What I Teach

Here is a chart describing what I used to teach (Traditional Yoga), what I am suggesting now based on the information I have been gathering (Yoga Fix), and the evolution of movement off the mat (Movement Research Intensives, or MRI).

TRADITIONAL YOGA	YOGA FIX	MRI
Arboreal model (tree model): Root concepts taught as the basis for knowledge, and the trunk, branches, and twigs flow from these roots.	Rhizome model that represents connectivity and multiplicity; non-authoritarian model, any segment (student) can become the teacher; all segments are equal to one another.	Rhizome model that represents connectivity and multiplicity; non-authoritarian model, any segment (student) can become the teacher; all segments are equal to one another.
This style is authoritarian, top–down, focused on dogma, and sometimes includes the language of gurus and followers.	Beginning the dialogue between following dogmatic structures without question, blindly following our teachers—the next stage of our evolution, questioning our teachers, the dogma and ourselves.	Building an extensive repertoire of movements leading towards self-guided improvisation and deepening intuition.
Anatomy of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones.	Arthrokinematics: the study of joints and how they move, concave and convex bones, joint congruence.	Fascia research, bio tensegrity.
Sun salutations and standing poses; on the mat.	Less linear poses, introducing spirals and oblique angles but still keeping the practice on the mat.	Childhood developmental movement, very similar to the sun series, slow progressions, more spirals that actually roll across the floor, poses that are linked together through spirals that move through space.
Practiced on the mat, limited by the shape of the mat, not sharing space with others, introverted practice, don’t look around, never make eye contact with classmates, eyes often closed.	Beginning to step off the mat a tiny bit, creating oblique angles to the mat, beginning to feel a tiny bit disoriented and with eyes open taking in the full environment and the people in the room be present with open eyes.	Sharing space, expanding boundaries, interacting with others off the mat, possible partnering opportunities, knowledge sharing through touch, sharing the whole room while moving, no mats.
Poses that are squared, parallel, straight, flat, lined up with the mat, front-back-side.	Less linear, more rounded, curved edges, intro to spirals beginning to reconfigure the shape of standing poses to encourage the hip and shoulder axis arcs.	Gait mechanics, spirals, double helixes, undulations, oscillations. elastic recoil in the tissues.
Forward bends.	Functional squats.	Transitions up and down from the ground.
Restorative and yin yoga; twists.	Gentle oscillations in simple poses on the mat. Rolling across the floor; functional mobility through the introduction of spirals in seated and standing twists on the mat.	Connecting poses through spirals through space, no mats.
Ujjayi breathing, deep breathing.	Intro to DNS breathing.	Letting the breath just be.

Be prepared to confront complex problems that do not have clear solutions.