And here I am back home still feeling the buzz of my last month worth spent in India. In Chennai again attending an advanced Teachers training course with one of sri T. Krishnamacharya’s students, Srivatsa Ramaswami.
He is a character, a kind and lovely person and its remarkable how he manages to spend his energy during the day, doing the teacher training course on his own, with no other teachers to help, talking non stop, chanting, leading the classes while we, his students and younger(…) were completely knackered at the end of the day….
It is true that he has tons of knowledge in his head and it was hard for us to grasp whatever he was saying since he was a like a waterfall of words and meanings, like a firing cannon with gems.
However, he was very clear with the system that he’s been working on during the time he was studying with sri T. Krishnamacharya. Equally clear was the way he transferred his knowledge to us. Then it is up to us to integrate his teachings into our own practice and day. It was definitely not a therapy programme and at times me and a couple of others questioned the safety aspects of his teachings…BUT he said quite a few times that it was the Vinyasa and the Vinasa routines for people who start yoga early in their lives (like he did) and not for people who start later in life, with issues who need modifications.
In any case, true teacher the way I see it means: kind, caring, knowledgeable, emotionally strong, calm, ready to provoke challenges at times and/or to be controversial. Sri Ramaswami had all of these and yes, we questioned aspects of his teachings but NEVER the authenticity of is teachings.
So, my practice or aspects of my practice have changed.
A complete would consist of:
30min Vinyasa sequences / choosing from numerous standing/sitting/ lying Vinyasa routines and subroutines.
30mins Asana practice / stay 5mins in paschimmatanasana, 5mins sirsahasana, 5mins sarvangasana (+counterpostures), 5 mins Maha mudra.
15mins Pranayama + 2mins Pratyachara (shanmukhi mudra)
10mins Meditation
Wish me luck..
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