New to Ashtanga?
by Michele Mallory
Firing on all cylinders! That’s how I feel after a great Ashtanga yoga practice. Why? Ashtanga Vinyasa is a method of yoga that’s designed to connect you to your physical body one posture at a time. What I hear from students practicing Ashtanga is that the practice feels “complete”. There’s not one muscle group head to toe that’s been left behind. Working through a series of physical postures, students communicate with every muscle group, both relaxing and engaging, towards the goal of yoga, which is union of mind, body & spirit. Connected body; connected yogi.
There are six series in Ashtanga Vinyasa, first sequenced by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, of Mysore, India. Students begin with Primary series and advance from there depending on their consistency of practice and personal desires & goals. Working closely with an experienced teacher is the best way to safely progress through the practice. The goal is to find just the right amount of work to keep the student engaged and building strength.
THE PRACTICE
There’s no shortcut to developing a solid Ashtanga practice. The ingredients according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are (1) being consistent (2) over a long time (3) with devotion and faith in the work. That’s it. Show up, chop the wood, carry the water, and watch your body and mind transform over time.
THE BENEFITS
Ashtanga is a meditative asana practice with tremendous strength-building as a great side effect. Ashtanga practitioners know both defeat and success. They are humbled by postures but also take celebration in the little wins. Ashtangis develop an understanding of when it is time to push forward or time to hold back. This understanding applies to life on and off the mat.
Here’s what to expect from your first Ashtanga class:
THE SANSKRIT
We begin each practice with a Sanskrit invocation chant and end with a closing chant for peace. You are not expected to know the chants from the get go. Just listen to the words and let them land. The invocation is a beautiful chant that pays tribute to the origins of our practice and to yourself as your best guide to practice that day. We’ll also use Sanskrit posture names and counts to keep the students on pace. With time and repetition, you’ll learn the meanings and associate the words with the movements.
THE ASSISTS
Ashtanga postures can be really hard! And we find most students love a welcome and skilled assist. Ashtanga teachers use touch to help students move deeper into postures and to bring awareness to areas for the student to relax or engage. If you do not wish to receive physical assists, talk to us before class. You can always say “no thanks” to an assist.
LED CLASSES
In a led Ashtanga class, the teacher cues the students together as a group. Modifications or variations are offered as students work through the postures in the practice.
MYSORE CLASSES
Named after the town in India where Ashtanga Vinyasa originated, Mysore-style Ashtanga is best described like a private lesson in a group setting. The teacher guides each student individually as they move through their personal practice. Many students will bring books or printed sheets to use next to their mat to help them learn the sequence. We recommend Greg Tebb & Manju Jois’ book which contains handy tear-out sheets of the Primary and Intermediate sequences. Students may choose to practice for as long as they wish within the class time posted.
Do I need to be an experienced yogi to attend Mysore class?
CLASS SETUP
Students who are familiar with the sequence can to set up on the front/ right side of the room; newer students to the back/ left. Once we start practice, we step out to the right several times to enter postures, and that way newer students can practice a little “watchasana” if needed & sneak a glance at the students in front of them.
WHAT TO WEAR/ WHAT TO BRING
Bring your yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes. We recommend shirts that won’t fall over your head in a forward fold and yoga tights or shorts. Men may choose to practice with or without a shirt. Pro tip for longer haired students - side ponytails or braids! After your first practice, you’ll understand why :) Yoga props are okay but we prefer students to use their own bodies as a prop if needed. This way, there are really no barriers to practice, anytime, anywhere.