Beginner's Mind
Shadow yoga was the most difficult practice I have attempted for awhile. While Scott Blossom was fascinating in his theory and fluid in his form demonstration, I had trouble accessing any deep "ah ha!" moments in this class.
I felt something similar to how I felt after my first yoga class: I was totally lost and unsure if I was doing any of the movements "right," I didn't feel release or deep stretches, I was off on the breath, and my undisciplined mind was critical of this inability.
The movements reminded me a lot of qi gong practices I've done, and the discussion on marma points in ayurveda was also interesting and right up my alley with my studies in Chinese medicine. I especially liked the running metaphor of the mind as moon and the body as the sun. I agree that my yoga practice is sometimes too "yang" and asana focused, and it was also an eye opener to notice how undisciplined my mind remains.
All of this evidence points toward me perhaps needing to do more of this kind of yoga, since a beginner's mind is something both humbling and necessary for growth, but I am not sure I feel karmically called to work on my imbalances through shadow yoga. Who knows, something made me give yoga another chance all those years back; maybe one day I will be ready for the depths shadow yoga has to offer.
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Comments
I took this class, too. I almost died when he said his teacher told him not to take Savasana for an entire year! That's SO hard core. I'm glad he learned something from it, but that's no way to live...
Posted by: Erica Rodefer
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January 30, 2010 8:52 PM
I have been studying regularly with Scott for 2 and a half years and he is one of the most gifted teachers I've ever met. I've been doing Shadow Yoga for almost as long and spent this past summer studying with Scott's teacher, Zhander Remete, in Portland. The practice is hardcore, but the way in which it transforms your body on both a physical and energetic level is amazing. It does, however, take a lot of discipline. In that way, it really speaks riffs off of some of the Chinese traditions, like martial arts, because it's a lot less about bhakti (though Scott, himself, is full of Bhakti!) and a lot more about training the body and the mind to endure - and through that, find ease. I think Shadow Yoga is best learned in series, as opposed to one course. Locally, Scott teaches these types of courses, as does Mark Horner - another great Shadow Yoga teacher in the East Bay. Good for you for sticking out the class!
Posted by: Karen Macklin
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January 30, 2010 11:17 PM
I agree, Karen. It seems like this class would have been great with a follow up or as an all day intensive to give people like me a chance to feel a little success. I am definitely glad I was exposed to shadow yoga, and I really do think I may pick it back up at some point.
Also, it was a good point you made about it being more on discipline and less bhakti focused. I just learned yesterday, in Manoj Chalam's lecture, that my archetype and path is naturally bhakti focused. So, it makes sense that this other style would not necessarily appeal to me at this point in my journey.
Posted by: Erin Chalfant ? | January 31, 2010 6:55 AM