#purplevalley

 I watched an interview with John Scott, the New Zealander ex designer, now long time yogi practitioner and teacher. He exudes calm and groundedness but has a playful side and twinkly face with a Billy Connollyesque long plait descending from his chin and shoulder length hair. He had the good fortune of studying, learning yoga at the shala in Mysore with Shri K Patthabi Jois (SKPJ) in the 70s when there was no such thing as a queue of students leading out the door. In fact at times there were only a total of 4 students in the class and never more than eight. According to JS, SKPJ endeavoured to give everything he could, full attention, adjustments to his students. JS now follows in these footsteps. He said how he would rather teach the same class 3 times to 3 groups of 10 students than to teach 1 class of 30.

JS stressed the importance of his primary role as a yoga student himself  "yoga student first, teacher second", he talked of stepping into the "teacher role" as in role play when he walks into a yoga class to teach, "he leaves his story at the door", yoga is an internal journey as well as a physical one for the student but the teacher must also be fully present focussing on the needs of those in the classroom and keeping his own thoughts and story outside the room.

The interviewer at Purple Valley in Goa asked JS how after 20 years he was still so engaged and involved in every student at every class, was there never a feeling of monotony? JS smiled knowingly, I have been counting for 20 years and SKPJ counted for 60.

I have in every class been reminded of the importance of the breath in Ashtanga yoga, "free breathing with sound", "listen to the sound of the breath", "let the breath guide your movements"," don't compromise the breath for an asana". This idea was reinforced by JS but what he additionally said about counting has been a realisation for me. "The counting is key", it keeps the mind focussed, it is like the mantra, Sanskrit numbers repeated throughout. When JS gives instruction the number comes first, then the type of breath (inhale or exhale), then the movement and then the drishti.

So in Surya Namaskara A

Ekam Inhale look thumbs, Dwe exhale fold forwards, Trini Inhale head up, Catvari exhale jump back, Pancha inhale up dog, Sat exhale downward dog (5 breaths here), Sapta inhale jump head up, Ashtau exhale head down, Nava inhale come up, Samastitihi.

JS talked about the tempo that the numbers give to the sequence, there is something almost hypnotic about the counting. When we do our led Mysore class at Meadowlark the sound of Karen counting and leading is a guide, a focus, a rhythm. It makes the internalisation process "easier", the mind and its thoughts must be reigned in. JS said that the counting keeps the student focussed/ in the zone but it plays the same role for the teacher.

Finally JS mentioned a film The Iron Lady, where Meryll Streep plays Margaret Thatcher who shouts at the doctor -  who keeps asking her how she is feeling - "ask me about my thoughts, it is a man's thoughts i am interested in", this leads JS back to something Gandhi has said, "think first, thoughts are the seed, these thoughts become your words and your words become your actions".