Finding Your Teacher: Georg Feuerstein Interviewed by Richard Rosen

by Nina

Ellen Fein, Age 65
Breathe2Change.com

When Georg Feuerstein died in 2012, I wrote an appreciation of him, Georg Feuerstein, 1947-2012, saying how much his work meant to me and how, even though I’d never met him, I considered him one of my teachers. Now I have just learned of the existence of a very long, unpublished interview with him that Richard Rosen did way back in 1996. Richard has now published the interview in full on his website richardrosenyoga.com, but he has give me permission to include excerpts from it our blog.

Here’s the first excerpt, which discusses how to find a good teacher and when you need to walk away.

RR: The teachings are suited to the capacity of the student rather than just give a blanket teaching to a large group of people. That’s one of the reasons why you want your own teacher.

GF: So the teacher who knows you will also know where your boundaries are, where your limitations are and he will constantly prick the balloon. Constantly, if he is a good teacher. At the same time, if he is a good teacher, he will also provide enough nurturing for you to continue with this ordeal. It is a rite of passage.

RR: You can’t just pull out the stops and let the person flounder.

GF: You have to know what you’re doing, and I think the bad teachers, of which there are many in evidence, are the ones who just pull the rug and then say, “oh, tough luck.” And leave the person to their own devices. At the Foundation we get people who have kundalini problems, genuine kundalini problems because it was awakened but then the teacher didn’t see it through. Because they are not capable of seeing it through. It is very easy to do. Awaken something, and then where is the help? This particular danger in teaching has always existed. I translated a little
passage from the Kula-Arnava Tantra which talks all about bad teachers, teachers who cheat, pretend, etc. They are in the majority. 

But there is also the misconception I think that we have in the west which I often hear when I go out and talk to students, that there are not enough good teacher. “Where is my good teacher?” “There are so many good students, but not enough good teachers.” My view on that is always the same. Very forcefully I tell them that there are a hundred times more good teachers than there are disciples. But if you don’t see, the teacher could stand right beside you and you wouldn’t know he is your teacher. Your own delusions are in the way. So if we have a bad teacher, who is to blame? Us. No one else.

RR: For not being discriminating.

GF: Exactly. I think to approach a teacher we need to do as we do with everything else. When we buy a car we go through the works, not just look at the color. You find out before you put the money down. Same with a teacher. Find out, and then even when you have committed to a certain degree you find out some more for a period of time to see, okay, how is the teacher responding to me. How am I responding to that teacher? Is there a connection? And so on. And the teacher does the same.

RR: Can you give some criteria people can use to look for a teacher? In deciding on and choosing a good teacher. Are there specific things to look for? Or is it more of a feel?

GF: No, I think people like Wilbur and others have put a list together. Frances Vaughn also I think. Of who are the teachers who qualify as good teachers. I don’t recall all the criteria, but I think one criterion for me personally would be is this teacher part of a recognized tradition and lineage? In other words, who is that teacher’s teacher? Very important. Because, if you have a wild card, you don’t know.

RR: No responsibility to anything.

GF: Yes. There is no environment for them to have to prove themselves. They are only talking to the student, which is a one-way street. So that is one thing. To look at who has made that teacher. Who is he responsible to? The second criterion I would say, what are your instincts about that teacher? What is the gut reaction? If there is doubt about the teacher’s integrity, if there is doubt about ability, why commit? At the same time you have to make sure it is not your own stuff that you are reacting to. It is a very subtle thing.

I would also look at the biblical saying about the fruits, “by their fruits you shall know them.” Talk to others. If there is confusion, chaos and pain around a teacher, it is likely that the teacher is the cause of that pain and confusion.

RR: It all flows from the source.

GF: Yes. Around great teachers there will always be people who are confused and in pain and all that, because they don’t discriminate. They allow people to come in whoever they are if they have the karma to be there. And they help to whatever extent they can, but you will also find in a group, in a community like that, people of worth. Who have passed through the process. 

The other thing I have done—my whole experience with Da Free John, before I set out on this adventure, which I knew was totally crazy because it would challenge me in every conceivable way—but I entered it open-eyed. I understood I was doing this for a very specific reason, in my case. I wanted to have this confrontation with a very strong teacher who would challenge me in ways that no one has challenged me before. But I made a deal with myself that after a certain period of time, a number of years, whatever, you look at the situation. 

