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#Post#: 89--------------------------------------------------
Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: yogasimplifiedmethod Date: October 12, 2022, 7:01 am
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Chapter 7 - Warning: Guides are not licensed
We touched little on this topic during the first immersion when
we spoke about spiritual toxicity and used Bikram as an example.
Like any field, unfortunately, many exploit others who take
advantage of vulnerabilities and may also convince
students/followers/disciples to follow only one path. For some,
it may be beneficial to do so, as it may help to keep a person
focused. On the other hand, we could also limit our abilities to
discern. Hence, as your YTT guides, we encourage exploration and
you to look into different styles, make the sequence your own
(within the format), and reflect on yourselves. However, we also
know that if you intend to follow a particular path, style, or
preference, you are equipped to realize it may or may not work
for you, anybody, or everybody, and that's ok!
Sometimes, the path can become too much, and I can attest that
yoga teacher training can be too. Dr. Goldberg talks about his
experience being a follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and
specific experiences left him jaded. This touches on the
burn-out topic we went over during the zoom session. Thus, when
asked how your weekend went and what your non-negotiables are,
remember that although we require hours from you, it is to help
add a movement to life, not make you freeze on it. Yoga teacher
training was not like that many years ago. It did require total
unabated commitment and devotion to years of studying under one
guru. Fortunately, as paradoxical as it may come across, the
colonization of yoga gave way for the study of yoga to be far
more accessible and flexible.
Travel Tip - Reflect on the inspiration discussion last night.
In this travel tip exercise, you will see the topics such as:
Define the role
Choose wisely
Hold them to high standards
Don't expect perfection
Hold yourself to high standards
Don't give up your will
The teacher is not the teaching
Why just one?
Choose one to elaborate on. I have noticed you all have already
dappled in a few of these unbeknownst to you simply by the
responses to the sutras, theming, and previous questions. You
may get sick of these questions at some point, which is fine.
However, each time will peel away a thin layer of what you may
have been holding on to, afraid to let go of, yearning to
explore, to be relieved you may not be alone, give reassurance,
and plant seeds for long-term growth.
Chapter 8 - Explore at your own risk
"When you listen openly to new perspectives, your erroneous
beliefs and personal biases are exposed. This can be
disconcerting, but it is far more valuable in the long run than
the false comfort of a flawed or incomplete spirituality. And
the opposite can occur....." Isn't that the truth?!
Going through the travel tip list, the one that stood out for my
journey was eight, "exotic does not equal better." I remember
vividly walking through this mountain town at the base of the
Himalayas, thinking about how I could have spent my money
elsewhere. Why did I travel halfway around the world only to be
with myself and meditate? But I did, and after that process, I
am glad it happened for many reasons. Indeed it was not better;
it was a forceful challenging experience. Nevertheless, I got
what I needed out of it at that time.
For you, again, go through the list of topics and elaborate on
what speaks to you. It does not need to be solely focused on
yoga; it can be about anything, i.e., relationships, college
courses, travel, friendships, etc.
#Post#: 122--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: oliviamarotta Date: October 17, 2022, 10:53 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7 - Warning: Guides are not licensed
Travel Tip #7 - The teacher is not the teaching
My interpretation of “the teacher is not the teaching” is that
there needs to be a clear distinction between the knowledge and
the vessel to allow for the fallibility of humans to stand on
its own separate from an ideology. It also relays the idea that
every individual will understand and comprehend the same
information in a different way, and how it is important to
accept this uniqueness instead of expecting uniform thinking
among everyone. A metaphor that I think of is that we could all
listen to the same song and each interpret different meaning.
Each person’s life experiences, beliefs, and values shape their
perspective and how they view the world. When we are asked what
yoga is to us, we are all referring to the same practice,
however the way that each of us describes it and carries it out
in our own lives is different.
