How Much Is Enough Yoga?

When I first started doing yoga, it was in the park with a teacher named Das. He continues to teach yoga in his 70s with intensity. He would say "once a week is not enough...twice a week is not enough..." He would continue to number days making all of us feel guilty for missing just one day of his teachings. He would finally conclude with "seven days a week is not enough--its never enough, its never enough." Although I have not studied with Das for many years, he taught me more about the nuts and bolts of yoga than any other teacher. He taught about the yamas and niyamas, the gunas, yantras, the Bhagavad Gita. All the stuff you hunger for when hearing about how to lift your knees more.
Every now and then, life hands us pockets of time when we can have unfettered yoga practice as often as we want. When I have these times, I feel two intermediate 1.5 hour classes usually gives me a satisfied feeling. Luckily in Hawaii, we have enough teachers to accommodate that type of schedule.
Aparigraha means non-greediness. Can we be too greedy with our yoga practice? It depends on your responsibilities, your career, your relationships, your dharma, your karma. After watching the film "Leap of Faith" about BKS Iyengar's life, one truly realizes what he sacrificed to do his yoga. He had a wife and several children. He would ride his bicycle 20 miles to teach a class to 7 people, then ride back. He went hungry for many years. He is still hungry for knowledge. Using Iyengar as the standard, it's never enough, it's never enough.

Peace Within,
Yogiromero