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.
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Jason
4/22/2014 04:56:04 am
A GIRL-
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a girl
4/22/2014 10:16:50 am
I get you. thanks for your post.
Mo
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.
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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
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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.
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a girl
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.
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Jason
5/8/2014 08:47:35 am
Dear Gina and A Girl-
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gina
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.
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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."
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gina
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.
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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.
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Jason
5/13/2014 10:52:25 pm
Michelle-
Michelle
5/14/2014 12:38:36 am
Then by your logic, so should Sharath's.
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jason
5/14/2014 01:50:08 am
Michelle-
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Michelle
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?
a girl
5/14/2014 01:06:49 am
wow. so many comments.
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gina
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.
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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.
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gina
5/15/2014 01:05:28 am
Oh wow. Unfortunately, even that is mild compared to some of the stuff I read.
a girl
5/15/2014 01:41:37 am
this is where the yoga spirituality practice should come in... build tolerance and strength towards the wicked.
Maria
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
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AuthorJason owns and directs Portland Ashtanga Yoga. Archives
February 2018
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