Author Topic: A male's take on Yoga.  (Read 1209 times)

LivingProof

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Re: A male's take on Yoga.
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2012, 06:25:24 am »
A small anecdotal story of skiing and yoga.

Some will remember that I joined Gary's Holiday Valley trip in January. Prior to going there, G and I skied his home mountain, Bristol, on Saturday. Gary knows about everyone in the locker room and he introduced me to a woman, who we met later on the mountain, and skied several runs with. During our first lift ride together, it became painfully obvious that she was going to be the dominate speaker and story teller. For those who have skied with Gary, you know that is difficult to accomplish, but, G makes it a point to engage others. I was relegated to mute status.

Anyway, she began to rant about the benefits yoga has brought to her skiing, specifically leg and core strength plus improved balance. She described the poses as very demanding on her muscles, but, well worth the effort. It was almost cultish worship of a program called Anusara Yoga, developed by a guy named John Friend. I went on the net to check it out, and, it's a major program with millions of $$$ sales and a whole network of local instructors and practitioners.

Then, this spring, a major scandal developed when it became known that Mr. Friend had made some very close female friends (plural) in the program and participated in some group sessions of a very personal nature. Plus a little wee and maybe some alcohol. He may also be manipulating some $$$ that come into his foundation for more personal use. He has now left his Anusura foundation for personal recovery, and, he has been abandoned by former devotees.

There are no lessons to be learned in the above, it's just a simple story. It just confirms my personal beliefs that we need balance in our lives, and, there is very little magic. Don't know if yoga is better, equal to or even with other workout routines where we work against the weight of our bodies. But, as I age, my body tells me that it is aging faster than my mind, and, to be very careful with how I apply stresses to joints and muscles. For sure, working out has improved my life and permits me to accomplish activities like skiing or biking that most of my peers have long abandoned.