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Letha Yoga - Bridging the Gap Between Yoga & the Martial Arts, An Article by Anthony Sell
Originally Published in the October 2004 Issue of Milwaukee Yoga Magazine
This little known system of Yoga dates back over two thousand years. Headed by a renown figure in the Martial Arts, this system is beginning to demonstrate its effectiveness among the Martial Arts community, as well as among students of Yoga, Massage Therapists, Bodyworkers and Health Care Practitioners.
Dr. Gyi lectures on the more subtle aspects of
Letha Yoga at a recent seminar in Milwaukee
The System of Letha Yoga
Although it looks different in practice, Letha Yoga has many things in common with other Yoga traditions. These include the practice of asanas and pranayama methods, the pursuit of dhayana, daruna, and pratyahara.
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| Instructor Kari Post
works on her partner during a Letha Yoga Seminar. |
Practice of Letha Yoga focuses on a series of partner-based stretching routines, solo exercises and postures that maintain and improve the range of motion and capacity of the body for labor or performance. Regular practice will improve balance, flexibility and overall muscle tone. With consistent practice, students begin to appreciate the more subtle aspects of this system and its effect on their psychology and overall health.
Letha Yoga is one of several related systems from Burma, including Dhanda Yoga, Longyi Yoga, Healing Stone Massage and Dhota Stick Massage. These combine to form a comprehensive system of healing and wellness.
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| Dr. Gyi performs the
Salutation Ritual with a Seminar participant. |
Contemporary Teachers
Today Letha Yoga is offered to the public by Dr. Maung Gyi, Chief Instructor of the American Bando Association. Originally a supplemental session to Martial Arts seminars, this system is now being accepted and sought after by many schools around the United States. In Wisconsin, there are several groups that practice on a regular basis, offering weekly classes and regular seminars to the public.
Letha Yoga offers an alternative approach to health maintenance and allows for bonding and communication between spouses and family members. Martial Artists often appreciate it as a strategy for flexibility development. Used before and after training, the likelihood and impact of many common injuries is lessened, and recovery time is reduced.
Yoga and the Martial Arts
Many of the schools offering Letha Yoga to the public are Martial Arts studios, having been introduced to this system by Dr. Gyi. As a result of consistent practice of the Letha and Dhanda Yoga systems, many Martial Artists are beginning to appreciate the positive effects on their training and performance, and are beginning to take an interest in the potential of other traditions of Yoga. The popularity of Yoga in general is on the rise. Commercial schools across the nation are commonly beginning to incorporate Yoga, Pilates, and other health-related systems to the Martial Arts classes.
For many Martial Artists, it is quite a challenge to bridge the gap from a combative form of study to one of openness and introspection. The emphasis of the Martial Arts is often on creating boundaries to protect oneself and to control one's emotions, to chisel away at deficiencies to improve achieve one's potential. Yoga does quite the opposite, requiring one to open oneself physically and psychologically to the effect of their emotions and achieve a point of acceptance, the difference is profound.
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| Instructor Paul Boyajian
performs one of the Warrior Poses from Dhanda Yoga. |
Letha Yoga was traditionally taught to and performed on the Kshastriya (warrior) caste in Burma, and so has a history of pragmatic relations with the martial mindset. The effectiveness of Letha Yoga in training helps to bridge the gap. The Min Zin breathing exercises in Letha Yoga are similar to those in Chi Gung and Sanshin, internal practices which are common to many systems of Martial Arts. Postures in Dhanda Yoga are nearly identical to postures used in forms or kata of the traditional Martial Arts, and the use of a staff as a weapon is common to most traditions of fighting. These similarities evoke a sense of familiarity and intuitive logic in students of the Martial Arts.
Letha Yoga emphasizes that students learn to respect their bodies and those of their training partners. They begin to appreciate the long-term effects of training, and how to train for longevity. They also develop a general respect for life, bringing comfort to their family and loved ones.