Yogi Cameron – A Model Guru
JVM: If there were 3 changes (mind, body, spirit) people could implement right now what would those be?
Yogi Cameron: The idea behind The One Plan is that condensing the path down to only a few changes may be a nice idea but it’s ultimately a whole, ongoing commitment that ultimately leads to the kind of substantive changes that people want. With that being said, a few basic practices can shift the heavier energy in the body that makes it so difficult to get started with the higher practices of the mind.
To get started, it can help people to refrain from eating the last 4-5 hours before going to bed, starting the day with a cup of warm water instead of a cup of coffee, and sitting for five minutes in silence at the start of each day so to set a more peaceful tone for everything that follows. These practices will help people to lose weight, detoxify, and calm themselves down.
JVM: What should people look for when finding a safe, reliable Yoga teacher and what are some red flags?
Yogi Cameron: First and foremost is to ask yourself a couple of questions: Is my teacher following the path they are teaching? Are they an example of what they are teaching? For example, a yoga teacher may be fulfilling the task of leading people through a class so that they can earn a living, but they haven’t necessarily obliged themselves to immerse themselves in a lifestyle. A yogi, however, has committed themselves to a path. Various texts have been developed over the centuries to provide guidance to those who seek to liberate their spirit, and yogis, sadhus, gurus, and swamis all have different practices and rituals as based on these different texts. So the teachers we will most benefit from following will not just live as they please but rather follow the many guidelines and rules. Since yoga teachers aren’t necessarily following these guidelines and rules, it is not easy to know who and who not to trust.
