Studying Yoga in India

Does anybody actually study yoga anymore? Time and time again I see that people classify taking a few workshops with a teacher as studying with that teacher. It seems a far cry away from the study of yoga in India when a student relocated to be near the teacher (typically at a very young age) and then proceeded to study for years with the same master. Now THAT'S study if you ask me.

When I first started to get serious about yoga, I liked the idea of having a teacher but I couldn't seem to find one. Over the course of my studies I tried different types of yoga -- all in an attempt to settle into a practice that felt right to me and to find a teacher that I wanted to study from. I thought about going to India but my schedule/lifestyle just didn't allow for that. I know I will get there but for now I am studying with a local teacher (gee, it only took me years to find one!). Yes, folks, yoga requires some perseverance and persistence. Actually yoga isn't the only thing that requires those two things, but that's a whole other post.

The point is that exploration is good. A few years into practicing a style of yoga that started to feel a bit shallow and Americanized to me, I yearned for something deeper...and then I went in search of it. I'm always amazed at the number of people who say that they tried yoga once -- one style, one teacher -- and decided that it wasn't right for them. I understand that a lot is out there and it can be intimidating -- and expensive -- to find something that works for you. Regardless, I'd say the effort is well worth it.

If you're thinking of traveling to India to get a taste of teachings steeped in ancient tradition and philosophy, a recent Business Week article lists India's top five yoga centers.

Namaste!
 

Comments

[Diane Cesa]

Thanks for your comment Daljit. You remind us that discernment is very important when it comes to separating the yogic wheat from the chaff. The good folks are out there -- you just need to look real hard.

[Diane Cesa]

Linda -- GASP! Your comment sent a little chill down my spine. How disappointing that our friends are treating people poorly. I['m sad to hear that. Just goes to show that the India location does not automatically translate into "the real deal." Thanks for enlightening us.

[Daljit Kaur]

There are a number of organisations in India promoting yoga and best are the ones promoting yoga free of cost. Most of the people visiting India may not have access to these lesser known but real Karmayogis who organise free yoga classes every day. I salute those yoga warriors.
Commercialisation of yoga stands apart from real yogis you can find in India. I had the opportunity to interact with one of the yogis aged 100 years and he is still fit as any 40-50 year old person. Those who are real yogis do not treat people differently.

[jenny miller]

Hi friends, we build up a site, basically on alternative therapies, where 'Yoga' is very essential part. As we all knows the positivity of 'Yoga', so would like to spread out this concept to the whole world. Though people are much aware about this now a days. So, plz join us here on http://www.rvita.com. Its a knowledge based and user efficacy site.

[linda]

"is that part of "meeting someone where they are" or is it marketing?"

don't know, Diane...but from my observations at the school in India in January (you know which one), let's say I didn't care for the preferential treatment given to westerners over Indians. an Indian friend of mine was treated very poorly -- that's all I'll say here. they have changed a lot in 3 years.

[Diane Cesa]

Carleen --
No apologies necessary for sharing your thoughts. I welcome them. Actually, I would consider someone like you -- someone who's self-motivated to experiment and works hard to fit a yoga practice into a busy daily schedule and lives her yoga -- to be a true yogi. I definitely don't believe that you have to go to a studio to be a true yogi. I didn't mean to imply that. I rarely go to the studio myself. I was saying that I think it's important to experiment with and study yoga on your own. I completely understand what you're saying about not having yoga resources available locally and not being able to go to India. I've never made a trip to India myself. I was trying to say -- and possibly didn't do a very good job -- that I think it's important to study yoga. That means going beyond the ego of a big-name teacher and trying different styles of yoga. For myself, I realized that what I originally thought was yoga was really exercise. I was motivated to go deeper into the practice of yoga and I did that on my own. It's taken years to delve deeper. I haven't always had the time and resources to do what I'd like in terms of study so I do what I can. You don't necessarily need a teacher. As someone very wise once said -- the guru is in you! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts -- they are good ones.

[Diane Cesa]

Nadine -- thank you so much for sharing that wonderful wisdom. So true! I'm sorry to hear that you're teacher is leaving. That can be tough -- especially when it takes so much time to find a good one. It's been a lot of trial and error for me and I'm sure that things will continue to change and develop. Thanks for your comment!

[Diane Cesa]

Hi Linda --
Again, thank you for the great recommendation (you're full of those!). If you end up going to that school, I want to hear all about your experience. You bring up a good point about catering to Westerners -- is that part of "meeting someone where they are" or is it marketing? I'm struggling with that question myself a lot lately.

[Carleen]

My apologies. I shouldn't have vented my frustrations on you blog. I based my perceptions on the things you said in your post, I seemed to have misread things.

[linda]

"In your circles I would probably never be considered a true yogi. Why? Because I don't practice yoga at a studio anymore."

for carleen:

what's a "true yogi"? yoga does not have to be "done" in a studio...for me, yoga is a way of life. one does not have to travel to india to find yoga or to study with a teacher. I am blessed that I am able to do so and I am not rich monetarily....I save every nickel, penney, and dime from my yoga teaching for my trips to india because I know in india is MY path, it may not be YOUR path.

so don't assume anything about someone's "lifestyles and money" just because someone goes to India to study yoga.

[Nadine Fawell]

GREAT post! So true. I have had a lot of trouble finding just one teacher - I have a local teacher who is my spiritual teacher, and I will be sad to leave her when I move in two weeks time, but I go to India as often as I can (like Linda) for other parts of the yoga. I sometimes think that how it works out is how it should be: I remember reading a great quote from Ganga White where he said something like his greatest teachers were God, nature, and his injuries. I feel that way quite a bit.

[Carleen]

I see what your saying...to some extent. But I'm also a realist. In your circles I would probably never be considered a true yogi. Why? Because I don't practice yoga at a studio anymore. I can't, there isn't any around where I live so I have to practice on my own, learn what I can from books, dvd's, blogs, etc. My passion for yoga is likely just as powerful as yours, trust me, I am persistant. I just don't have the resources around me to be able to have my own teacher or money to pay for classes, not to mention a trip to India. I understand the need to avoid commercialism and what you refer to as "americanism" of yoga, I'm all for authenticity, but most of the time I'm more concerned about how to fit a daily practice in when I work full time five days a week with a small baby at home. Kudos, I guess, to those of you who have lifestyles and money to attend ashrams in India where they don't "cater" to us westerners. I will likely never get to do that. But I'm not worried. To me yoga is not just a practice, a study. It's a way of life. It's in the way I breathe. They way I interact with people in my life, the emotions I choose to surrender to. I can do all that simply by standing still and looking within myself.

[linda]

I have found another yoga school in india that has come highly recommended...it is loosely associated with the Bihar School of Yoga lineage. I have decided to spend a month outside of Mumbai at their ashram. I have become a bit disenchanted with the school where I have previously studied (you know which one, Diane) and am searching for one that does not "cater" to westerners. ;)