If there is a sense of basically feeling good about the involvement, even if there is pain, you decide to renew your contract with yourself in a way. But if you find it has just become a nightmare or you feel you haven’t grown in the preceding period, it is time to leave, say goodbye, it’s not for me. This is what happened in my case. I felt I wasn’t growing anymore. I had grown for four or five years and then I felt I reached a plateau having to do with my perception of the teacher. There was a level of trust I couldn’t reach. 

So when that happens, when you can’t open up to the teacher on that deep inner level, there is no way that relationship can flourish. No way. Transmission will not continue. I realized that this is what was happening. I had to say goodbye. I think anyone who is wise will look at their life after a period of time and say, “how am I doing?” Rather than just go with the status quo and hope for the best. There has to be an intelligent process of self-examination, which has to be continuous anyway.

RR: Although difficult to sustain in an environment like that. When you get close to someone like that, it is easy to give yourself up and give yourself over and stop thinking for yourself.

GF: That then is the childish response. A good teacher will not tolerate it. Because you always have to think for yourself. Always. You always have to make your own mistakes. The teacher can point out to you that you are about to make a mistake but if you feel you have to make it, to find out for yourself, you have to do it.

To read more of this interview, see Interview with Georg Feuerstein.

Richard Rosen is a yoga teacher and writer from Berkeley, California. He is President of the board of the Yoga Dana Foundation, which supports Northern California teachers bringing yoga to underserved communities. Richard has written three books for Shambhala: The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama (2002), Pranayama: Beyond the Fundamentals (2006), and Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga (2012). He also recorded a 7-disc set of instructional CDs for Shambhala titled The Practice of Pranayama: An In-Depth Guide to the Yoga of Breath (2010). For more information about Richard and the workshops he teaches internationally, see http://www.richardrosenyoga.com/.

Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D. became interested in Yoga in his early teens and studied Yoga philosophy and history ever after that . He did his postgraduate studies in England and authored over 50 books—not all on Yoga. His major works are: The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra (Shambhala 2011), The Yoga Tradition (Hohm Press 2008), Yoga Morality (Hohm Press, 2007), The Deeper Dimension of Yoga (Shambhala), and The Bhagavad-Gītā: A New Translation (Shambhala 2011). For more about Georg and the work that is continued by Brenda Feuerstein, see traditionalyogastudies.com.

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Friday Q&A: Finding a Safe Yoga Class

In the Yoga Studio by Melina Meza

Q: What are your recommendations for finding a safe yoga class? 

A: In general, yoga classes provide more benefits than safety concerns, as long as you can find the right class for where you are starting. In the past, we have discussed the issue of staying safe in a yoga class from a few of different perspectives (see Take Care of Yourself or Your Students, 9 Tips for Being a Good Yoga Student and Resting Between Poses), but today I’d like to try and sketch out a more complete, three-step approach to keeping yourself safe in a yoga class. And this approach should start even before you walk into your first yoga class or any new yoga class....

1. Vet the Yoga Studio

Before you even attend a class for the first time, it is a good idea to visit the website of a potential studio to:

• Check how long the studio has been in business. It is generally better to attend classes at a studio that has been in business for a while. If the studio is new, at least try to find a teacher who has significant teaching experience.
• Review the bios of the teachers, with particular interest in how long potential teachers have teaching and what type of training they received. See Finding the Right Yoga Teacher and Friday Q&A: Finding a Yoga Teacher for information about choosing the right teacher for you.
• Look over the class schedule to see if the studio offers beginning level classes or an introductory series (highly recommended for beginners!), and specialty classes that might meet your unique needs, such as a Back Care class if you have low back issues, or, if you are an older adult, do they offer special classes for your age group? 

If what you see online looks good, plan to check out the studio in person, noting how you are greeted at the studio, if your questions are answered to your satisfaction, and checking out the physical space as well. Make sure the studio looks and feels safe. Check for:

• clean, non-slippery floors (such as wood, bamboo, or thin carpeting—no thick carpets) 
• yoga props (these will help the teacher keep you safe)
• clearly marked exits
• adequate and accessible restrooms?
• fire extinguishers
• a first aid kit (if that’s important to you)

You also might ask about class size as you look at the practice space to make sure you will feel comfortable and not too crowded. 

2. Vet the Class and the Teacher

If you're very concerned about safety, another great way to screen for an appropriate class is to ask to observe the classes you are most interested in trying out. If you get the OK to do so (usually a good sign), try to arrive a bit early and get a good vantage point in the back of class so you can see the room well. Introduce yourself to the teacher and after sharing with the teacher any injuries or health issues you are dealing with (see What Your Teacher Really Wants to Know), ask if this class would be appropriate given your circumstances. Notice if the teacher addresses your concerns.

