I have to admit – I am soooo lucky to have the privilege to attend classes by so many good teachers. They include yoga teachers from India, US, NZ, Canada, Hong Kong and of course, locally Singapore. I am thankful for just being here in this little city that allows so many nationalities, culturally different yoga practitioners to come together. Just incredible 
I started a year ago ( seems like eons ago … ) by practicing with a local teacher and a few indian teachers. I was in a ok fitness state before yoga, I was a “weekend gym warrior” by going to the gym and hitting out at treadmill like a mad woman once every weekend. It was boring but necessarily for me to keep in shape (or whatever shape I had… haha ).
What was worst was that I was doing all my gym alone, no workout buddy at all as most of my good friends are either no more working out due to life’s responsibilities… so it was tough getting my butt into the gym every weekend.
Anyway once I started yoga, there was no turning back.
In the beginning I followed the Indian yoga teachers. Most of them had this style that was pretty much “do do do” or “try try try” after they demo once what to do. They are really good yogis. Often they can do the pose very well. However I do find that they cannot really tell you what to look out for in the pose. Like for example tucking in the tailbone or squeezing the shoulder blades. I guess part of the reasons could be the language barriers? Or is it perhaps the way they are trained by their gurujis by just doing the poses day in and day out from young?
Teachers from or are trained in the Western countries are more analytical in the teaching. More in depth analysis of each pose and how to approach the pose with care and what to watch out for. They tend to be able to break down the pose into each step and how your body should move etc. I find that using this approach for me personally, there is much less risk in injury.
Which is why I often find myself being injured in some indian teacher classes previously. Even now at times, when they ask us to do some unfamiliar poses.
So bottomline is that we really have to listen to our body. They are the intelligence, not your teacher. A teacher is there to guide you, to help you in the right direction. Ultimately, our body knows best!
*yawn* my body says to catch some snooze now…
~om
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