***This is my personal journey into the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. In this post I will share with you how I started and my journey to India. I guess it will help people that never have been there to know a little bit of what's going on in Mysore.
During my Yoga Teaching Training in U.S based in Vinyasa Yoga (2012) we were studying the styles that the students of Krishnamacharya were bringing to the West, and of course Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga were high topics. One day a dedicated student of Ashtanga yoga came to introduce us some of the Primary Series asanas and talk to us some the most important aspects of the practice. I remember was the class I most enjoyed even with all the difficulty of the movements. The same day at night we got together and watched Ashtanga Yoga NY, when Pattabhi Jois came to U.S for led classes. I remember I got goosebumps on my entire body and I was amazed by the movements. But not only that I was amazed by the students dedication and all the yoga philosophy behind the asanas. That day I decided I would practice Ashtanga Yoga.
I was living in a small town and I didn't have any Ashtanga place or teacher or even an experienced practitioner to practice with. I started practicing on my own, studying materials from David Swenson book. I was very excited in learning this practice. Then I heard from my Vinyasa teacher that Sharath Jois and his mother Saraswathi would be in NY next year in April (2013) for led classes. I didn't think twice and I signed up to go. After my first class I feel baptized. A feeling of happiness and contentment was all over, around and inside my being and at that moment I knew that practice was something I should pursuit. After almost a week in NY, I came back feeling energized and slowly found friends to practice together. I started traveling around, trying different teachers, going to workshops and soaking in as much as possible. After trying many teachers, I found it was important to "try" to keep going to the same one over and over, to create and have a student-teacher relationship.
Some people practice for fun and only as a exercise, and that's is completely fine. Other students wants to go more into the spiritual roots and know where it came from, the guru and etc... I felt a spiritual connection with this practice and with my teacher in which I accepted him in the first day I met in April 2013. I decided I need to go to Mysore and I went. Lots of people ask how is to practice there, how is to study at KPJAYI, so here are some tips about it. Also remember this is my point of view'
1- If you feel going to Mysore, just go. Any experience you have from there it will be valid.
2- If you are new to the practice, it's recommended to practice with Saraswathi. Her shala is smaller and she has less number of students. She is great! Very lovely and she is known to teach just like her father Guruji. Im so happy I had the opportunity to practice under her guidance. She is getting old so it's good to study with her before she retires.
3- There is a new rule now to practice with Sharath Jois. Its needed to practice with an authorized or certified teacher for at least 3 months. A list of authorized and certified teachers is available at KPJAYI website.
4- If you are a western practitioner and study at any Shala and goes to workshops don't go to Mysore with the mentality you will get all the help, techniques and adjustments in the postures. You will not be adjusted there like we do here. They do adjust and help in asanas in which is really hard for us but not the luxury adjustments we get in the west. Here we have this mentally to give the student opportunity to go deeper and correct body alignment. There is more about spiritual practice. I saw some people disappointed about that. So if you want to have the same teaching as in the west I recommend going for a yoga retreat with an authorized or certified teacher and you will get lots of adjustments, and technical details about asanas, vinyasas, anatomy and etc... I went in one in Goa with Tim Feldman and his wife Kino and it was great. Really. You can find Ashtanga yoga retreats and workshops all over the world if you don't want or don't have enough time go all the way to Mysore, India.
5- The practice in the Shala is not the same practice you have at home. In the west practicing at home to in a Ashtanga Studio or Shala sometimes we modified some poses and keep it going. There you get stopped when it gets difficult.
6- Despite all the free time, we have chanting classes and also Sanskrit classes if you want to enroll it. Also in Mysore there are other yoga schools offering meditation, massage classes, ayurveda and many other things that will help you to be busy if you want it.
7- Gokulam (Mysore) is a nice city comparing to some other parts of India. You will find a great support for tourists and most of the people can communicate in english. Each year more tourists and students are traveling there and the locals and business shops know how to deal with westerns. There are really good restaurants for yoga students as well. Santosha is my favorite after class! Great breakfast and also a great place to make new friends and see old ones.
Ashtanga yoga is definitely NOT for everyone. Asana practice it is for everyone, but to follow the path of Ashtanga practice it has been the most challenge thing I ever have done and continue to do it in my life. Sometimes I even ask myself why I still do it and then I just laugh and remember why I started. Ashtanga asana practice is really demanding and can easily discourage people to continue. Also people that wants to learn from photos and videos can easily get injured. So is good to find someone to guide you in the practice. The commitment is also really hard. There is also a big difference when you do it for fun and when you practice and teach. Responsibility grows and it is need to know and learn how to handle. But beside that Ashtanga practice is really rewarding. It changes our being inside out and this process is slow and usually painful. We are faced with our ego, fears, anxiety and insecurities in each practice. But after all, peace and acceptance is slowly building inside us. I also know Im not alone. The Ashtanga family is huge and we all struggle together and support each other.
The ultimate advice is to follow your heart. Do what it feels right to yourself. Don't do it because others do. Life is too short to live the life of others. Be in peace and be happy.
Namaste!
