Ashtanga Yoga Project

Making the Philosophy and Poses of Ashtanga Accessible for All

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shanna Small
  • Submissions
    • Blog Submissions
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Instruction
    • Workshops
    • Classes
    • Mentorship
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shanna Small
  • Submissions
    • Blog Submissions
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Instruction
    • Workshops
    • Classes
    • Mentorship
  • Adventures in Mysore India,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Uncategorized

    What do Kapotasana and Swimming Have in Common?

    October 16, 2018 / 2 Comments

    Bear with me. Like your yoga practice, this story is going some where. When I was in college, I took a beginner swim class. At the end, my teacher told me I could swim, passed me and gave me an “A”. Summer came around and I was at the pool with my husband, an ex marine and expert swimmer. I was ecstatic about showing him my new skills. I get in the water. Show him what I can do and he says, Husband: Sweetie, you can’t swim. Me: Yes, I can. My teacher said I could. I passed the class. He moved me on. Husband: Sweetie, if I pushed you…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Is Mysore Full of Type A Ashtangis Trying To One Up Each Other?

    May 4, 2014

    The Dance of Yoga: Two Steps Back, Three Steps Foward

    August 25, 2016

    A.P.P Goes to Mysore: Alcohol in Mysore

    November 4, 2016
  • Guru,  History,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Uncategorized,  Yoga Philosophy,  Yoga Sutras

    Happy Guru Purnima

    July 27, 2018 / No Comments

    Today is a day for giving thinks to the gurus of your life. What is a Guru? Interesting enough, there are a lot of different etymologies.   As a noun the word means the imparter of knowledge (jñāna; also Pali: ñāna). As an adjective, it means ‘heavy,’ or ‘weighty,’ in the sense of “heavy with knowledge,”[Note 1] heavy with spiritual wisdom,[16] “heavy with spiritual weight,”[17] “heavy with the good qualities of scriptures and realization,”[18] or “heavy with a wealth of knowledge.”[19] The word has its roots in the Sanskrit gri (to invoke, or to praise), and may have a connection to the word gur, meaning ‘to raise, lift up, or to make an effort’.[20] Sanskrit guru is cognate with Latin gravis ‘heavy; grave, weighty, serious’[21] and Greek…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Taking Away Attention, Taking Away Power

    November 30, 2019

    Random Ashtanga Stuff That Has Been Driving Me Up The Wall

    December 7, 2018
  • Adventures in Mysore India,  Social Media,  Teaching Ashtanga

    Dear Physically Gifted People

    July 26, 2018 / No Comments

    Dear Physically Gifted People, Please stop using words like “easy”  or “simple” when doing a demo, teaching a student or posting a video or picture.   Why? It is too subjective. Just because something is easy for you does not mean it is easy for someone else.  Using the words “simple” or easy, with a student who finds the movement to be difficult, can make them feel like there is something wrong with them, that their efforts will never be good enough, and that they are inadequate. It can make them feel shame and question whether or not yoga is for them. I understand that this is not happening on purpose. …

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    A.P.P Goes To Mysore: New Beginnings, New Start Times, New Jokes

    November 1, 2016

    Are You Wondering Why You Should Move On To Another Series? You Are Not Alone

    January 10, 2014

    Ashtanga Yoga Project Went To Mysore: How was it?

    December 1, 2016
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Uncategorized,  Yoga Philosophy,  Yoga Sutras

    Teach What You Want, Just Don’t Call It Ashtanga

    December 9, 2015 / 7 Comments

    At a workshop, when asked about teaching a modified version of Ashtanga, David Swenson said, “Teach what you want, just don’t call it Ashtanga” The beauty of Ashtanga is that it was laid out count by count, pose by pose by Pattabhi Jois, via what he learned from his teacher Krishnamacharya so that there would be no confusion about the method and to maximize effectiveness. Theoretically, you should be able to go anywhere in the world and seamlessly join any Ashtanga class without missing a beat. There have been some changes made over the years but they have been relatively small. The wheel of Ashtanga has not been reinvented. David…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    The Good Old Days of Ashtanga Yoga

    December 8, 2017

    Pose of the Week: Kapotasana

    March 23, 2015

    Get the Help You Need For Your Ashtanga Practice w/ Jen Rene

    August 6, 2018
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Ashtanga Quotes,  History,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Uncategorized,  Yoga Philosophy,  Yoga Sutras

    Yoga Sutras for Modern Day Life: How To Get the Quickest Results in Yoga

    July 28, 2015 / No Comments

    Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:22-The time necessary for success depends on whether the practice is mild, medium or intense.   Defining the Sutra Everyone can have success in yoga but the more intense the practice the faster the results. It is important to reiterate that Patanjali is referring to yoga as the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind .  He is not merely talking about yoga as a physical practice. Many commentaries on the Sutras, allude to 9 levels of practice that are  not mentioned in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali but are mentioned in other texts and supposedly directly relate to this verse. I don’t think these 9 levels are…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    The “Next Big” Yoga Trap

