Advantages & Disadvantages of Yoga

http://www.pranayogacollege.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=322&sid=bbf70ac53803ff6b34bc3e239db407bf#p322

The advantages of practicing the discipline of yoga: by shakti Mhi瑜伽練習的益處：

1. Yoga keeps the body strong and flexible therefore the body is pleasant to dwell in. 瑜伽使你的身體既強壯又柔韌，使你感到在身體中很愉快。

*當你的身體變得和諧輕盈，更容易把你的身體認同於靈魂（而不是相反），更容易把快樂看作是靈性的喜悅，而不是身體和感官的刺激和愉悅。身體不應該是一個累贅、障礙和負擔。這一益處的“不利之處”是一個瑜伽士開始非常執著於身體層面所謂的“健康的感覺”並把保持這種感覺本身當成了瑜伽練習的目的和動機。

2. As a result of releasing toxins, tension and stress, we create an internal space that can hold a greater amount of prana (energy). 隨著毒素、緊張和壓力的排除，我們創造了一個更大的內在空間並保持著更多的能量（Prana）。

3. This large amount of Prana, if mastered, elevates the state of consciousness. 一旦懂得如何把握這大量的能量，我們的知覺境界就得到了提升。

* 對於一個真正的瑜伽士來說僅僅具有身體的健康和充沛的精力是不夠的，他／她應該把自身的能量用於對自我的覺悟、靈性的提升和內在的修為。否則你的能量會在外在世界裡給你帶來麻煩，就象一個痞子學會了武術，或一個不懂事的少年身上帶著鉅款到處閒逛一樣危險。能力或能量只有在一個有品格的君子和懂得控制感官和心意價值的人身上才會給他人和自己帶來福祉。很多人整天想著如何打開自己的氣輪、脈輪或天眼等等，但打開後又如何呢？窺探鄰居的隱私嗎？這就是為什麼傳統上瑜伽並不傳授給沒有品格的低階人士，而且瑜伽的修煉必須和奉獻、謙卑和規範一起培養。

4. We increase our awareness of our body, mind and breath. 我們對身體、心意和呼吸的覺知力都增強了。

5. As a result of the awareness expansion, we create the ability to become the observer, knowing we are neither this body nor this mind. 隨著覺知力的擴展，產生了成為觀察者的能力，並開始瞭解我們既不是這個身體、也不是我們的心意。

* 能夠明澈地靜觀自己身體、呼吸和思維的運作，而不從個人的角度產生情緒化的評判、執著和認同，這是靈性啟蒙的第一步驟，也是解脫的開始。

6. Realizing we are not the physical body frees us from fears and suffering which relates to our identification with the body. 對我們並非物質身體的覺悟會使我們擺脫和身體認同帶來的恐懼和痛苦。

*自由和喜悅從這裡才剛剛開始。

7. All of the above may lead us to a state of inner peace and blissful moments. 所有上述益處會把我們引向一種充滿內在平和和喜樂瞬間的境界。

* shakti Mhi在這裡用了“may”(也許)一詞。每個人都可以做瑜伽，但百萬人中也許只有一人可以稱得上是“瑜伽士”（艾揚格）。每個人都會從瑜伽練習中得到巨大的益處，但仍然只有少數的幸運者才會穿過內在知覺的幽徑，達到瑜伽境界的頂峰。

The disadvantages of practicing the discipline of yoga: 瑜伽練習的不利之處：

1. Yoga may disturb some of your favorite habits such as smoking, eating junk food, over consuming alcohol, partying and other indulgences. 瑜伽也許會擾亂你的某些嗜好，如吸煙、吃垃圾食品、酗酒、參加聚會和其他一些你沉溺其中的事情。

*這個“不利之處“是你慢慢成為感官的主人而不是奴隸時的必然結果。

2. You may loose contact with some of your old friends as you won''t want to waste time anymore on nonsense. 你也許會和一些老朋友失去聯繫，因為你已不想在無聊的事物上浪費時間了。

3. Your friends may not approve of your new state as you become free and needless. This will make them feel like they have been left behind. 你的朋友們也許會不贊同你新的狀態，因為你變得自由和不再需要他們。這會使他們感到你拋開了他們。

*我們都潛意識地希望我們的朋友永遠是那個樣子，那似乎是長久友誼的某種保障。我們也不會輕易改變自己的觀念和習慣，那似乎是繼續按小我的要求去生活的保障。

4. Your loved ones may complain that you are becoming distant and cold, as you will no longer be affected by the drama going on around you. 你身邊的親人也許會抱怨你變得陌生和冷漠，因為你不再受你身邊上演的戲劇的影響。

*用超脫的態度把你生活中發生的事情看作是戲劇，這是唯一不受它們影響的方法。別人也許會為沒有辦法象你那樣旁觀和客觀而惱怒。需要說明的是，“觀察者”和“旁觀者”的概念並不應該被誤解為冷酷或沒有情感，而是指你不會成為情感或情緒的犧牲品。瑜伽需要我們具有完全的“易感性”，為的是讓我們深入到生命和萬物的精微本質，而不是在生活中在感情用事的層面上做出反應、判斷或行動。

