My Yoga Superbowl

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The Ashtanga Yoga Bali Conference 2015 was described on the Conference poster as " A once in a lifetime epic event with senior teachers of Ashtanga Yoga sharing their most profound experiences after decades of exploration" . The conference has now come and gone, and it truly was a legendary experience, the presenters all being North American icons of Ashtanga Yoga. One of the presenters - Nancy Gilgoff - was the very first North American woman to have been taught the Ashtanga Yoga method. Three other of the presenters were her students who followed her back to India in the late seventies to study with her teacher, Sri Pattabi Jois. They all later returned to North America to introduce Ashtanga Yoga to the Western world. The conference presenters also included Eileen Hall, the Australian woman responsible for introducing Ashtanga Yoga to her country, thirty seven years ago. And of course, there was Manju Jois, son of Pattabi Jois, leading every session with opening chants and offering over fifty decades of wisdom himself. Legendary.

Did I mention that the conference was held in a spacious open air studio set in the jungle? After a short walk through take-your-breath-away beautiful rice paddies, each day began with two hours of Mysore instruction, where, by definition, instruction is given on an individual basis to each practitioner. Visualize one hundred yogis, each going through their individual practice while all of the Master Teachers constantly circulate the room and make adjustments, quietly giving individuals specific corrections on their poses as required. Although many yoga studios now offer led classes in Ashtanga Yoga, this is definitely a western variation on the tradition, as Ashtanga Yoga is always taught one asana at at time, and even in a group or class setting, the teachings always individualized. In this way, each practitioner works with his or her own rhythm and breathing patterns, and is not required to adjust to anyone else's pace, since the practice is intended to be a moving meditation with the focus exclusively on the breathing.

Each afternoon for six days a different presenter shared insights, teachings, and stories about the birth of yoga in the West, as these were the original Western Yogis. There were also two evening panel discussions, where conference delegates were invited to ask questions pertaining to Yoga and its place in the modern world. These sessions served to demystify, clarify, and educate, often in very humorous and practical terms. Given that a majority of the conference delegates were yoga teachers in their home countries, one particular question drew a hilarious but very insightful response from the panel. The question was asked by a woman who has been studying and practicing Ashtanga Yoga for a number of years, and although she is teaching the method now, she has never completed a specific Teacher Training Course which officially credits her as a " Certified Instructor" . She asked the panel how she should respond to those in her community who questioned her lack of paper certification. In response to her question, David Swenson - whose Ashtanga Yoga Manual is, to my knowledge, the most widely used student guide to the practice ( it certainly was mine) - jumped up and said "I'm not certified!" He was immediately followed with the same response from Nancy Gilgoff. In fact, all of the teachers on the panel proclaimed that they were not certified, including - most significantly - seventy one year old Manju Jois, whose father created the Mysore approach to teaching Ashtanga Yoga and began teaching it to him when he was fifteen years old. The point being made was that Ashtanga students traditionally were only deemed teachers after being invited to teach by their teacher, usually after years of practice, when their teacher was confident they knew the teachings well enough to pass them on. This remains the protocol in traditional Ashtanga schools. The concept of certification - acquiring a Teaching Certificate after a certain number of hours of study and dollars invested - is a very western concept.

The Conference ended with an evening of live, highly energized roots music which had the entire delegation on the floor dancing. I had the honour of opening the program with a few original songs. I very much appreciated this, as it just happened to be Tess's (my daughter's) birthday, and this performance opportunity allowed me to continue the tradition of sharing music on her day, in her memory.

I also had the privilege of spending the following week after the Conference in a workshop with Manju Jois, acquiring yet more insights into the Ashtanga Yoga tradition from a teacher who comes from India, the country and the culture where Yoga originated, and where the Mysore tradition of Yoga instruction was conceived by his father.

