood wounding of feeling so severely criticized by my father and step-mother. Those feelings got internalized and have manifested over the years as lack of self-worth and hatred towards others.
I even remember a time in California when I bought a 5 class pass to a local studio just to see how bad the teachers were! I would do anything to prove my point and feel validated in my perspective.
It’s only now that I’m seeing the error of my ways and doing an about face.
Over the past two years I have opened up to my real yoga family. Instead of staying in a narrow, dogmatic system my view is much larger. My dedication is, and has always been, to proper human movement and the development of consciousness. If you are teacher that is spreading intelligence, kindness, functional movement, not over-stretching joints/ligaments and being compassionate, then I have a lot of respect for what you are doing and we are on the same page. If that’s not you, if you’re crabby or just in yoga for the glam, I hope that at some point that changes.
And yoga needs some changes. There are aspects of our practice that need to be flipped around. Teacher Trainings need more science behind them. Our standards need to be raised.
I see now that I am committed to making that happen. I also see that instead of looking at this from a judgmental and frustrated perspective I am going to create a team around me and offer my insights from a place of inclusion, love and education. Yoga has given so much to me and I am going to do all I can to give back to it.
Thanks Jory. I am using what you taught in Asheville every week. I learned so much! I need a refresher. I never get it all the first time. Looking forward to your DVD. I am still looking for anyway possible to help my son. It is very difficult to figure out how to activate a muscle that is not there on an amputee.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Angie
Thanks for sharing, Angie! Online course is looking to be launched on April 1st. And you can always come take the course again for half off as a repeat. 🙂
I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to share
TY from the bottom of my heart
Thank You, Ava.
Hallelujah! Beautiful and vulnerable.
In Patanjali’s wisdom ,
Yamas & Niyamas first
Congratulations ? ?
Brother for your graduation to the next grade.
There are many more graduations that lie ahead.
Acknowledge, celebrate and REMEMBER what you have learned along the way!
BE WELL!
From the heart, Jory. It’s sooooo important that we as a people respect and uplift those who aren’t afraid to change their view. I feel like so many of our world’s problems stem from embarrassment and pride – folks not willing to own up to mistakes in thinking. Thanks for being a model of self-realization. Xo
HI Jory,
I totally agree with you and have known for a long time that I too am an Iyengar snob. However, in the recent years I’ve observed that many forms of yoga practice and instruction in the West have come a long way, and that Iyengar yoga teachers are not the only good ones. Other systems have many insights to offer as well. In fact, I even have a Kundalini trained teacher at the Yoga Center of Marin now. I am very grateful for my strong Iyengar background, but can appreciate and learn from other systems too.
Hey Suzanne!
That sounds awesome. I think we are challenged with this quite head on with our Iyengar background. I am thrilled to hear you have also branched out and let your guard down. And so glad about my time teaching teaching at your studio in Marin. Hope to see you next time I am out in SF.
Im glad you opened your heart and your eyes. My most recent yoga teacher doesn’t know that I left her teaching behind because of her snobbish personality. She was very good at teaching the correct physical aspect of yoga and for that I will remain very grateful. She lost me when I often became the student she made jokes about during the class. Maybe she thought it was okay because I smiled a lot. My friends would often ask me after class if I minded the remarks. I did but wouldn’t admit it. When a few of my friends joined a gym I did too. We left that teacher as a group because negative feelings were building up. The first gym yoga class was with black strobe lights which I hated. I guess it was supposed to be fun but it wasn’t. I stopped after trying out all the teachers. Most were really good at yoga but not at teaching. I haven’t practiced anywhere but home in 2 years. I miss the intimacy of a group class but I haven’t found anything near my home.
Thanks for sharing your story. I haven’t thought about that yoga teacher in a while but maybe she will read this article.
Thanks for sharing, Kloe. Means a lot.
Great insight, thanks for sharing and helping me to see my own judgements.
Miss you Jory!
Glad to see you are doing well.
You too, bud.
Hi Jory
I look forward to meeting you in Florida at your workshop and would love to be included as part of this team to make changes. There is huge need to ensure that yoga is given the richness it deserves rather than a watered down version which can lead to injury and lack of understanding of its scientific principles. For everything yoga can do it can undo if not done correctly.
Annette ( Certified Iyengar Teacher)
Yeah, Annette! Looking forward to meeting you, too. Spreading the family. 🙂
Thank you for sharing. It’s wonderful that yoga has grown you in all directions. Keep up the good direction and hope our paths will cross. I would love to take your AYI seminar someday soon.