Chapter 8 - Explore at your own risk
Travel Tip #4 - Give it a fair chance
This travel tip discusses how we need to practice patience in
our spiritual journey and not expect immediate results. I think
that this is applicable in the world today as we value quick
fixes and instant gratification. Being disciplined and committed
to something long enough to see results is not often the path
that is chosen because it is more difficult and requires
consistent effort. I think that the clients that come to the
Collective have seen the value in “giving it a fair chance” as
we are lifestyle and wellness-driven, not results-driven. The
studio does not promise quick weight loss results or anything
like that, but rather encourages clients to show up for
themselves consistently with an open mind and they will begin to
notice a shift in their mental, spiritual, emotional and
physical health.
#Post#: 124--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: Erin Curro Date: October 17, 2022, 12:42 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7
Travel Tip: Question 9
“That’s the complete opposite of what you told me before.”
“You’re right. And they’re both 100% true.”
This made me smile because I can struggle with looking at things
too dichotomously or black and white. Especially if I am
learning something new. It feels tempting to want to know what
is the right and best way to do something vs. allowing it to
feel more grey and intuitive and it depends. Which sidebar that
is what I got accustomed to hearing as it was the common answer
to all of my questions I would ask during my doctoral program,
“it depends,” and I had to learn to be more accepting of this
which in all honesty used to really frustrate me haha. So, I
like that this principle encourages to at certain times, put our
faith entirely in someone we trust and to equally recognize that
we are completely responsible for our own lives. This makes me
think of the importance of not becoming too dependent on someone
else to increase our wellbeing and recognize that we are also
responsible for our own healing. And in that process, it is
absolutely ok to reach out for help and support of someone we
regard highly. While knowing the responsibility is on us to
follow through on the advice we receive if we choose to receive
it.
Chapter 8
Travel Tip: Question 5
“Monitor Yourself. Try not to contaminate your judgment with
either wishful thinking or fear.”
Oh, this resonated deeply. I have been guilty throughout my life
at different times to be so quick to want something to be better
that I either succumb to wishful thinking or try something new
that does not feel like it is “working” and then back off
because of fear. Post-ED recovery while I had addressed a lot of
the psychological manifestations that led to it and worked
through how this got mapped onto controlling food/body/weight,
post-recovery I encountered a whole bunch of gut issues. (Which
now looking back makes so much sense given how trauma etc. shows
up in the body or as Des and one of my favorite books says, "the
body keeps the score" and the brain-gut connection is a direct
highway of neurons.) I would often engage in wishful thinking
trying to fix it and be deeply saddened or fearful when it felt
like “everything” was not working or getting better or my body
was betraying me even when I did the "right" things. This has
been a journey for me in learning more about myself and my body
and how to best care for it and what I have found to be most
helpful is trusting the process including when it does not feel
like it is working or counterintuitive. One of the things that
has helped also I am learning as I practice our YTT sequence is
how I apparently literally do not breathe. Well I do, but very
shallowly. And I have learned, especially through YTT, the power
of pranayam and proper breathing techniques to self-regulate my
mind and body. My poor patients are going to kill me one of
these days hearing me harp on some of these techniques. :-) And
please also let me be the first to say I am not perfect at this
by any means and still working on cultivating this relationship.
Also makes me think of how butterflies are created, they have to
literally battle their way out of the cocoon and it is an
incredibly painful process, yet the struggle is what strengthens
their wings and allows them to fly. If you help them and break
the cocoon open for them, they will not be able to. I try to
remember that when I encounter growing pains, whatever those may
be and I offer it if it resonates with anyone else as well.
😊
#Post#: 128--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: erin_kelly Date: October 18, 2022, 4:28 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7 - Travel Tip #8
Why just one? This one stands out to me because I think it is
important to learn from multiple people. It's stated in the book
that “different teachers can serve different needs” I think it
is important to keep that in mind throughout life. It is nice to
learn from someone but what they say isn't the end all be all.
Getting information from different sources and learning is very
important in a spiritual journey and through life.
Chapter 8 - Travel tip #4
Give it a fair chance. This is about being impatient and giving
too soon. I find this important to keep in mind through my
spiritual journey and grief journey. I am slowly learning that
things take time. Healing from grief and trauma takes time as
well as my spiritual journey. If you give up too soon you may
never know what that path has in store for you.
