The Magic Happens When Your Yoga Practice Sucks
Unfortunately, the magic happens when it sucks. This is why the yogis and Patanjali told us to practice consistently. They knew that we needed to come face to face with the suckiness and often. I am not talking about pain from injuries. I am talking about the suckiness of being uncomfortable. The suckiness of wanting to be anywhere but on that mat. When it sucks, the biggest opportunity for transformation occurs. History shows us this. When we hear stories of huge internal life shattering transformations, it is usually prefaced by a heart wrenching story that sucks. For something to transform, it need to hit its “boiling point”. The boiling point is where the…
Yoga Practice Vs Asana Demonstration vs Asana Inspired Play
I got a wake up call recently when Peg Mulqueen of Ashtanga Dispatch cautioned us against incorporating things we see on social media into our Ashtanga practices. It was a wake up call because I realized that I had been doing just that. Over the past few days, I have been thinking long and hard about this. It is important to understand the context under which the video or picture is being presented. Even if a certified/authorized Ashtanga teacher is doing it, we have to ask, are they giving us a glimpse into their yoga practice, is this a demonstration or is it asana inspired play? It is also important for us…
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Conference Notes From Mysore: Mind Stronger, Body Lighter
Shared with permission from Julie Alagde-Carretas and Ashtanga Ottawa. Notes taken by Julie Alagde-Carretas SHARATH JOIS CONFERENCE January 10th, 2015 *with the Highest Respect for Sharathji Sharathji begins with the Guru Strotam: OM Ajñāna-Timirāndhasya Jñānāñjana-Śalākayā Caksur Unmīlitam Yena Tasmai Śri-Gurave Namah ON VINYASA “…’Vina vinyasa yogena asanadin na karayet (O yogi, do not do asana without vinyasa).’ As you all know, the main system in Ashtanga Yoga, the Yoga that we do, is based on Vinyasa. Vina vinyasa asanadin na karayet…do not do asanas without vinyasa. That is the inhalation, exhalation, the flow in between the asanas. It is all included, it’s called vinyasa. Vinyasa is not just jumping back, it is…
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Yoga Sutras For Every Day Life: Common Misconceptions of Ashtanga Yoga
YogaSutras of Patanjali 1:5-1:8 There are five types of mind fluctuations which are either painful or painless. They are right knowledge,misconception,verbal delusion, sleep and memory. Right knowledge is made up of direct perception, inference and valid testimony Misconception occurs when knowledge of something is not based on its true form Most humans do not feel safe unless they can categorize the things around them. Indeed, we cannot even communicate or run our society with out labeling of some sort. We all had to agree that a brown thing with green leaves at the top is a tree. That a small furry animal with four legs and pointy ears is a…
Can Older People Do Ashtanga?
Note: the pictures on this page were chosen at random and not based on age. Written by Shanna Small Someone came to the APP (Ashtanga Picture Project) yesterday asking, can older people do Ashtannga? The answer is Yes, Yes, YES! Contrary to popular belief, Ashtanga is one of the most highly adaptable forms of yoga out there. Where did the confusion come from? Most people come to Ashtanga through guided classes. Guided classes were never designed for new students. They are for current students(that practice Mysore style already) who know the sequence. Guided classes are rigid and set because they are about proper counting, proper breathing, proper vinyasas and flow.…
Ashtanga Yoga Vs Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
The term “Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga” has been used to separate the physical practice of Ashtanga from the full 8 limbed experience. I don’t know where this started but both Sharath and Pattabhi Jois, lineage holders for Ashtanga Yoga, made it clear that Ashtanga Yoga is an 8 limbed practice. Below is an excerpt from a recent conference with Sharath on Ekam Inhale Blog Sharath started the conference by saying that the first four limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama) are the external limbs that you can practice. The next four (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) are internal. He went on to explain the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas…
Making the Philosophy and Poses of Ashtanga Accessible for All