5. You may stop looking for the approval of others. This may worry people around you as they will feel that they have lost their power over you. 你也許不再尋求他人的贊同。這也許會使你周圍的人擔心起來，因為他們感覺失去了控制你的力量。

*換句話說，你變得更自信，更具有安全感。但危險的是因此而變得自大、狂妄和驕傲。

6. You may not serve the system any more by refusing to study certain subjects that would have given you a "good status"; working in a job you hate; consuming unnecessary gadgets or; getting married because it was expected from you, etc. 你對社會慣例不再唯命是從，你也許會拒絕學一門在將來據說能使你飛黃騰達的科目，你會拒絕一個讓你討厭的工作，你不再在不必要的消費品上花錢，或者結婚，只是因為其他人期望你結婚，等等。

*這並非故意要憤世嫉俗，你只是不想隨波逐流罷了。大多數人雖然也希望自己與眾不同，但卻不知道如何培養那種內在的力量。到頭來，他們沮喪地發現自己所有與眾不同的策劃和做法幾乎和所有人都一樣。當你無法進入內在並聽見你自己的聲音時，有意識或無意識地，你只有把別人意見當做自己意見的份。If you do not go within, you go without. 真正瑜伽士的道路，是孤獨者的道路，而不是圍在圍欄裡的綿羊們的道路。飛機停在機場當然很安全，絕對不會墜毀，但藍天是飛機存在的唯一意義。

7. There is a risk that you will become an annoying yoga preacher that wants to change the whole world to become what you became as a result of this great practice. 有一個危險：由於瑜伽的力量和美麗，你也許會成為一個惹人厭的瑜伽傳教士，想要把全世界都改變成你自己變成的樣子。

*這有可能是唯一真正的不利之處。歷史上十字軍東征的動機非常簡單：這個世界上每個人都應該成為美好的基督徒，如果誰不願意那我就代表上帝殺了他。當我們多少強迫別人接受我們的善意時又何嘗多少不是同一種邏輯和心態呢？傳播“善”的願望必須由衷地發自內在。當我們從他人那裡感受到真正的善和美的時候，就象在田野裡聞到從遠處山谷裡飄來的百合的幽幽芬芳，心卻因此在一瞬間融化了。一旦善意變成外在的“必須”、任務和使命，便成了“惡”的滋生地。美好的意願並不總是能達成美好的結果。某個人的美食也許是另一個人的毒藥。別人也許會由於你的善意或自身思想的貧乏蒼白而接受你的觀念，但最終時間會顯明，每個人最終只會接受他已經準備好接受的真理，不會多一分，不會少一分。因此，老子說，上善若水。

真理並不需要全世界都同意。真相往往是大多數人所無法接受的東西。“說真話的人並不傳播真理——他只是緊緊地擁抱真理並因此而閃閃發光——他讓宇宙能量或超靈去安排其餘的一切——他瞭解真理的力量——像撒謊者知道通過撒謊能立刻得到什麼一樣清楚。但他並不試圖和任何所謂的邪惡力量作戰，他只是做他認為該做和力所能及的事情，並為此感到滿意和滿足。

[分享]The 10 Commandments of Finding The Right Yoga Teacher Training

分享

http://www.pranayogacollege.com/writings/choosing-a-yoga-teacher-trainer.php

shakti Mhi: 關於如何選擇瑜伽教師培訓的十條勸誡

The 10 Commandments of Finding The Right Yoga Teacher Training

1. Find a Spiritual Teacher. 選擇一個靈性的教師Avoid taking training from teachers that emphasize their teaching on the physical aspects of yoga only. It is important to have a teacher who can give you a full understanding of the spiritual (as opposed to religious) aspects of yoga. The teacher should not be a scholar who knows his/her information from reading books and taking workshops. The teacher’s teaching must arise from direct experience. Such a teacher will be able to deal with all of the spiritual concerns that the student may have, with no hesitation.
不要從那些只強調身體層面的瑜伽教師那裡接受培訓。去找一個能向你傳授瑜伽完整的靈性意義（但不是宗教）的教師，這點非常重要。那個教師也不應該是一個隻會引經據典的書齋裡的學者。教師所傳授的應該來自他本人直接的體驗。這樣的教師才能面對學生有可能遇見的所有靈性的問題，而不是支吾其詞。

2. Make sure to experience direct transmission. 要得到直接的傳遞Do not settle for a teacher training run by novice teachers, who show the teachings of their master from a DVD. Do not settle for the said "master" to only occasionally appear in the course. Every student in the course needs to have direct contact and experience with the spiritual teacher, as the transmission of the knowledge and wisdom often happens on the energy level.
不要接受那些沒有經驗的教師的培訓，他們會把自己追隨的大師的DVD放給你看。也不要因為聽說某個大師會“偶爾出現”在培訓的課程中而受吸引。每個學生都應該和一個靈性的教師有直接的接觸和體驗，因為知識和智慧往往是在能量層面傳遞的。