#Post#: 129--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: heidi91@comcast.net Date: October 18, 2022, 5:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7 why just one:
My dad (my hero❤️) always says “you can learn
something from everyone you meet in life “ He’s 💯
correct, it may be something little or it may be life changing
but it goes to show more than one persons advice or teachings is
good. People also learn so differently so having more than one
persons perspective is good, the way people deliver information
can be taken indifferent ways depending on who’s listening. I
love that we get to have 3 YTT teachers I have learned so much
from all of you! You have all contributed so much to us.
Chapter 8 monitor yourself: this hits home for me. Years ago I
was introduced to a fellow colleague who wanted me to come work
for his company and I declined saying it wasn’t the right
time….any other excuse I could think of because I was afraid of
change I felt like I wasn’t ready I felt like I wasn’t good
enough. I wanted to work for him but just kept saying no every
time he asked me. After a few years of no’s I finally said yes
and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made I spent 10
amazing years learning growing and making life long friendships.
I look back and I wish I didn’t contaminate my thoughts with
doubt I wish I just went with my gut and just did it. I don’t
look back with regret I do believe everything happens for a
reason and when your ready for it, it will come. 😊
#Post#: 148--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: Niki Ehrenkranz Date: October 23, 2022, 7:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7: Why just one?
"...anyone from whom you learn even one thing is worthy of
reverence." We can learn something from everyone. Today we have
access to so much information at our fingertips, we have the
ability to research many different things and then dive in where
we feel drawn. Diving into one thing can spark interest in
another area. We all have different experiences and walk a
different path, we are able to learn from others and teach
others. Teachers can also change overtime, we may feel drawn to
change with them or move away from it. I am really grateful to
be learning from 3 teachers throughout YTT, each have their own
perspective and experience.
I don’t have any kids, but before I got my dog I did a ton of
research, listened to a bunch of podcasts and read multiple
articles. I’ve honestly found the best advice was given while I
was taking my dog for walks. The knowledge I gained from others
while having passing conversations was the most substantial and
learning from their real life experience. And of course getting
a professional trainer has helped in areas I needed more
support. Do your research, learn from others, seek a
professional when needed.
Chapter 8: Don't settle for palliatives
The easy option is not always the right option. Change and
growth come with work. I have had such a fear of public speaking
and tried to avoid it at all costs. YTT has really pushed me out
of my comfort zone to cultivate growth. Sometimes we avoid what
we need. I had felt pain in my back and ignored it because I
thought if I pushed through it would subside. I pushed myself
till I was unable to physical move, which forced me to stop
moving for a week. My body needed to rest and I was not
listening or giving that to myself. The easy thing to do was
continue on with my routine, it was hard to rest and allow my
body to heal. I am now more in tune with my body and how I treat
it!
#Post#: 149--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: Dmurphy193 Date: October 25, 2022, 3:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7: Don't expect perfection.
Not expecting perfection from someone or even from myself, is
always something that I try and keep in mind. It really doesn't
matter who the person is, none of us are perfect and I would be
very skeptically of anyone claiming to be perfect at anything.
People can make themselves better than most, but never perfect.
I always believe that even if you or another person are better
than most at a particular task, there is always room to improve.
I try and do my best at whatever it is that I am doing and often
it can be very discouraging at first, when it doesn't come out
how I envisioned it. But then it's just back to the drawing
boards, keep working at it until it's as good as it can be, but
it is still never perfect.
Chapter 8: Give it a fair chance.
"In these impatient times, we expect results to come with the
speed of aspirin". This resonated with me the most. I feel like
anything that comes easy is just never as satisfying as
something that you had to use more discipline and effort to do.
