ASHTANGA & THE KINO KONVERSATION

4/22/2014

Kino Macgregor is an Ashtanga teacher based in Miami. She is currently one of the chief populizers of Ashtanga, and works hard to spread the practice of Ashtanga throughout the world. She runs a thriving YouTube channel, travels internationally teaching workshops, and has produced several DVDs of the Ashtanga sequences.

Inevitably, three to four weeks into a Mysore yoga practice, a person will discover Kino on YouTube.

Consequently, we have the Kino Conversation, which I have now, with practice, honed to a reliable spiel.

To sum up the spiel:

1. Kino has an exquisite asana practice.
2. YOUR practice may not, or will not, look like Kino's practice.
3. The fact that your practice does not resemble Kino's practice is not a problem.
4. You are not striving to have your practice look like Kino's.
5. Receive Kino's asana performances as you would a poem, a painting, or a fine bottle of bourbon: they are expressions meant for you to savor. Not imitate.

It's unfortunate, but a side-effect of the 'propaganda' aspect of Ashtanga presentation is to reduce it to asana perfection.

Best to think of her videos as offerings of beauty and inspiration, not modeling.

22 Comments

a girl

4/22/2014 04:21:55 am

Not sure why people don't like Kino but I do. In a world where few women have a lead, I appreciate Kino for doing what she does. Actually I have learnt a great deal from her YouTube channel which helped me in my postures. again not sure why so many people don't like her.

Jason

4/22/2014 04:56:04 am

A GIRL-
I'm not sure where you derived the idea people don't like Kino. She is doing a great job bringing Ashtanga Yoga to people everywhere.

Unfortunately, a side-effect of the 'propaganda' aspect of Ashtanga presentation is it reduces Ashtanga to asana perfection.

Best to think of her videos as offerings of beauty and inspiration, not modeling. After all, her teacher did not perform asanas at all during the entire time she practiced with him, and not for the 25 years prior.

j

4/22/2014 10:16:50 am

I get you. thanks for your post.

4/22/2014 03:17:05 pm

I loved this post. Well said! The thing I have taken away from Kino's videos is that she always ends with a smile. This has inspired me to check in with myself during practice to make sure I'm not grimacing through postures or being overly serious.

M V RAGHAVANAND link

4/24/2014 12:38:23 am

KINO IS A GREAT PRACTIONER OF YOGA . SHE IS AN INSPIRATION TO ME AND MANY MORE IN THE WORLD. HER SMILE IS BEAUTIFUL WHICH COMES FROM HER HEART

gina

5/4/2014 07:21:33 am

The thing that's a bummer about the direction Kino has taken her social media presence is that all of the things she posts now seem to be asana related or asana videos or asana challenges. Speaking as someone who has taken several workshops with Kino and her husband (who by the way is one of my favorite teachers in the world) is that Kino knows her shit when it comes to scripture, philosophy, spirituality and the inner work. Ahe used to post these wonderful podcasts where she'd speak for hours about the more subtle aspects of the practice. She seems to have veered away from that in the information she shares with the world. She's been a great inspiration to me but I'd love to read and hear more of her insight on the other 7 limbs again.

5/8/2014 01:22:42 am

I agree. Sadly, the reason might be that a lot of people practise only the physical side of yoga and ignore the enormous benefits of the immense spirituality of yoga.

5/8/2014 08:47:35 am

Dear Gina and A Girl-

You two ought to leave comments on Kino's blog or website! For example, I never knew she had done a podcast. Perhaps she would start again if she knew there was interest.

j

5/8/2014 09:00:23 am

I actually did just that a couple months ago but I imagine it probably got lost in the sea of thousands of other message she gets. I'm doing an intensive with her husband next month, maybe I'll ask him to let her know I mentioned it.

Michelle link

5/13/2014 12:09:21 pm

Yes, Kino has a more robust presence on the internet than most Ashtanga teachers. The nature of youtube and the internet is such that more hits puts you at the top of the viewing/search page, and it grows exponentially as a result. Perhaps that's one reason why she's the first person most people see when they search for "Ashtanga Yoga."

However.