    January 14, 2016

    Check This Out If Your Wrists Hurt

    January 9, 2014

    Pose of the Week: Eka Pada Sirsasana

    February 1, 2015
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Videos

    Pose of the Week: Paschimottanasana

    July 20, 2015 / No Comments

          How To Do Paschimottanasana  

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Pose of the Week: Urdhva Dhanurasana

    June 18, 2015

    Yoga Sutras for Modern Day Life: 4 SOS Signals In Your Yoga Practice

    January 2, 2016

    Confessions of an Ex-Yoga Assist Whore

    July 3, 2017
  • Ashtanga Adaptability,  Ashtanga Quotes,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Uncategorized,  Yoga Philosophy,  Yoga Sutras

    Yoga Sutras for Modern Day Life: Quantum Physics Meets Yoga?

    July 9, 2015 / No Comments

    Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1:19 Among the bodiless ones and the ones absorbed in prakrti, there is intention of coming ind being.   Defining the Sutra   This post may require a suspension of your disbelief. But then again, so does yoga. The thought that there are bodiless beings sounds just as crazy as the idea of Samadhi or getting rid of non essential thought. To help us to fully understand this verse, I have brought in Greg Nardi, authorized level 2 Ashtanga teacher and avid student of the sutras and Gregor Maehle, author of many popular books on Ashtanga and Yoga, such as, “Ashtanga Yoga Practice and Philosophy and “Pranayama, the…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Yoga Sutras For Modern Life: Comparison is The Thief of Joy

    April 18, 2016

    On the ish List: Yoga Body and the Ashtanga Teacher Training Program

    December 29, 2015

    Words of Wisdom For those on the Ashtanga Yoga Path

    July 2, 2015
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Ashtanga Quotes,  Reblogs,  Teaching Ashtanga

    Words of Wisdom For those on the Ashtanga Yoga Path

    July 2, 2015 / No Comments

    A friend posted this and I wanted to share it. Great advice for the Ashtanga journey from David Swenson   * I want you to understand, the Ashtanga Yoga can be practiced for the rest of your life. You can enjoy this practice.   About Yoga * This mat should be the place we come to free ourselves from all the stresses of the world. Don’t make it another place to be stress to you. * The mat is like a loving mother; The practice is a loving place. * If you enjoy your practice today, you will want to practice tomorrow. No one has to tell you. * Keep…

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Pose of the Week: Baddha Padmasana

    October 26, 2015

    Help For Wrist Pain In Your Yoga Practice

    April 9, 2014

    Is Pattabhi Jois Really Your Guru?

    July 23, 2016
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Videos

    Pose of the Week: Garbha Pindasana to Kukutasana

    June 22, 2015 / No Comments

              How To Do Garba Pindasana & Kukkutasana    

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Pose of the Week: Kapotasana

    January 24, 2016

    Pose of the Week: Laghu vajrasana

    November 10, 2014

    Pose of the week: Janu Sirsasana C

    August 30, 2015
  • Alignment and Injuries,  Ashtanga Adaptability,  Pose How To,  Teaching Ashtanga,  Videos

    Pose of the Week: Urdhva Dhanurasana

    June 18, 2015 / No Comments

          How To Do Urdhva Dhanurasana

    Read More
    Shanna Small

    You May Also Like

    Pose of the Week: Paschimottanasana

    July 20, 2015

    Pose of the Week: Padmasana

    March 28, 2014

    Pose of the Week: Dwi Pada Sirsasana

    March 7, 2016
12

Mailchimp Sign Up

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

Products

  • Zoom Consultation $15.00
  • CAC Ashtanga Mysore Class May 23 $20.00
  • Mentorship $200.00
  • CAC Ashtanga Mysore Class May 9 $20.00

Recent Posts

  • Treat Me Like Your Headliner
  • Deconstructing Ashtanga, Reconstructing Me
  • Performative Love
  • Why I Am Not Interested in Your Virtual Ashtanga Course
  • True Community on Social Media

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

Front Page Photos by Wanda Koch Photography

Archive

Products

  • Zoom Consultation $15.00
  • Full Mentorship $500.00
  • CAC Ashtanga Mysore Class May 16 $20.00
  • CAC Ashtanga Mysore Class April 25 $20.00

Stay up to date on my posts, workshops and classes

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

Yoga For All

Recent Post

  • Treat Me Like Your Headliner November 30, 2020
Ashe Theme by Royal-Flush - 2021 ©