Then, as the students come in, notice if the teacher greets the students individually, and for new students, does he or she ask for the student’s name, and inquire as to any injuries or health issues? During the class, does the teacher give individual attention or recommendations to the students? Does the teacher offer a variety of options for the poses for those with varying degrees of ability? 

Try to assess whether the level of difficulty of the class and the pace at which it is taught seem possible for you to try safely. Are there props offered to make the yoga poses more accessible for those with physical limitations? 

Do you feel that there is adequate room around each student’s personal practice space—the yoga mat and the immediate area around each student—for everyone to practice safely without having to worry about the wayward limbs of a neighboring student? You will discover that there are some very popular classes, by virtue of the time of day they are offered or the popularity of the teacher, which can be quite crowded. So you need to decide if the space-to-student ratio is good for where you are at in your learning curve. 

Finally, do you get a sense that the teacher is not only concerned with student’s physical safety in exploring yoga asana but is also nurturing the growth of the students with an appropriate mix of encouragement? This may not become totally apparent until you actually take a few classes, but is worth considering as you settle into a regular public class.

3. Vet Yourself!

An important aspect of staying safe in a yoga class is the issue of self-responsibility. 

Start by considering your motivation. Why do you want to take the class? To lose a few pounds, to get stronger or more flexible, to improve your balance, or to lower your stress? Knowing why you are interested in the class will go a long way in guiding you to find the most appropriate and safest class for you. 

Second, be honest about where you are starting from and what your current condition is. Have you been active or inactive as of late? Are you under a moderate to high amount of stress? Are you dealing with any significant illness or injury that might impact your yoga experience? If so, be sure to choose a class that is appropriate for your current condition that will allow you to address your issues. And if you have been dealing with a significant illness or injury, consider taking a few private sessions with a senior teacher to prepare you for a public class. Taking private sessions to prepare you for a public class is actually a good option for anyone who thinks they learn best one on one; a lot of my new students choose to do a few privates sessions to learn the basics so they feel safer and more confident when entering into a group class. 

Third, ask yourself how well you tune into the messages from your own body. I wrote a while back in my post Tension vs. Compression about the concepts of tension and compression as they relate to sensations that can arise in your practice. Being able to differentiate between these feeling can go a long way in keeping you safe in class settings. The teacher cannot be keeping an eye on everyone at all times, nor do teachers have ESP to know if you are in pain. Your body’s messages to your brain will tell you when a pose is entering a potentially unsafe zone and you can bring yourself out of the pose at that time (see Resting Between Poses). 

Finally, can you ask for help when you need it? It is important that you not only get good at sensing what is happening in your body, but you also need to get comfortable asking for guidance when worrisome issues, such as nausea, dizziness, change in vision, shortness of breath, sudden unexpected pain, loss of sensation in a limb, chest pain or a racing heart, arise. I think you get it, right? Stop practicing when something like this occurs, get your teacher’s attention, and ask for help and guidance. 

See 9 Tips for Being a Good Yoga Student for more information about how to look after yourself in class. 

With these guidelines and suggestions, you should be able to do yoga in a public class with a high degree of certainty, as much as we can have in an uncertain world, that your experience with be safe and, hopefully, rewarding!

—Baxter

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Friday Q&A: Finding a Yoga Teacher

Lady Bug and Flower by Melina Meza

Q: I started taking yoga classes 6 months ago at my gym, and no longer work out with weights (after 10 years!). I feel the instructor has a spiritual side but also leaves me feeling, dare I say, like I've had a workout. I would like to transition to a regular yoga studio, but how to choose the one that would work for me? I'm strong, but I have to consider that I'm 61 years old. I used to like vigorous exercise but it leaves me feeling wiped out instead of invigorated.