For me, putting in the work helps me to appreciate whatever it
is that I'm trying to learn or complete at the time, much more
than if I succeeded in it right away with little challenge. YTT
is a good example of this. After taking numerous classes at
Collective and seeing how effortless all of the instructors make
teaching a class appear. When I had to try and instruct our
sequence that first time or even the however many times it's
been since, in front of the group, I find myself struggling to
find the right wording and clear instructions to give. It is
such a challenge. By putting in a lot of effort and more
practice, I know it will make this journey much more satisfying,
then to take the easy road and settle for being just good enough
at it.
#Post#: 151--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: yogasimplifiedmethod Date: October 26, 2022, 9:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Erin Curro link=topic=11.msg124#msg124
date=1666028560]
Chapter 7
Travel Tip: Question 9
“That’s the complete opposite of what you told me before.”
“You’re right. And they’re both 100% true.”
This made me smile because I can struggle with looking at things
too dichotomously or black and white. Especially if I am
learning something new. It feels tempting to want to know what
is the right and best way to do something vs. allowing it to
feel more grey and intuitive and it depends. Which sidebar that
is what I got accustomed to hearing as it was the common answer
to all of my questions I would ask during my doctoral program,
“it depends,” and I had to learn to be more accepting of this
which in all honesty used to really frustrate me haha. So, I
like that this principle encourages to at certain times, put our
faith entirely in someone we trust and to equally recognize that
we are completely responsible for our own lives. This makes me
think of the importance of not becoming too dependent on someone
else to increase our well-being and recognize that we are also
responsible for our own healing. And in that process, it is
absolutely ok to reach out for help and support of someone we
regard highly. While knowing the responsibility is on us to
follow through on the advice we receive if we choose to receive
it.
Chapter 8
Travel Tip: Question 5
“Monitor Yourself. Try not to contaminate your judgment with
either wishful thinking or fear.”
Oh, this resonated deeply. I have been guilty throughout my life
at different times to be so quick to want something to be better
that I either succumb to wishful thinking or try something new
that does not feel like it is “working” and then back off
because of fear. Post-ED recovery while I had addressed a lot of
the psychological manifestations that led to it and worked
through how this got mapped onto controlling food/body/weight,
post-recovery I encountered a whole bunch of gut issues. (Which
now looking back makes so much sense given how trauma etc. shows
up in the body or as Des and one of my favorite books says, "the
body keeps the score" and the brain-gut connection is a direct
highway of neurons.) I would often engage in wishful thinking
trying to fix it and be deeply saddened or fearful when it felt
like “everything” was not working or getting better or my body
was betraying me even when I did the "right" things. This has
been a journey for me in learning more about myself and my body
and how to best care for it and what I have found to be most
helpful is trusting the process including when it does not feel
like it is working or counterintuitive. One of the things that
has helped also I am learning as I practice our YTT sequence is
how I apparently literally do not breathe. Well I do, but very
shallowly. And I have learned, especially through YTT, the power
of pranayam and proper breathing techniques to self-regulate my
mind and body. My poor patients are going to kill me one of
these days hearing me harp on some of these techniques. :-) And
please also let me be the first to say I am not perfect at this
by any means and still working on cultivating this relationship.
Also makes me think of how butterflies are created, they have to
literally battle their way out of the cocoon and it is an
incredibly painful process, yet the struggle is what strengthens
their wings and allows them to fly. If you help them and break
the cocoon open for them, they will not be able to. I try to
remember that when I encounter growing pains, whatever those may
be and I offer it if it resonates with anyone else as well.
😊
[/quote]
This is right up your alley, Erin. Being a little biased, I'm
glad you chose to dive into yoga therapy because it's incredibly
beneficial and the "it depends" response is something I had to
grapple with for a while as well until I understood the
reasoning behind it (total enneagram 5). It's so true how we are
response-able for controlling our lives but take into
consideration different influences.
In regards to Chapter 8, I commend you on being open with
experiences and leaning into self-care, as well as identifying
the painful process using the butterfly/cocoon analogy. We are
all a constant work in progress and what you contribute in your
field of expertise is deeply beneficial for your clients, to
find the common ground of self-discovery through deep work.
