A photo of the great Krishnamacharya in the main studio room of the KYM.
Our first day was great fun and emotional. Here we all are in what really is the home of modern Yoga, the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Krishnamacharya was one of the first teachers to teach Westerners, women or anyone who was not from the Brahman caste in India. His students included Indra Devi who went on to teach Hollywood stars, BKS Iyengar who created of course Iyengar Yoga, Pattabhi Jois who created Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and his son TKV Desikachar whose therapeutic teachings have helped heal thousands.
The acharya in Krishnamacharya means teacher. The teacher is one who takes you from darkness to light but is there to experience it all with you while at the same time you are dependent on yourself. They give you the way but do not hold your hand the whole time. They help us create self-reliance and self-belief.
They are different from a Guru. The guru takes you from darkness to light. They may give you insight as they often have exceptional ability but they may not practice what they preach. They often cultivate a relationship of dependency.
I am of course a big fan of the acharya. I understand there are wonderful gurus who have been a great source of light and knowledge to millions of people but I like the idea that my teacher helps me find that light and knowledge within me.
I had written in an earlier post how much I appreciated the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram as they
Receiving flowers and blessings from our teacher, Geetha
helped me find the answer within. They would often say, “Go meditate. All answer is waiting inside.” Which of course drove me crazy at the time. Just give me the damn answer. I have endured painful needles, 24 hours of flight, rickshaw rides that nearly made me pee my pants, malarial mosquitos and now I just want the damn answer. Of course this is the whining of a spoiled brat and a Western mind that likes all handed to it on a silver platter.
I have since learned that the truest teachers are the ones that help us remember that the greatest teacher we have is ourselves. Yoga has become for me a way to remember that I am a great source of wisdom, light and love. (I had great teachers.) I am blessed to share it with others and always try to hold the intention to teach others the very same.
We meditated on the Sun today and our lovely teacher reminded us that we have the power of the Sun within us. We just have to remember. Wishing you all good remembrances.
Namaste,
Shasta
Join me for an experience of pure bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat this December in beautiful Costa Rica. Details coming soon!
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Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga
A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.
As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.
Written by Shasta
Shasta loves to see women of all ages recognize, access, and utilize the greatness within them, and to be a small part of it. She is skilled at cracking the lockbox of limitation and revealing one’s inner gifts. She is a feisty champion of creating an unlimited life where ease, joy, and freedom reign, regardless of the circumstances. Shasta’s expertise in these matters does not come from a few letters behind her name, but from her own investigation, learning, and journey. Thanks to this, her offerings are not regurgitated from another’s textbook, but from her own personal evolution and inner guidance. Shasta shares her passion for living well as a Featured Columnist at Elephant Journal, The Good Men Project, Rebelle Society and Vivid Life. Shasta leads retreats, workshops and talks around the world. She lives in Canada with her husband, cat and creative impulse. Her debut book, Happy, Sexy, Shameless – What Our Mother’s Didn’t Know About the Birds and the Bees is available through amazon.com
