Yoga:

Elements

Practice:







15-20 Minute Session

  "free yoga" has two obvious connotations, first, to free (it from what it was) and the second, to be free (as in not pay for it). I use the term here with both connotations. To free yoga is to reclaim it for common use by the common people. It is my opinion that yoga has been kept out of the reach of the common man, in India through the caste/class system and, now in the west by making it unaffordable and inaccessible to the average working person. It is often guised in mysticism which, while may be genuine, only serves to exclude and not include people.

I am principally opposed to all knowledge that is by nature exclusive. To me, yoga is knowledge/wisdom that belongs to all of humankind and as such must be made accessible to all. Ideally, it would be in everybody's interest including in the interest of the knowledge itself that this knowledge be imparted to all, by the most learned and proficient. This would definitely maintain the integrity of the knowledge. However, one has to account for the reality that there may be very few such knowledgeable people. Further, in my opinion these people may have a greater impact as guardians of the knowledge, imparting them to people who in turn may serve to perpetuate it. Lastly this may be their livelihood making it impractical to give it away for free.

This brings us to the second connotation, which is akin to "free beer". Not as in, buy some get some more for free, but no strings attached "free".  I like what yoga gives me, it is not something I create, it is simply something that I feel by following a pattern of deliberate movements. If I were to share this with somebody, I am not sure for what I would charge them. Is it the knowledge of the movements, is it the deliberate breathing, is it the awareness of oneself or is it my time. I realize the answer to most people would be "time". You get paid for your time, your hourly rate that is. However, in my case I plan on doing yoga irrespective of whether I have others around me, who then should I charge when I do yoga by myself. As having a few people around me mimic my movements and be guided when in need of guidance enhances and not diminishes my own benefits from the exercise, I consider the question of charging people for yoga to be moot.

It is not my desire to "teach" yoga for free but to do something more, to provide a means to learn yoga in a communal setting where the only commitment from a participant is one's desire and curiosity.  As I believe all knowledge has to be, no conditions, no fees, no hierarchy, only your willingness to know.