Day #3 - Prashant's Class
/What would Prashant have to say about these sweets made to look like a strawberry?
Our first class this morning was with Prashant.
If you have been to RIMYI I do not need to say anymore, but for those of you yet to visit, let me share with you a little about his class today and in general.
He talks about many things in class, it is very different from any Iyengar class you will attend in the west.
He does not give instruction on the asana rather he speaks on the mind, intelligence and experience and many other things I do not understand... yet.
I will be honest, Prashant’s classes are the most challenging for me.
To hold an asana for up to 15 minutes while he speaks in a language I can barely grasp although it is English, is the norm in Prashant’s class.
For someone so physical, I question my physicality and strength when I struggle to hold the asana for long timing he demands.
During the class, I am silently cursing and wishing it to be over.
It is a fascinating experience.
You hold an asana for longer than you ever will in any class or practice
The mind is oscillating between what we ‘know’ and ‘understand’ of the pose… the actions and then Prashant’s lecture which often speaks of knowledge, understanding, doing, not doing.
You ‘think’ you are doing the asana correctly so long as you are in your own story about what that means but as soon as you tune into Prashant’s wisdom you quickly realise you ‘know’ nothing and start to question what you are ‘doing’
After the class when I have time to reflect on his words I am left hanging for more.
See why I use the word fascinating to describe his class?
It is utterly fascinating, mind-boggling and all-round confusing.
Luckily he has a humorous nature and breaks the mind boggle with a joke we can all share.
Today he joked about how we have all been doing yoga for at least 10 years and we know the actions for Trikonasana yet when we come to class we still want the teacher to tell us what to do.
He says in class today something along the lines of “Why don’t you tell the teacher to shut up and that you know what to do”
That explains why he does not give us instruction in class. Glad I understand that now:)