“Sometimes I wish it was back in it’s little corner where no one gave a toss about it” SG


Episode 84: Keeping it real in an industrial yoga complex world with Stewart Gilchrist and Mick Barnes


This episode is without a doubt the closest to my heart, as my two main teachers who I love dearly came together in one (zoom) room! CHECK THIS OUT! It’s a legendary one!

Stewart Gilchrist and Mick Barnes both Senior Yoga Teachers (teaching for over 15 and 20 years) and true legends. We speak about how CAPITALISM IS DESTROYING YOGA! How they both navigate in a world of teacher training, Lulu Lemon world and retreats. Swimming against the tide. Or as Stew says swimming against a huge tsunami. They explain WHAT YOGA IS AND WHAT YOGA ISN’T! . It’s an incredible unique, authentic and pure hearted episode sharing the ultimate truth and core of what yoga is or at least should be….. and even if you aren’t into yoga, these two will entertain you and open up your eyes and inspire you in many ways!

TO BE CONTINUED! PART 2 COMING SOON! .


SHOW NOTES:


About STEW: https://www.eastlondonschoolofyoga.com/about/
Insta:@eastlondonschoolofyoga
About MICK: https://www.theyogafactory.com.au/
Insta: @theyogafactory_sydney


Other things mentioned:
Yoga Statistics website https://www.thegoodbody.com/yoga-statistics/
International Yoga Festival https://internationalyogafestival.org/
Ashram https://www.parmarth.org/
The most horrible yoga book according to Stewart: 2.100 asanas by Daniel Lacerda / Dr Yogi the epiphany of flipflop yoga https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24693036-2-100-asanas

Stewart’s book recommendations:
Tree of Yoga- B.K.S Iyengar https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/354703.The_Tree_of_Yoga
The Deeper Dimension of Yoga- Georg Feuerstein https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/739234.The_Deeper_Dimension_of_Yoga
Handbook for teachers of Yogasana https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3522107-a-physiological-handbook-for-teachers-of-yogasana
CHAKRAS a handbook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193008.Chakras
Georg Feuerstein studies: https://traditionalyogastudies.com/about/

INSIGHTS/HIGHLIGHTS:

REAL YOGA:

STEW: The only real yoga are the ones that are mentioned in the Shastras, Puranas, Upanishads and ancient sacred texts. Those are yogas. The other ones aren’t, they are businesses, just in it to make a profit. They are made up, without any scriptural history.

YOGS ENDS SUFFERING:

STEW: I think about quitting everyday. But then I think about how many people are suffering in this world and I suffered badly before I found yoga. I suffered every singe day and I made others suffer. And the one thing that helped me was yoga. So if I can show people that helped me with my suffering I can alleviate some of that suffering for them. That is what keeps me going. That stops me from quitting every single day.

YOU CAN’T DO YOGA ON A COMPUTER:

MICK: After Covid we got left with the phenomenon that is now Zoom. That has been the most challenging. Our little shala has never recovered, we lost some people because they lost their discipline and now we are still up against the Zoom and it sickened me. It sucked the life out of me, this capitalist marketing, people getting rich with setting up cameras all over gyms and yoga schools, but you can’t do yoga on a computer, a big part of the practice is the effort it takes to get to the shala. It’s been very hard for me.


JUST KEEP GOING:
Stew to Mick: Hang in there, you’re doing the right thing. I get frustrated and angry with it too, just keep doing what you’re doing. What you’re doing is fine, it’s almost like a separation, you got to separate yourself mentally. You can feel alienated. But you have to keep going…..


YOGA IS A SCIENCE:
MICK: I believe yoga is a science. If you subscribe to a certain order of practices, processes, being open to being taught, moving from absolute nobody awareness to awareness, its a holistic process, this is so much more than turning a computer on. Teachers need to have these people present, so we can emerge them, teach them, educate them, so they get the full benefit of it. THERE IS AN ORDER FOR EVERYTHING.

Give everybody an opportunity to shine be able to teach anyone to practice yoga. You have to start somewhere.


IT’S NOT WHERE YOU ARE GOING, IT’S WHERE YOU CAME FROM! MICK: Sharon used to say we are everything there is nothing to get, nothing to gain. And that is exactly it, it’s not about where we are going, it’s retracing our way back where we came from. (Sharon Gannon, co-founder Jivamukti Yoga)


THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT! MICK: When you get older, you realise it’s not really you doing it. That’s the practice. The evolution of the spirit, it’s not you.