A: Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question. In a way, finding the right yoga class might be like finding a house to buy. You can do all the research you like, looking at photos and inspection reports, but in the end, you need to go see it (maybe even more than once) to determine whether it is the right house for you. But it really is worth taking your time to find the right yoga class for you. Not only will you have a better experience with the right class, the right teacher will be someone who inspires your practice

But what the heck—I guess it's because I used to be a technical writer—I've decided to outline three basic steps for finding the right yoga class for you:

1. Find out what's available in your area. While it is tempting just to go to the closest studio to your home or work, I encourage you to check out several studios because the one closest to you is not necessarily the best one. For someone your age who has little yoga experience and doesn't want an overly demanding class, I'd say you might want to avoid the most athletic, physically demanding styles of yoga, such as Ashtanga (aka Power Yoga), Bikram, and Anusara. In general, the other styles, such as Iyengar, Viniyoga, Kripalu, Integral, and Kundalini (have I left out anything important?), will be more suitable for you, though anything billed as gentle yoga will not be too demanding. Obviously in your situation you'll want to start with a beginning or at least a level 1 class, if not gentle. (A class for "seniors" probably won't be enough of a workout for you.)

2. Look into the reputation of the studio and the teachers. You can ask people you know what studios and teachers they like or even look online for information and recommendations. Most studios have web sites, where you can read the biographies of the teachers on the staff. I suggest you do this, and that you look for someone who has had significant training (often the number of hours of training is specified) and teaching experience. In her post Finding the Right Yoga Teacher for You, guest poster Andy has some more specific pointers.

3. Try out several classes. Always start by arriving a bit early and introducing yourself to the teacher, and tell the teacher about any concerns you might have (see What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know). You'll soon find that you not only prefer one yoga style over another but also that you respond better to certain teaching styles and personalities. And you'll know when you find the right class when you find one that not only feels comfortable to you but when you realize that you are looking forward to going back to class!

Finally, this may sound odd, but why do you want to leave the teacher you already like so much? I myself, did "gym yoga" for over five years with two wonderful teachers who were very well trained. Although some gym yoga teachers are not well trained, there are quite a few who are and they may be just as good as those you'll find in a formal yoga studio. So if you love your current teacher, consider staying where you are!

—Nina

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Finding the Right Yoga Teacher: Tips for Third Agers

by Andrea Gilats, Ph.D., R.Y.T. (guest poster)

In my yoga teaching practice, I regularly work with people who have had negative experiences in yoga classes geared for younger bodies. The names of these classes tell the story—Power Flow, Yoga Blast, Yoga Sculpt, Hot Flow—you get the idea.

What do these students tell me about their experiences? “I thought I was going to die,” “I was counting the minutes until it was over,” and, most frequently, “Get me out of here!” I’ve come to call these yoga seekers “refugees” because they often come to my Third Age Yoga classes as a haven of last resort. 

Like most of my students who are experiencing aging-related changes and challenges, “refugees” want to learn or reconnect with yoga, but most yoga studios don’t serve them well. And that’s a shame when you consider that there are 76 million baby boomers in the United States who want to stay healthy and vital as they age. We need our society’s fastest growing demographic segment—adults 55 and over—to be self-sufficient, contributing members of our communities well into their 70s, 80s, and beyond.

As we get older, our bodies become more unique and less alike. That’s because we carry our physical and emotional histories in them. And whether it’s because of a chronic condition like osteoporosis, a touch or more of arthritis, too many years of too much sitting at a desk, a joint replacement, or surviving through cancer, we need approaches to yoga that respect our growing individuality so that we can stay safe in our practice and fully enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Don’t get me wrong. Most people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s—what some aging experts call the “Third Age”—are a far cry from needing the chair yoga classes offered in senior centers, but we do need classes that offer body-sensitive, age-appropriate yoga instruction and practice. In that spirit, I hope you’ll consider the following tips as you choose yoga teachers and classes.

Look for a teacher who has experience with older students. This may be someone who is older and more life-experienced herself or a younger teacher who is especially sensitive to each student as an individual.

Notice how your teacher treats her or his students. Is the teacher respectful and compassionate toward each person? Is she patient without unduly disrupting the continuity of the class? Is she fully present? Does she fully engage your attention? As Ram Dass said in his classic book, “Be here now.” That goes for all of us!

Look for a teacher who actually teaches. Rather than someone who simply leads a group through a series of lockstep movements, choose a teacher who demonstrates before inviting you to engage the poses, who thoughtfully tries to answer your questions, and who offers optional and alternative approaches to poses, rather than one “correct” version.

Look for classes in which the teacher can see and pay attention to each student. This is a basic safety precaution, and yet—probably for financial reasons—many yoga classes are just too big. Make sure you have enough room to bring your arms straight out to your sides, and make sure you can see your teacher, especially her feet and knees. If necessary, leave your mat to watch your teacher demonstrate.