During my Yoga Teaching Training in U.S based in Vinyasa Yoga (2012) we were studying the styles that the students of Krishnamacharya were bringing to the West, and of course Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga were high topics. One day a dedicated student of Ashtanga yoga came to introduce us some of the Primary Series asanas and talk to us some the most important aspects of the practice. I remember was the class I most enjoyed even with all the difficulty of the movements. The same day at night we got together and watched Ashtanga Yoga NY, when Pattabhi Jois came to U.S for led classes. I remember I got goosebumps on my entire body and I was amazed by the movements. But not only that I was amazed by the students dedication and all the yoga philosophy behind the asanas. That day I decided I would practice Ashtanga Yoga.
I was living in a small town and I didn't have any Ashtanga place or teacher or even an experienced practitioner to practice with. I started practicing on my own, studying materials from David Swenson book. I was very excited in learning this practice. Then I heard from my Vinyasa teacher that Sharath Jois and his mother Saraswathi would be in NY next year in April (2013) for led classes. I didn't think twice and I signed up to go. After my first class I feel baptized. A feeling of happiness and contentment was all over, around and inside my being and at that moment I knew that practice was something I should pursuit. After almost a week in NY, I came back feeling energized and slowly found friends to practice together. I started traveling around, trying different teachers, going to workshops and soaking in as much as possible. After trying many teachers, I found it was important to "try" to keep going to the same one over and over, to create and have a student-teacher relationship.
Some people practice for fun and only as a exercise, and that's is completely fine. Other students wants to go more into the spiritual roots and know where it came from, the guru and etc... I felt a spiritual connection with this practice and with my teacher in which I accepted him in the first day I met in April 2013. I decided I need to go to Mysore and I went. Lots of people ask how is to practice there, how is to study at KPJAYI, so here are some tips about it. Also remember this is my point of view'
1- If you feel going to Mysore, just go. Any experience you have from there it will be valid.
2- If you are new to the practice, it's recommended to practice with Saraswathi. Her shala is smaller and she has less number of students. She is great! Very lovely and she is known to teach just like her father Guruji. Im so happy I had the opportunity to practice under her guidance. She is getting old so it's good to study with her before she retires.
3- There is a new rule now to practice with Sharath Jois. Its needed to practice with an authorized or certified teacher for at least 3 months. A list of authorized and certified teachers is available at KPJAYI website.
4- If you are a western practitioner and study at any Shala and goes to workshops don't go to Mysore with the mentality you will get all the help, techniques and adjustments in the postures. You will not be adjusted there like we do here. They do adjust and help in asanas in which is really hard for us but not the luxury adjustments we get in the west. Here we have this mentally to give the student opportunity to go deeper and correct body alignment. There is more about spiritual practice. I saw some people disappointed about that. So if you want to have the same teaching as in the west I recommend going for a yoga retreat with an authorized or certified teacher and you will get lots of adjustments, and technical details about asanas, vinyasas, anatomy and etc... I went in one in Goa with Tim Feldman and his wife Kino and it was great. Really. You can find Ashtanga yoga retreats and workshops all over the world if you don't want or don't have enough time go all the way to Mysore, India.
5- The practice in the Shala is not the same practice you have at home. In the west practicing at home to in a Ashtanga Studio or Shala sometimes we modified some poses and keep it going. There you get stopped when it gets difficult.
6- Despite all the free time, we have chanting classes and also Sanskrit classes if you want to enroll it. Also in Mysore there are other yoga schools offering meditation, massage classes, ayurveda and many other things that will help you to be busy if you want it.
7- Gokulam (Mysore) is a nice city comparing to some other parts of India. You will find a great support for tourists and most of the people can communicate in english. Each year more tourists and students are traveling there and the locals and business shops know how to deal with westerns. There are really good restaurants for yoga students as well. Santosha is my favorite after class! Great breakfast and also a great place to make new friends and see old ones.
Ashtanga yoga is definitely NOT for everyone. Asana practice it is for everyone, but to follow the path of Ashtanga practice it has been the most challenge thing I ever have done and continue to do it in my life. Sometimes I even ask myself why I still do it and then I just laugh and remember why I started. Ashtanga asana practice is really demanding and can easily discourage people to continue. Also people that wants to learn from photos and videos can easily get injured. So is good to find someone to guide you in the practice. The commitment is also really hard. There is also a big difference when you do it for fun and when you practice and teach. Responsibility grows and it is need to know and learn how to handle. But beside that Ashtanga practice is really rewarding. It changes our being inside out and this process is slow and usually painful. We are faced with our ego, fears, anxiety and insecurities in each practice. But after all, peace and acceptance is slowly building inside us. I also know Im not alone. The Ashtanga family is huge and we all struggle together and support each other.
The ultimate advice is to follow your heart. Do what it feels right to yourself. Don't do it because others do. Life is too short to live the life of others. Be in peace and be happy.
Namaste!
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| 2013 |
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| Greenwich in 2013 |
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| Sharath and Saraswathi 2013 |
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| KPJAYI 2015 |
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| Guru 2015 |
