Way back in April, as part of my bachelorette weekend, I did part of the Yoga Journal Boston conference. I don’t think I had been to a yoga conference since 1999 – they’re huge and very consumerist-oriented, so sometimes they are a turn-off to me. I lose the yoga in all the hubbub!
But this was actually really great for me. I needed a weekend of intensive yoga – no teaching, just doing my own thing. It was wonderful to take care of my hamstring and shoulder, and go at my own pace. There was a sense of less ego and performance for me in this conference than I probably had 10 years ago at my last conference. Injury and experience both will humble you, I guess!
I saw some teachers I’d studied with before and to whom I wanted to make a little pilgrimage. David Swenson, Shiva Rea, and Beryl Bender Birch were all great, and it was nice to be in their energy again. Each one is so different! It’s good to study with lots of people.
New for me was Desiree Rumbaugh, an Anusara teacher. I have always liked Anusara, but just haven’t pursued training because I like a lot of other styles too. I’d never studied with Desiree and I’m so glad I did! She’s got a lot of energy, and she teaches well. She reminds me of my teacher Amba with her infectious laugh and joie de vivre. I did a handstanding workshop, and though I’m very proficient in handstands, I learned a little of the Anusara approach, which is definitely different than any other approach I’ve learned or intuited on my own. I’m considering another workshop with Desiree later in the summer, because this short intro was not enough!
I also had an introduction to Julie Gudmestad, who had written the Anatomy column in Yoga Journal for forever! She’s a physical therapist and yoga teacher, and I did a course with her on the rotator cuff. It was great because my rotator cuff has been getting aggravated easily in the last few months. She had some really helpful information, and in general, the conference helped me zone in a bit more on some of the things I am doing in my teaching that are probably contributing to the problem.
So, do I recommend conferences? Yes! But sparingly. A conference once every 5 years or so is plenty for me. If you’re interested in studying yoga more intensively, a conference is a good way to shop around for potential teachers, and could even be a good way to explore one topic with many teachers. For example, if you wanted to work on arm balances, you could do a conference and pick sessions that help you learn a bit more about arm balances (word to the wise though – these conferences are tiring, so make sure you don’t injure yourself overdoing it!).
Once you have teachers you love, seek them out and learn from them. Most teachers who inspire you will be a deep well of information and transformation, good to learn from several times over many years. I think there’s beauty in going deep with one teacher or tradition, and while a conference doesn’t give you that, it’s a valuable sampling.
Now get on the mat!
Barrett
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