Swansea visit Day 3: Yoga and Technology
Some of Karana Karana’s yoga students commented something interesting. They were admiring Karana’s use of technology in her yoga sessions. Specifically, they loved how she used her trusty 12†Apple Powerbook to both play the really nice high-quality background music and remind her of the lesson plan.
No paper. No cassette player (do those still exist?). No ugly monster computer filled full of virus and spyware that crashes every 5 seconds (although there was one like that in the office next door).
She could also, of course, access any other lesson plan, burn practice CDs for students, swap-in other music, print-out handouts (ok, maybe some paper does exist), create custom audio loops and time the class.
The students were saying that, in their experience, no other yoga teacher used technology at all, let alone in such an effective and impressive way.
We call it: yukta-vairagya. Here is an essay by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami on the topic.
July 31st, 2006 at 9:34 am
We can’t be too [quasi]-spiritual when it comes to ‘getting with the times’. Alot of people comment to me “Wow, you have a laptop… a cellphone… AND a digital projector… are you allowed to use all these things?” Yes, and I also have a flashstick (3 of them), an MP3 player, a digital camera, have broadband, use skype… and I even drive a car. Duh. All in the [attempted] service of advocating the name, fame and glories of the Supreme Person…Sri Krsna.
As long as technology doesn’t replace the teacher: ‘Simulated Yoga’ or ‘Virtual Yoga’; Im sure it’s out there but seems rather impersonal to me.
If technology can enhance the quality, presentation and potentiality of your offering, then we must take advantage. Seize the day.
I too admire Karana Karanas use of fine machinery. Especially considering the usual connotations pertaining to Yoga and renounciation. I feel it a bold approach to the contrary.