#Post#: 152--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: yogasimplifiedmethod Date: October 27, 2022, 7:06 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=oliviamarotta link=topic=11.msg122#msg122
date=1666022003]
Chapter 7 - Warning: Guides are not licensed
Travel Tip #7 - The teacher is not the teaching
My interpretation of “the teacher is not the teaching” is that
there needs to be a clear distinction between the knowledge and
the vessel to allow for the fallibility of humans to stand on
its own separate from an ideology. It also relays the idea that
every individual will understand and comprehend the same
information in a different way, and how it is important to
accept this uniqueness instead of expecting uniform thinking
among everyone. A metaphor that I think of is that we could all
listen to the same song and each interpret different meaning.
Each person’s life experiences, beliefs, and values shape their
perspective and how they view the world. When we are asked what
yoga is to us, we are all referring to the same practice,
however the way that each of us describes it and carries it out
in our own lives is different.
Chapter 8 - Explore at your own risk
Travel Tip #4 - Give it a fair chance
This travel tip discusses how we need to practice patience in
our spiritual journey and not expect immediate results. I think
that this is applicable in the world today as we value quick
fixes and instant gratification. Being disciplined and committed
to something long enough to see results is not often the path
that is chosen because it is more difficult and requires
consistent effort. I think that the clients that come to the
Collective have seen the value in “giving it a fair chance” as
we are lifestyle and wellness-driven, not results-driven. The
studio does not promise quick weight loss results or anything
like that, but rather encourages clients to show up for
themselves consistently with an open mind and they will begin to
notice a shift in their mental, spiritual, emotional and
physical health.
[/quote]
Reflecting on enneagram types, you're absolutely correct on how
we all may encounter the same information but process it
differently. Indeed each person's life experiences, beliefs, and
values shape the perspective and view of the world. For selfish
reasons, I LOVE how you all have unique takes on the training,
process the information in your own way, and know you're in a
safe space to do so. We're here to remind you it's encouraged to
use your strengths and tap into the areas we may be weak at for
self-study because it reflects growth in both areas, strengths,
and weaknesses. Also, this is why we gravitate to certain
teachers based on voice, volume, style, speed, etc.
Patience is a virtue! Instant gratifcation is something that has
been embedded into our brains due to societal construct. When
you reflected on being disciplined and committed long enough to
see results, I think for many the underlying driver to it is
patience, which is kind of like the introverted cousin who wants
to come along but doesn't participate in the action. Once we
take the initiative to play with the patience, we begin to enjoy
the process more. With your affiliation at TCS, you get to see
first hand students of all walks of life taking whatever they
can comfortable knowing they are encouraged to "give it a fair
chance." Just like you when you signed up for YTT, you gave it a
fair chance and how rewarding it has been for yourself and your
peers.
#Post#: 153--------------------------------------------------
Re: Road Signs - Chapter 7/8
By: yogasimplifiedmethod Date: October 27, 2022, 7:20 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=erin_kelly link=topic=11.msg128#msg128
date=1666128507]
Chapter 7 - Travel Tip #8
Why just one? This one stands out to me because I think it is
important to learn from multiple people. It's stated in the book
that “different teachers can serve different needs” I think it
is important to keep that in mind throughout life. It is nice to
learn from someone but what they say isn't the end all be all.
Getting information from different sources and learning is very
important in a spiritual journey and through life.
Chapter 8 - Travel tip #4
Give it a fair chance. This is about being impatient and giving
too soon. I find this important to keep in mind through my
spiritual journey and grief journey. I am slowly learning that
things take time. Healing from grief and trauma takes time as
well as my spiritual journey. If you give up too soon you may
never know what that path has in store for you.
[/quote]
Agree. Learning from several different resources is essential
because everyone has a different outlook or perspective on the
topic. So many books, podcasts, videos, teachers, as well as
friends to learn from.
I'm so glad you're giving this a fair chance to contribute to
your personal journey. Time is of the essence and it only works
against us if believe it to be. Your last quote, "if you give up
too soon, you may never know what that path has in store for
you." 100%. Beautifully said Erin.
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