Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Yoga: Guru and Stars

Daily Dreamtime (LiveJournal.com)

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois: guru, Ashtanga yogi master, passed away at 93. He has been described as "fierce and compassionate" and "strict and loving." It is just this kind of dichotomy that makes the teacher of Ashtanga so revered by students. He has been teaching for 70 years, starting with a studio (shala) in Mysore, India. It held only 15 students. It is now used to teach groups that can number in the hundreds. He leads them through a series of postures that flow one into the next -- synchronizing with breath, gradually increasing in difficulty -- with the goal of producing an intense internal heat that detoxifies the body. (Photo: Guru in traditional Indian robes, ashtanganews.com).


Christy Turlington: model, yogini. Her spiritual awakening — and the strength it has given her to withstand pain, pressure, and loss as she navigated a high-powered modeling career and built a successful business (Nuala, a line of yoga-inspired active wear she produces in partnership with Puma) — she owes to yoga. Discovered while horseback riding when she was 14, Turlington took her first yoga class four years later and was hooked. Her commitment to an active life on the mat continues to inspire those wildly enthralled by her grace, her stamina and, yes, her inner beauty. (Photographed in Amagansett, New York, vanityfair.com).


The Master Yoga Chart: Created by Dharma Mittra, who both photographed it and posed in 908 postures. It was completed in 1984. He now teaches at his studio, Dharma Yoga, in New York city. But the poster graces the walls of studios and ashrams around the world. Study the poses free online: DharmaYogaCenter.com

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