Kino is an excellent teacher, without question. I've found her brief video instructions to be spot on, and her free offering of them generous. While I too miss her informative and in-depth podcasts, let's be honest here: how many amongst us started Ashtanga Yoga primarily to learn about the sutras, or how to meditate? I would guess that over 90% of us started with asana, and then after some time began to study the other limbs - if we stuck with asana long enough, that is. Kino knows what the consumer is looking for initially, and she fills that demand. Anyone who has opened an Ashtanga studio does the same. We teach asana first, then the other limbs as the student is ready for it or asks for it.

One thing I have to ask: if Kino was a man, would we even be having this conversation? For example, David Garrigues is just as generous and prolific with his Asana Kitchen videos. And there are a wealth of instructional DVD's available to students - the majority of which have been produced by male teachers, btw.

I get it, Jason, it's not ideal to have one's students asking you, "What DVD do you recommend? I was watching a woman named Kino…" but a gentle explanation of the benefits of live one-on-one Mysore instruction over video instruction seems to take care of this confusion, in my experience.

My point is, Kino's not the only one who's "propagandizing." She's perhaps one of the most successful, though. Good for her! Bravo, Kino! She's brought a great many people to the practice, and for that she should be commended.

Frankly, it belittles her excellence as a teacher to say what she offers should be viewed as merely aesthetic.

5/13/2014 12:43:18 pm

At what point and for what reason does one decide to endorse and sell their own line of mats, their own line of shorts and their own mala beads named after them? I'm not trying to play devil's advocate or put down the truly detailed and in-depth teachings she does freely share with the world but at times I'm a little put off by the blatant branding. I suppose she is a businesswoman as well as a yogini though and if I could make a living doing what she does, it'd be a dream life. I just have trouble at times believing that there is not somewhat of a hint of egotistical and monetary motivation behind posting thousands of videos of yourself over and over for which you've hired professional videographers and makeup artists. Not to mention, she is not the most approachable "famous teacher" I've met. Anyhow, I guess I'm bashing a bit, it's just that I'm torn sometimes about how I feel about her. Bottom line is she is a dedicated practitioner and an extremely experienced and excellent instructor. At the end of the say, all that should matter to me is whether or not I learn from her teachings and I can say with certainty that I have.

5/13/2014 10:36:47 pm

Again, I guess I am wondering why she touches such a nerve in us? Because, in honesty, I have felt this way about her in the past, too, so I understand, Gina, the ambivalence you are feeling. Part of our yoga culture implies that we should be offering the teachings as service to others: that students will come if we are patient and persistent. "Don't advertise or promote yourself - it's not cool" seems to be part of the conditioning, in other words.

Yet, I've heard Tim Miller's story of his early struggles to make a living as an Ashtanga teacher, and he was told by Guruji to put a statue of Hanuman in his studio - that it would bring in external prana, i.e. money. And it did. So, I'm thankful that Tim stuck it out, and is teaching still, and is highly successful. But, then, I asked myself, "Why am I happy for successful Tim, and respect him, but less so for Kino?" and I sought to understand why. (Hint: cultural conditioning.)

Like most successful, public women, Kino polarizes and makes us uncomfortable (see Hillary Clinton, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey for other examples.) We need to ask ourselves, "Why does the success of a strong woman make me feel uncomfortable?" in order to instigate a change within ourselves. We need to awaken from a repressive attitude where it's OK to compare a strong, successful, hardworking woman to a bottle of bourbon or a flower in order to negate her, to a more awakened state that says,"I am happy for you in your good fortune, because you have worked hard, you are great at what you do, and you deserve this success." (See Sutra 1.33 in this regard.)

In our Ashtanga subculture, Kino is perhaps the most visible female teacher. Yes, she promotes herself. Yes, she works at being highly successful in her field. And, yes, she succeeds at being a great teacher AND she makes money. And she is judged harshly for her success, by men AND women.

We need to wake up to why we choose to look specifically at Kino in this light - as "blatant" and "egotistical" - but not her male peers who do the same. (see link below for more discussion on this limiting strain in our Ashtanga culture.)

As for her being unapproachable, perhaps that's a means to protect herself, to give herself some space, as a highly public female figure in the Ashtanga world?

http://www.insideowl.com/2014/05/11/dear-ashtanga/

5/13/2014 10:52:25 pm

Michelle-

I will reiterate my original post, as well, as again this week I had the Kino Konversation ("When will my jump-throughs look like that?"): Kino is not a poem, a painting, or a fine bottle of bourbon.

