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august/september 2015yogajournal.com.auproblems with loose hamstrings. I
encourage people to really figure out where
they belong within the experience. We use
basic, simple poses, which are
approachable to everybody and encourage
people to take those poses to their own
degree... Basically, we can have a Grandma
and Granddaughter, who are at different
stages of their lives, using the same pose to
find their own personal edge. It might look
different but they both benefit equally.”
For Kest, the “teacher” doesn’t come as
a Guru draped in orange robes and
dreadlocks – rather, he considers life itself,
with its myriad experiences, as the greatest
teacher – even viewing injury as an
opportunity for growth: “Injuries are your
greatest teacher because you’re forced to
become more sensitive, gentle and humble.
All the qualities you have when you work
with injury are the qualities that the yogis
have always been aspiring to develop...
Practicing intelligently means practising
gently.
Practising gently really is impossible
unless you are aware so you could say
practicing with awareness. It’s a really
strange concept to the Westerner; it’s called
‘moderation.’”
While direct references to Sanskrit are
scant and sometimes the subject of satire in
Kest’s classes – such as likening
Parsvottanasana to “bending over my (insert
expletive) knee pose” – the Yamas and
Niyamas - Ahimsa, Satya, Aparigraha - are
littered throughout his teachings, which he
makes a point of instructing in English: “It
doesn’t need to be said in a way that was
spoken over 5000 years ago or in Gothic or
Sanskrit. It can be spoken in plain English...
“All the great ones who have visited our
Planet - Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Mother Teresa,
Yogananda, Osho or Gandhi – were dedicated
to the wellness, peace and uplifting of all
beings by giving discourses on qualities of
mind like love, compassion, gratitude and
codes of conduct.”
Yoga’s ultimate goal, says Kest, is to
eradicate judgment: “I have always felt the only
way to judge your progress in yoga is how little
you judge your progress in yoga, or maybe
judge anything.”“The only way to judge your
progress in yoga is how little
you judge your progress in
yoga.”Bryan Kest returns for his
fifth Australia visit from
24 - 31 August, 2015 to
teach Power Yoga and
LSD Master Classes, and
will also facilitate his first
Australian teacher training.Visit http://www.yoga-nrg.com
for booking info.