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| Hi, I've been doing home practice for about 9 months now, and I am finally deciding to join a studio... I've found an excellent and reputable teacher very close to my home, he is responsible for having trained many of the other teachers available in my area. I am going to get an unlimited pass so I can attend any of the sessions offered.
I am not familiar with the primary series, or any other thing, that Ashtanga involves, but I think that my practice has pushed ahead into some more advanced poses (I can do all the basics plus some more acrobatic things like handstand, headstand, peacock feather - all at the wall mind you - and other arm balances like crow and things I can't recall the names of). I'm planning to attend the level 1 sessions, but with my schedule, I could only go once a week to those. I would like to try level 2 sessions, but I am uncertain if I could keep up without knowing the vinyasa sequence... Is it a bad idea, in your opinion, to attend both level one and two sessions at the same time? I guess I fear that only level one might not be as challenging as I'd like, and once a week is not really enough to my liking.
Also offered are Mysore sessions in the traditional fashion of individual practice with the instructor attending to all the students personally. Can you explain a bit more about how this works? I'm guessing I need to be able to guide myself through the vinyasa without cues... Is it a bad idea to show up to such a session as a beginner in this form of yoga, or can I start to go as soon as I am more familiar with the sequence of poses.
And finally, I simply cannot seem to remember any of the sanskrit names for the asanas that I practice. The videos I have used rarely if ever use their real names and simply reading them and trying to remember doesn't seem to work with me. Are classes usually guided with the sanskrit names in Ashtanga, or do they usually translate?
I guess most of these questions would be answered if I actually go out there and start practicing, but it seems that part of me is hesitant and a bit afraid to begin this class. I've only done yoga in private, but I've become very passionate and I don't think my practice can expand any more without the guidance of a teacher. Thanks for your time.
sp |
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| Ashtanga is a series of postures (asanas) linked by Vinyasa. In fact Guruji says "There is no asana without vinyasa". The vinyasa is flow of movements between the postures, it's like half a sun salutation each time.
In Mysore style class the students do their practice (the series of postures in their particular order) and the teacher comes to lend a hand when it is deemed necessary. To attend you have to know the sequence up until where you practice, as no one will be leading you through them. In Mysore style you start with the sunsalutations and are given 1 asana at a time, when you can do it you get given the next one.
If you don't know the series then it's going to be a lot better for you to go to some led classes so you can get familiar with it, but speak to the teacher. Go to Level 1 sessions and see how that goes, and then go on to level 2. Test the water.
You don't need to remember any of the names of the asanas in sanskrit, it's not a requirement 
Go to the classes and enjoy yourself!!!
Edited by DownwardDog 2006-12-30 4:35 PM
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| if it hurts
you aren't doing yoga
so learn properly and don't go any further than you're ready |
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| a book to pick up might be the ashtanga practice manual by david swenson.
pardon my french, but this book kicks a$$.
it has full layouts of the primary and secondary sequences, as well as the surya namaskar (sun salutes) standing sequence and closing sequence.
it's a good tool to learn the sequencing and sanskrit names.
also, like thorney says, make sure you're doing the poses properly.
an ounce of prevention is worth ninety eight gallons of rehab...
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Location: Upstate NY | Om Namah Sivaya,
It sounds as if your on your way...especially if the "local" teacher has the reputation that you have mentioned.
Take it slow...try not to push yourself too hard at first until you get into the swing of things, always remember yoga asanas are not about being flexible or strong. They help you bring your attention inwardly and give you an opportunity to explore all that you are. May your journey be blessed.
Om Shanti,
Ravi |
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| I recently went to Maui, where I studied Ashtanga for the first time. Most of the classes were Mysore style, and it was not expected that I know the sequence. Instead, I did what I did know, and anytime Nancy or her assistant teacher Kasey saw me standing at the front of my mat, they would instruct me on what to do next.
Like you, I was more than a bit scared of the Mysore style class, but honestly, I came to love it and prefer it to Led class, for it means that I can follow my own breath.
As one other poster suggested, get a book like Swenson's or the great handout I have that pictures the Sharath doing the sequence, and study it. I did, and with my teachers' help during the Mysore classes, I now know the sequence.
All that said, I would ask the teacher first if you can come to Mysore class if you don't know the sequence. I did, and Nancy replied, "Of course! How else are you to learn?"