Given that Stan and I had dubbed this event as "My Yoga Superbowl", it goes without saying that my expectations were pretty high, conscious or otherwise. Suffice it to say that they were not only met, but far surpassed. Every day felt like a small miracle, just being there. I learned so much about the roots of Yoga, both in India and in the West. Even more importantly, I have been able to apply so much of what I have learned that I feel more confident - and more passionate - than I ever have before about this wonderful practice . Perhaps the best analogy that comes to mind is the feeling I had when I completed my Master of Education Degree after I had been teaching over twenty years. I recall thinking afterward that, although my actual teaching methods did not change so much, I now felt much more solid in my understanding of why I was doing what I did.

Kind of the same thing with Yoga. I have been practicing over forty years. Finally feel like I am getting it. Feel like I just completed a Master's Course, directly from the Masters themselves. What an honour.

But no, I am not being invited to teach. Perhaps in another lifetime. I've already done enough teaching / telling people what to do / in this lifetime, I figure. And I'm lovin' being a student again!

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Photos

Ashtanga Yoga Bali Conference 2015
In her presentation, Eileen Hall said she added the number of years of Yoga wisdom represented by the conference presenters, and it added up to about 229 years. Add a few thousand more if you include the wisdom passed down through the first Yoga Gurus who developed the science of Yoga and the Yoga Sutras. An epic event without a doubt. Feeling grateful.

The Ashtanga Yoga Bali 2015 Conference Hosts
I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to dedicate one of my songs - Because of You - to my friends, my teachers, and the Ashtanga Yoga Bali Conference Hosts, Prem and Radha Carlisi, in memory of Prem's daughter, Shanti.

Feeling Grateful
My heart is full. So grateful for this beautiful experience.

Afternoon Workshop with Eileen Hall
Every afternoon session was different, as each presenter shared their stories and insights from their years Ashtanga Yoga study. Eileen shared her experience being one of Pattabi Jois's first western students thirty seven years ago. She also shared her story as a breast cancer survivor, and how her experience has influenced her yoga teachings. She now specializes in teaching Ashtanga Yoga classes to persons with major physical disabilities. A powerful and inspiring woman. All five feet two inches of her.

Inside The Yoga Studio
Yoga etiquette: stay on your mat and off your neighbour's during practice - no matter how close they are or what type of inverted or otherwise complicated asana you are doing. Unfortunately I do not have any photos to share of the conference delegates in the midst of Mysore practice, as I was always busy practicing - no time for photos! I believe this shot was taken when most people were already finished.

The Conference Yoga Wisdom Collective
Two hundred and twenty nine combined years of wisdom and experience In Ashtanga Yoga teachings. Meet the Yoga Conference presenters. My teachers Prem Carlisi (centre front) and his wife Radha ( (white shirt, long hair) inspired, organized, and hosted the conference. Thank you Prem and Radha.

Conference Hall in the Rice Paddies
Pretty sweet walk to the Yoga Shala

Who's That on the Dance Floor?
Why, it's Stanley Bear! Awesome!

A Room Full of Dancing Yogis
Fantuzzi, the lead singer in white, was an incredibly talented and vibrant entertainer who quickly had the crowd energized as he sang and danced around in his long white flowing robes.

Fantuzzi on Fire
It is such fun to be in the presence of a natural born, truly talented entertainer. This man was born to entertain.

An Artist's Perspective
This shot was photographed and enhanced by fellow yogi, conference delegate, and visual artist Catherine Boggs. Thank you, Catherine, for your interpretation of this artist who speaks more from the heart than the head. I love it.

Thank You From My Heart to Yours
The smile says it all . . . always.
Once again, thank you Catherine Boggs for capturing these moments and enhancing them with your creative energy. And yes, I too love the unfocused presentation. Things should not always be crystal clear and too defined. Especially aging faces :)

Guitar Player
Another creative interpretation in photo editing. Thank you Catherine.

Ashtanga Yoga Bali Conference 2015
So much learning. So much growth. It will be a while before I stop buzzing from this conference. Maybe I never really will, as so much of what I learned has now become part of my practice and enhanced my understanding of yoga, which I practice and try to live every day.

Comments

[Susan]

"From teacher to student" sounds like a wonderful lesson to take away from your amazing experience. I'm so happy you were part of it all.