Lineage and New Media

If you read anything related to yoga, other than this blog, you know that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois passed on this week. Coincidentally, I had been reading Jivamukti Yoga, by Shannon Gannon and David Life (owners/founders of the studio by the same name), specifically their chapter titled "Guru: The Teacher You Can See and Feel." This is a meaty, ballsy book and there is a lot I like and don't like about it, which may make for a post later, but in the meantime, this chapter talked about the role of a guru and they named Jois as one of their three gurus.
Now, I have never studied with a guru. I met Amrit Desai once, and attended a pretty amazing talk of his, but the rest of my training and education has been American and decidedly non-guru-ey. That said, I can trace a lineage back to another guru, and I am not sure if that has benefitted me or my teaching or not. And I have a lot to thank Jois for- he's cited for bringing Ashtanga to the West, and the power Vinyasa flow style I became serious about, studied, and teach is almost a "child" of Ashtanga, meaning that without Jois' work, there's a chance I'd never even become involved in it.
I also wonder if the way yoga is taught and learned isn't changing. I am not going to argue that traveling to India and studying with a guru isn't an amazingly valuable experience, but I think there is enormous opportunity for growth from right where you're sitting. I've seen some really amazing, potentially transformative teaching online:

• Sadie Nardini offers some fabulous vinyasa flows and meditation via YouTube
• Yoga Today: free, hour long classes. Every day.
• Florian Yoga Companion has a 30-day series running right now addressing the connection between emotional wellness and physical health. I like this one.

I'm not arguing that the days of traditional teaching and passing on knowledge are over. But that so many other avenues have become available over the past 40 years or so, and that if we really care about sharing all that yoga can offer, it's time to embrace new media and explore its uses. I have a feeling a lot of people won't agree with me, but I think a truly loving and open-minded guru, the kind I'd want to follow, would want it that way, too.