3. Bigger is not better. 教師培訓並不是人越多越好
Often you see teacher training with 60 to 200 students in a course.
我們經常看到某些教師培訓會有60～200人。
In an intense 200h course, as a result of the intense practice, students often go through physical, mental, emotional and spiritual crisis and may face multiple challenges. As a result of being in a large impersonal course, the student and their needs get lost in the crowd.
在一個強度很大的200小時培訓中，學生經常會經歷生理的、頭腦的、情緒的和靈性方面的危機並同時面對諸多的挑戰。在一個人數眾多、缺乏個人關注的培訓中，學生和他們的個人需求都無法得到滿足。

4. Avoid religions, cults and worship. 避開宗教、信眾和崇拜。Avoid trainings with even a hint of worshipping the spiritual teacher. Yoga practice is a process to transform the novice to become a free master and not to become a sheep, following without knowing.
避開那些暗示你去崇拜那個靈性教師的培訓。瑜伽練習是一個把初習者轉變成解脫的大師的過程，而不是把你培養成人云亦云的綿羊。

5. Practical teaching 要練習如何授課Make sure there is plenty of actual hands-on teaching experience for you during the course so you don’t end up with theoretical knowledge but are unprepared to actually teach. Knowing the asanas (yoga postures) inside and out won’t make you know how to teach them. Yoga teacher training is not a yoga boot camp of doing the asanas all day. You need to learn communication, the psychology of the mind, body language, how to correct by using hands-on techniques, and how to give mental and energetic support to your students in the future.
確保培訓中會安排充分的實際教學操作和練習，這樣在結束時你不是光有空洞的理論知識，但對於如何實際授課卻一愁莫展。即便你瞭解了所有體式的細節，仍然不等於你知道如何去教授它們。瑜伽教師培訓不應該是一個整天練習體式的集訓營。你需要學習如何交流、心理學、如何解讀肢體語言，如何親手去糾正，如何在將來給你的學生精神和能量上的支持。

6. Yoga is not Gymnastics 瑜伽不是體操Remember that 90% of your students out there are beginners! Most of the people in the West are dealing with physical limitations and health conditions. Avoid vigorous acrobatic styles of yoga. Choose a style of yoga that can walk beginners safely into the practice. Otherwise you will join the endless number of yoga instructors who make the students feel (after their first class) that they are not flexible enough to practice yoga.
別忘了百分之九十的學生是初習者！在西方很多人身體有各種局限和健康問題。避開那些強烈的有氧操式的瑜伽。選擇學習一種能讓初習者安全地進入練習的風格。否則你將成為那些數不勝數的瑜伽教練的一員——學生一上完他們的第一堂課就下結論說自己太僵硬了，不適合練習瑜伽。

7. Restrict yoga facility 不要依賴設施Avoid styles that constrict you and your students to a specific teaching facility environment (hot rooms or facilities with too many yoga gadgets). The essence of yoga practice is to be able to conduct it in any place and at any time. Your students should be able to take the teaching you convey and practice on their own anywhere without dependency on a facility.
避開那些只有在特定教學設施（熱的房間或過多的瑜伽輔助物品）條件下才能練習的瑜伽風格。瑜伽練習的本質是應該能隨時隨地地進行。你的學生應該在接受了你所傳遞的教導後，能夠自己在任何地方練習，而不是得依賴某些設施。

8. New-age yoga 不要落入“新世紀”瑜伽的迷霧Be careful of flakiness and new-age non sense.
小心所有那些有關“新世紀”的魚龍混雜的學說。
Knowledge of energy and the chakras is powerful, but there is much more to the yoga practice than just the chakras.
有關能量和氣輪的知識是很有力量的，但在氣輪以外瑜伽還有很多其他內容。

9. Connection with the teacher after course is done.在培訓結束和教師繼續保持連接。Make sure that the teacher will be available to you to answer questions after the course has ended and to guide you in your first steps of your teaching if needed. You should be able to find spiritual support from your teacher outside the course as your practice must continue after your certification.
確保在培訓結束後你仍然有機會向教師提問，如果需要的話甚至能説明你踏上開始教課的道路。你應該能夠在培訓以後繼續從你的教師那裡得到靈性的支持，即便你已經有了證書。

10. The power of transformation. 轉變的力量Let your heart, not only your mind and wallet, be involved in the search for the right teacher and teaching. Avoid being influenced by trends and deals. The teacher is the vehicle for the teaching that may resonate in you forever.
要用你的心，而不是光用你的頭腦和錢包來決定應該選擇什麼樣的教師和什麼樣的培訓。不要受潮流和生意經的影響。教師是傳遞瑜伽教導的工具，而那種教導也許會影響你的一生。
True teachers will expand your capacity to receive wisdom that arises from beyond your programmed mind.
真正的教師會擴展你接納智慧的能力，那種智慧只能來自超越你頭腦的羈絆。