Her videos of asana demonstrations, however, should be savored as such.

best,
jason

Michelle

5/14/2014 12:38:36 am

Then by your logic, so should Sharath's.

jason

5/14/2014 01:50:08 am

Michelle-

Yes, so should Sharath's. As should the practitioners in Guruji's '93 led classes.

However, and this is a testament to Kino's success in spreading Ashtanga, while I hear almost weekly (bi-weekly) comments on her videos, I do not receive, nor have I ever, questions or comments about Sharath's or any of the other videos out there.

Hence the post.

best,
jason

5/15/2014 07:04:07 am

OK, so what's your view on instructional books on Ashtanga - those that try to describe the benefits of practice, with perhaps a bit of anatomy, and/or recommendations for how and when and why to practice, along with photos of the asanas, vinyasa counts, etc etc? Also merely aesthetic, and should be considered as such by the new student, or is there some value for the student to be found there?

5/14/2014 01:06:49 am

wow. so many comments.

good for Kino that she draws so much attention :)

anyhow, I read a post she wrote a while back which pretty much sums it up what you guys discussed above:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/02/confessions-of-a-loved-hated-ashtangi-kino-macgregor/

as for successful women being preached... I just hate to see successful women being put down. I've seen it a lot in my male dominant career and I just hate it. as women, the only way we can get to the top is if we support each other.

as for if she is a good/bad yogi, you know what... no yogi is perfect. no human being is perfect. and frankly looks like yoga teaching is becoming a business now. what yoga teacher follows the true path of yoga and teaches for free out of the goodness of their heart???
I haven't met one yet. even though to be a true yogi means to teach for free.. even the big gurus now charge money. but we all need to survive.
I am ok to pay to learn yoga as long as someone teaches it to me right.

5/14/2014 01:30:32 am

My comments about her branding and selling her own mala beads, clothing, mats etc. is not about her needing to make a living. We all feel that. We live in a society where a yoga teacher usually can't offer instruction for free and still get by. Her workshops are priced average, not a big deal. I'm certain she makes enough money from her workshops to live quite comfortably and I don't imagine she lives an extravagant lifestyle or anything like that.

As for Sharath's videos, you don't really see him doing 30 day handstand challenges on instagram. Kino's videos are all bright and colorful and shiny and fun...they're eye candy. They're educational and useful and beautiful to look at. Sharath is more like "Everyone stop jumping out of Warrior 1 like this." lol

From my perspective, as far as I'm conscious of, I don't have these torn feelings about Kino's motivation because she's a woman. I feel similarly about some male presence's on instagram and other social media outlets. Social media is so useful and I'm so grateful that I live in a day in age where I can have access to so much in-depth information on anything and everything. Unfortunately, there's a fine line between feeding your own ego and sharing with others. I say this in general. I am a teacher and I myself been guilty of posting videos and photos of asana and there's always a little tinge of pride inside like "Look world. I have accomplished this and you can too!" About 6 months ago, I actually made a conscious decision to stop posting asana-related photos and videos of myself. No matter how proud I was that I finally accomplished that pose I'd been working towards for years. Everyone's perspective and journey is unique though, I realize that. She may be able to not let her fame get to her head.

When all is said and done, I look up to Kino in more ways than I question her. Part of the reason why is BECAUSE she's representing for female practitoners.

p.s.- Have you ever read the comments she gets on instagram? It pains me to read the things that some men write on her pictures and videos. Straight up filthy, awful things.

Maria

5/14/2014 02:54:11 pm

Yeah, I remember one of those mean ones right here on twitter. It when like"Do you think Kino would do second series for a friend's bachelor's party? He would do the chant even" Remember that one? Took a screen shot of that pot shot.

5/15/2014 01:05:28 am

Oh wow. Unfortunately, even that is mild compared to some of the stuff I read.

5/15/2014 01:41:37 am

this is where the yoga spirituality practice should come in... build tolerance and strength towards the wicked.

5/15/2014 02:25:59 am

Gina, I am sure it is brutal over at instagram. The tweet I posted however appears in this bloggers twitter feed which makes me crazy becuase as an ashtanga teacher Jason is Kino's colleague. He is entltled to write that but WTF is this post about then? #Toooldforthisshit

ASHTANGA & THE KINO KONVERSATION

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