9. Trainers Vs real Teachers.
Coaches and body trainers have become ubiquitous. The problem is their very little and shallow knowledge of our embodiment. Take for example a trainer preparing someone for the marathon. Making a person orient to an act is one thing, and making that person orient to the whole range of life that the person will face is another. Say there will be upheavals in life; the person’s body, mind and breath have to be taught to cope in all such situations.
What is the end you are aspiring for; Patanjali speaks of kaivalya and dharmamegha samadhi, that is supreme aloneness and a downpour of wisdom and enlightenment. Trainers can take you so far. But a philosopher-teacher or a poet or a grammarian, ayurvedachar and a yogacharya like Patanjali all rolled into one, can help you transcend your limitations at every stage.
Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh
“For every complex question, there is a simple answer… and it is wrong.” H.L. Mencken
Image: The main practice hall at RIMYI in Pune. (H. Lovegrove)
Iyengar Yoga Teaching & Training 