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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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No Private Lessons for Madonna |
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Celebrity yogi and creator of the Bikram Yoga style, Bikram Choudry, has refused a request from Pop Superstar Madonna for private lessons. Choudry offered to include Madonna in his regular classes, but would not see her on a one-to-one basis saying that if she wanted to be a student “[she would] have to leave [her] ego behind.”
Choudry, who has a number of other high profile clients (George Clooney, Jim Carrey, and Jessica Simpson) stressed that none of them have objected to his methods, and does not intend to make exceptions. Yes, the work of Yoga is to cut through the limits of the ego in order to see the truth, but is this choice an example of this teaching? Or is it an example of two very strong egos colliding? Though this may appear superficial on the surface, the debate brings us to the very basis of sharing this practice. Traditionally, yoga was a practice that was handed down from teacher to student directly and individually. Teachers may have had dozens or even hundreds of students, but each was given just what they were ready for on a one-on-one basis with the teacher or guru. Presently, the presentation of yoga is very different. We pack students in as tightly as possible providing a one-size-fits all approach to asana and yoga. Is this effective? Should Madonna, who might be a very different individual than Bob Smith on the mat next to her, be given the same practices and techniques as everyone else? Bikram would say yes, Pattahbi Jois might have agreed. Both teachers having the utmost faith in the sequences of asanas and pranayama that they brought to the table, but what of their teachers? T. Krishnamacharya, Jois’s teacher, worked individually with his students, tailoring each practice to their individual needs and abilities which is precisely how three of his students went on to create and share three very individual expressions of Yoga (Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, and T.K.V. Desikachar) all as expressions of experiences with the same teacher. This contemplation is not meant to dismiss the power of practice shared with others. Though we may all be unique, the power of Yoga is universal, and when we join in the potency of practice with others that power increases exponentially. But, is that power alone enough to move us beyond our obstacles, or do we need to develop a deeper more personalized relationship with our teacher to really move forward in this practice? My response would be that our path of practice as just as unique to our individual personalities as is our method. Some of us will need individual guidance to embark upon and explore the deepest layers of this practice, and others will ride the wave of shared experience into the horizon of understanding. No matter our path, though, the aim is to be guided from the place of authenticity within all of us, and reach out from there. Not from ego, or fame, or even self-consciousness. When we sit down and ask ourselves, truly, what we need in our practice and in our lives, then what we need will appear as a reflection of our awareness. As the old saying says, “the teacher appears when the student is ready,” so if Madonna is seeking from that authentic place, then maybe the message is that Bikram is not the teacher. What do you think? Should yoga be tailored to the individual or are classes just as effective? 5 Comments
It's a big world with lots of different kinds of people; I like your acceptance that contradictory approaches may work for different individuals.
But, even given individual needs- and even though all I know of Madonna is from the media - I suspect that tempering a celebrity ego has to be an important challenge for someone with Madonna's life history. Bikram could well have a modest empirical insight into how Madonna's head works - perhaps this rather public rebuke is a first lesson between guru and student. 1
November 04, 2009
The litigious tendencies of Bikram Choudry leads me to believe that it is Choudry's ego that is in the way, not Madonna's.
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November 05, 2009
Oops, Choudhury is the correct name.
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November 05, 2009
Perhaps the thing Madonna has learned is that he isn't the correct teacher for her.
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December 16, 2009
I've always felt that we are all the same. Ego definitely is a challenge.
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December 26, 2009
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Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.
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Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.
All contents copyright 2001-2012 Timothy Burgin and Yogabasics.com. All rights reserved. Om shanti peace.
