This is the third video in a four part Interview I did with the Founder of Anusara Yoga, John Friend. If you’ve missed part one, you can find it by clicking here.
In Part 3, I ask John, first, about yoga skeptics and secondly, about new students. In his answers, John considers different types of people and where yoga can fit into their lives; he also answers what new students can expect in an Anusara class. I asked these questions in light of Part 2‘s question about how Anusara Yoga can help make a positive shift in the world. Because this practice has been so transformative for me, I always want to share what I’ve learned with as many people as possible, including skeptics and beginners, and in this way inspire the ripples of Shakti to co-create a more whole and joyous world.
During the Immersion in San Francisco, John talked about how in the “wheel of life”, there are many spokes that lead to the “hub”, which is your heart. Each spoke can be thought of as a means to arrive at the heart. He taught that everyone has different spokes, different interests and aptitudes, that lead them to their heart and that yoga is just one possible spoke. John added that he’s never seen yoga not work, that yoga will lead you to your heart, however, it is just one possible way.
This metaphor of a many spokes leading to the heart may bring relief or disappointment for those of us yogis, who are convinced that yoga is the only way to the heart. It may be a relief to know that not everyone needs to find their bliss through yoga. Conversely, some of you may be able to relate to the feeling that if only you could get your figurative dear old Aunt Bessie who complains of tight shoulders to do shoulder loop and skull loop or if only Uncle Henry with chronic low back problems would stave off having surgery, for more inner spiral or how about your friend who feels blue or could otherwise stand a big Shakti blast. Unfortunately, as much as our hearts may be in the right place, we will not always successfully corral our loved ones to join us for yoga. I found comfort in John’s words about this type of circumstance. Us, yogis who feel inclined to badger our loved ones to take a yoga class, will also, likely find comfort and insight in John’s words in Part 3 of this interview below. Also, if you are considering taking an Anusara class, or are pretty new, John shares his thoughts about what you can expect.
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Transcript Part 3
{Ginger} So, with respect to the shift, we’ve all known somebody, whether it’s, you know, our daughter or our friend who is resistant to coming to yoga. {John} Yeah {Ginger} What would you say to yoga skeptics who think that it’s easy or it’s airy-fairy or it’s not enough of a workout, you know, the list can go on and on…or that they’re not flexible enough?
{John} Yeah, there’s different aspects to it, because we’re defining it, right there, you’re defining yoga as hatha yoga or the postures and you know, personally, I’m not sure that everybody is necessarily, you know, maybe suited to do hatha yoga. But the yoga philosophy I believe can be ascribed <to> and embraced by anybody. So if I find somebody who is I can see that they’re not naturally going to really get into the hatha yoga practice like I might, then I take the philosophy into what they’re doing. So I really, you know, I look at what they like to do. Whether it’s, you know, if they’re kids, most kids are going to be pretty active doing something, you know, if it’s blading, skateboarding, bicycling, swimming, dancing, gymnastics, I mean it can be whatever they’re doing. It can be just, you know, if they like to go hiking, if it’s in the physical, I can still use the same yogic principles on any of those things. So for me it’s all yoga. If they don’t even want to do much exercise, but they might like to work on their computer and they play with games and stuff, there’s different, there’s same things, I can still connect into them where they can apply these yogic principles to shift their consciousness, so I can really kind of cleverly, you know, infiltrate any kind of group in that way <laughs>, so that they make a positive shift. But a lot of times when someone really wants to maybe do yoga, but they do think I’m too stiff or I’m too old or, you know, I’ve never been that coordinated, there are basic things that I do that will really gain their respect and empower them to show them that they can make remarkable shifts almost immediately despite all those limitations of either age or experience level or competency or any of those things. Those things just, they’re not, they’re dissolving factors. Once you see that you can apply principles into your life and they’re principles of Anusara Yoga, and though they’re yogic principles, they can be applied to almost everything.
{Ginger} What can a new student expect to experience in an Anusara class, in particular?
{John} I think a new student, one of the key things that I like to stress is that a new student is going to, can expect to feel welcomed and to feel embraced and accepted for their own differences, their own limitations, it’s not going to, you know, you say oh, again, I’m too old, I’m out of shape, I don’t know how to do this, but in an Anusara class you should be actually uplifted that wherever you are, you can actually make amazing openings and you can have a shift in one class and the shift will probably be a lot of fun. You’re going to probably leave there feeling better about yourself, you will probably laugh a little bit or at least you will be smiling. There is positive energy and you feel uplifted by it, so it’s not going to be, it might be a little challenging you know, but that’s not going to be the first thing that you’d say. I think most beginners will say, if I say, how was it, they will say, oh you know, it was fun, I enjoyed it, and I will say, do you feel better about, you know, the things that you were worried about when you came in? Oh yes, I came in kind of contracted and kind of nervous, and I can’t believe it, I just, I was able to do more than I thought. And that’s pretty much what I expect.
John Friend’s 2010 Melt Your Heart, Blow Your Mind World Tour
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