Comments on: Very Hot Yoga

By: Scott in SF

Scott in SF — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:53:06 +0000

Yoga, as we know it from Iyengar and Pratabi Joyis, came out of the Mysore palace. Their teacher held classes in the gym. The palace had a gym because the last two generations of princes had been gymnastics enthusiasts. They brought over teachers from Europe to train the princes in gymnastics.

By: wizardsmoke

wizardsmoke — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:05:50 +0000

Ha, thanks for stopping by Scott. You always propose the craziest connective cultural theories (which are sometimes heartbreaking for those of us suffering from MAFS).

I don’t understand why women would like western gymnastics though… And I assume you’re referring to some kind of British imperial fitness regimen that was set up when they were in India?

By: Scott in SF

Scott in SF — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:06:34 +0000

Hey, thanks for the link Wizard Smoke!
My view is that if your downward dog can’t scamper across the floor and scratch its ear, you’re wasting your time. I like having more flexibility than a person actually needs for martial arts because I occasionally like to perform (also known as showing off) and since I teach kids–they love twisting up into funny shaped animals.
I’m planning to blog at some point about the new evidence that Yoga sun salutations come from wrestling and most of the inversions and standing postures come from, shock, western gymnastics. That’s the real reason why it is such a hit with the ladies.
By the way, good insights about the repression/aggression/depression cycle, man I know that one by heart. (Glad I’ve hooked a keeper!) Perhaps gender separate Yoga is not a bad idea. Also, remember, the word gymnastics means “naked art” in Greek and it was originally all about man-boy love.

By: parallelsidewalk

parallelsidewalk — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:33:55 +0000

Well, I don’t want to hold women responsible for mens’ behavior. That being said, it would be pretty dumb for a woman to walk through some neighborhoods I’ve lived in scantily clad. While feminists often point out (and this is valid), that a rapist etc might attack a woman who is modestly dressed and/or unattractive, it’s also true that women projecting anything sexual get bugged by men more.

Capoeira in my experience is probably the most girl-heavy martial art there is, as well as the most racially mixed. You need enough upper body strength to do a handstand, and that’s about it. I left over the fueds, macho headgames, and cultural aspects I disliked, but I’m sure these aren’t universal.

By: wizardsmoke

wizardsmoke — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:40:44 +0000

Yeah, I hoped no one would find this post sexist. I’m not really a slimeball and I think Yoga’s great, but I’m not suited for it physically. Contrary to popular belief, Yoga is actually more suited for people who are NOT naturally flexible.

But yes, re: bra and panties. My friend is of the attitude that women should be able to walk down the street naked without any problems. I don’t disagree from a moral perspective, but I don’t think it’s very realistic. Most males have strong desires they can’t simply give up once they’re activated. Not all, but the majority. Most people have the good moral judgment not to act on them, but a lot of them become repressed issues which create aggression or depression. My friend is a good example. He’s a very repressed aggressive person.

I always wanted to try Capoeira when I was younger, but I never knew anyone or anywhere nearby to learn it from. Does it require inherent upper body strength? I mean, is it geared towards a typically male body structure as opposed to a classical female form?

By: parallelsidewalk

parallelsidewalk — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:34:24 +0000

I’m not a hardcore yogi or anything but I like yoga. When I do it regularly for a couple months (which hasn’t been the case in a while) I feel like I’m in a certain balanced but relaxed state. It could be psychosomatic I suppose, but it seems real. I’ve done it at the same time as Capoeira, but never really associated the two; I wouldn’t be surprised though since when you play Capoeira, especially Capoeira Angola, you spend a lot of time in difficult positions and close to the ground.

The sexiness of yoga does kinda put me off. Not because I’m a prude or anything, just because I don’t think everything can/should be sexy all the time. I’ve been to yoga classes with female students/teachers that were basically wearing bras and panties to class and doing some pretty extreme postures, and I always kinda figured a t-shirt and shorts would work just as well (incidentally, I feel the same way about $5 sweatpants vs. $25+ ‘yoga pants’).