Find a class in which you can comfortably keep up with the teacher. Yoga is a journey through your comfort zone, so think first about how you feel in each pose. Are you reasonably comfortable while enjoying a healthy challenge? Or are you counting the seconds until your teacher releases you from your torture? Is your breathing steady? Or do you feel stressed or panicked? Stay with movements and positions that feel like they’re doing you some good, but feel good while you’re doing them. You’re in the wrong class if you don’t feel good while practicing and can’t keep up with the teacher.

Take a short rest during class if you need to. Don’t worry if you can’t keep in step every moment, even in a class in which the pace and rhythm feel right to you. For example, I serve students who are living with chronic lung conditions, so I try to observe their breathing and offer them chances to catch their breath when needed. Just feeling free to hit the pause button for a few moments during class can transform a negative yoga experience into a positive one.

Don’t ever let a teacher touch you without your permission. I learned this from Judith Hanson Lasater, a renowned yoga teacher. And guess what? I’ve found that if I stand right next to my student, and we move together into and out of a pose, that person grasps the essence of the pose more quickly and deeply than if I had tried—however gently—to prod her body into a position that may not have been available to her at that time.

Stay with a teacher who stresses healthy postural alignment. One of the most important benefits of practicing yoga as we age is reclaiming healthy postural habits. Good posture —the natural, stable alignment of our bones—is a key to feeling comfortable and steady in yoga poses. So try not to become impatient when learning techniques for finding healthy posture; they not only help on the mat, but are immediately helpful in our lives off the mat.

And finally, don’t worry if you can’t find all these suggestions wrapped up into a perfect teacher/class package! If you connect with your teacher and feel comfortable with your fellow students, you will probably have a physically beneficial, life-enhancing yoga experience to which you’ll want to return week after week.

Andrea (Andy) Gilats, Ph.D., R.Y.T., is an educator, writer, and certified yoga instructor. She specializes in working with people seeking a body-sensitive, age-appropriate approach to practice. She calls her approach Third Age Yoga  (www.thirdageyoga.net) as a welcome mat to all of us in the Third Age, a sustained era of life beyond midlife but before true old age, in which active engagement and personal fulfillment take center stage. As a writer, Andy has published a variety of articles on wellness and positive aging, and she is the author of Life Slices, a lushly illustrated card deck that invites us to contemplate eight timeless life themes and 52 pathways toward creating a life of purpose and meaning.

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Abuse of Power in the Yoga World

by Nina

Reflections by Brad Gibson

Yoga is not about culling out spirits or surrendering one’s individual will power to a teacher who assumes the role of a yoga-sorcerer. No teacher in the world has a right to demand authority over others. The goal of yoga is Kaivalya, independency and not wrong devotion. —R. Sriram

There is another scandal in the yoga world due to a famous yoga teacher abusing his position as a teacher and authority figure. This time the teacher is Kausthub Desikachar, son of TKV Desikachar and grandson of T. Krishnamacharya, one of the most important yoga teachers of the 20th century. Kausthub is accused of systematically intimidating female students into believing that they are unwell and need his help, and then sexually harassing them.

By now it is not news that yoga teachers, like many other authority figures, can succumb to the temptation to abuse their power. But I think it’s worth reading about this case because of the way it is being handled, at least by one person. R. Sriram, a student of Sri T.K.V. Desikachar for almost 30 years who also studied with T. Krishnamacharya himself, has released a letter to his yoga community in which he unreservedly condemns Kausthub’s behavior, refers to the women who spoke out as “brave” and encourages other affected people to speak out. He forthrightly says:

The details lead us to the conclusion that Kausthub is developing psychopathically, needs perhaps professional help on a long term basis and should be stopped from further activity in the yoga world. It is awful to say this, since I have seen Kausthub’s astuteness in teaching theory. But his continuation poses a threat not only to women but also to the right awareness for the teachings of the two masters.

R. Sriram also advises people to boycott the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation. Although the details are disturbing, I encourage you to read the entire letter here. Of course, this does not diminish the tremendous contributions made to modern yoga by T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar. In fact. Baxter, who agreed me with me about the importance of posting a link to this letter, asked me to reiterate this, and to mention how honored he was to get to work with T.K.V Desikachar both in the U.S. in India. But it does remind us that as students it is our responsibility to use discernment when choosing a yoga teacher. As yoga sutra II.26 says:

“The means to liberation is uninterrupted discriminative discernment.” —trans. Edwin F. Bryant

And never follow anyone blindly. As R. Sriram points out, “The goal of yoga is Kaivalya, independency and not wrong devotion.”

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