I can relate mostly anything in life to my yoga practice–changing seasons, grocery shopping, job drama… you name it! There are teachers and lessons everywhere. Even so, I am always a little skeptical when yoga studios try to combine things that aren’t obviously related to yoga into a class. There’s always the potential that it could be gimmicky… Of course, there’s also the potential to teach us something new that’s more related to yoga than we ever realized.
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| Image: Homedit.com |
ZenSpot, a hot yoga studio in Eugene, Oregon, is launching a new teacher training program this summer that includes Feng Shui as part of the teacher training curriculum.
“We are sponges, absorbing energy everywhere we go,” says studio owner Michael S. Bittner, Ph.D., E-RYT. “Unlike Vegas, what goes on in yoga does not stay in yoga. Energy emitted by the studio be it the layout, materials or personnel cling to your mind, body and spirit. A well thought out studio, designed with Feng Shui principles enhances the mind, body spirit connection. It does so by establishing balance in energy that affirms, enriches and comforts. Would you choose a hospital that is unfriendly, dirty, haphazard and poorly lit? Why settle for a yoga studio that is just that?”
What do you think? Would you be interested in this kind of training? Should Feng Shui be a legit part of teacher training, or is it ancillary and just a trendy hook to get trainees in the door? Do teachers really need to know Feng Shui, or would their time be better spent going more in-depth into the sutras or into anatomy?
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If it really helps the graduates of the teacher training program to design yoga studios that "enhance the mind, body spirit connection", and thereby establish "balance in energy that affirms, enriches and comforts", why not? Everybody can only benefit from this.
Something that started out as "a trendy hook to get trainees in the door" may end up serving a positive purpose and becoming a very valuable asset to the graduates. Why does it have to be one way or the other?
There's also no reason why the teacher trainees can't both study Feng Shui AND also go more in-depth into the sutras or anatomy. Again, why does it have to be one way or the other?
Just my humble two cents'. 🙂
Hi Nobel,
I'm inclined to agree with you.. I think feng shui is pretty cool, and I'd like to learn more about it! Two birds with one stone, maybe? (I can't think of a less violent metaphor.) 🙂
Erica
I have interested in to this topic.I love yoga very much.Nice sharing…
It is definitely yoga and fengshui =harmony. Both of them teach about to be balanced with nature…..
Yoga is feng shui of the body. If you know and understand one, then you can know and understand another, the more detailed you go into any subject you can apply the same understanding to another. Its all harmoniously connected. the earth has chakras and meridians so does the body and so does the home. 🙂