You might also talk to the teacher about his methodology and approach to teaching the practice, for as one poster suggested, the current approach to Ashtanga is that one cannot progress past an asana until s/he can do it. This approach is not followed by my teacher Nancy Gilgoff, though--and she was one of the first Americans to study with Jois and to bring his teachings to the states--so different teachers approach the teaching differently depending on when they came to the practice (in addition, obviously, to their other influences).
I wish you the best in your studies.
open.hearted.
ali |
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| Thanks for your pointers folks. I really think I need to take advantage of this teacher since "He began with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the master of Ashtanga Yoga, in 1979 when he spent four years in Mysore, India. He is one of the few teachers worldwide who has attained the highest level of Ashtanga Yoga teaching accreditation and is certified by Pattabhi Jois to teach the original Ashtanga method." (excerpt from his website: http://www.sattvayogashala.com/). I'm not planning to stay in this big city forever, and I'm sure I won't be able to find a teacher of such caliber in a small town, so it's now or never.
DownwardDog - 2006-12-30 4:33 PM
In Mysore style class the students do their practice (the series of postures in their particular order) and the teacher comes to lend a hand when it is deemed necessary. To attend you have to know the sequence up until where you practice, as no one will be leading you through them. In Mysore style you start with the sunsalutations and are given 1 asana at a time, when you can do it you get given the next one.
So let me get this straight. You do the basic sun salutation and then you integrate one asana at a time into that sequence - lets say, warrior 1... and unless you can do that pose perfectly, you just keep repeating the same sequence over and over? If that's what you mean, that might get a bit repetitive...
Either way, I will definitely have to speak to the teacher before I come to any sort of conclusion about this, I hope he is very approachable because for some reason I feel a bit intimidated. I'll be going to the studio next week to see about getting started, I'm sure I'll be around with updates and many more questions. Happy new years!
sp |
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| sounds like you should hop to it, if you have such a qualified teacher in your area.
your questions will be answere through practice quicker than batting ideas around on this message board. i believe the revered Mr. Jois says, "99% theory and 1% practice"
additionally, can you ever really perfect a pose?
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| Not quite,
everyone does both sun salutation A and B (each about 5 times), then the fundamental asanas and then we begin primary series, or go directly to second or third... and then finishing postures. You don't have to do an asana perfectly but rather be ready for it both physically and emotionally.
It is repetitive as in the sequence if movements is always the same with each practice, but you move in a different mental space because of it I think. It's not for everybody, but I definately recommend you go and take a class. It sounds like you have a great teacher there as well.
For more infor read here: http://www.ayri.org/method.html
Enjoy!
Edited by DownwardDog 2007-01-02 10:19 AM
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| Thanks all...
I am very familiar with sun salutation, and having looked up the difference between A and B, I know and practice them both. Same with the fundamental asanas, I know and do those all the time, just didn't know they were collectively called that way. But the primary series, as shown on this site http://ashtangayoga.info/asana-vinyasa/primary-series/index.html , and there are a lot of inverted poses that I don't believe I am ready for. I do practice headstand, handstand and peacock feather, but only at a wall, with a lot of fear still, and certainly not in a flowing way... it's all very jerky. I cannot imagine that I could integrate, yet, into a flowing sequence, one of those various inversions. I haven't achieved that level of body confidence yet. So I guess that my practice in the primary series would stall at Utkasana where there is no way I could perform that upside down... Other than that, there are only a few poses that I have never attempted and might be beyond my current capacity: bhuja pindasana, supta kurmasana, gaba pindasana. So I was wondering, is it sometimes permitted to continue forward with the primary series, despite not successfully doing the inversions? If we agree that no one can achieve perfection in a pose, does ashtanga sometimes acknowledge that simply the effort of trying is enough to move forward with the vinyasa?
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| http://www.ashtangayogi.com/HTML/articles.html
READ all of these articles.
[my opinion]
Your Yoga practice must belong to you, and you must be the authority of your yoga practice.
[my opinion]
Good luck, keep practicing for life.
Edited by SCThornley 2007-01-02 12:51 PM
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Location: Upstate NY | Om Namah Sivaya,
In all honesty part of me wants to pack the bags and head your way ( I am blown away by his wife in such difficult poses so late in her pregnancy.......and there are some of us who worry about our tummies getting in the way LOL) .... from what I see in his website.......it would not hurt to see if Ashtanga is for you. But do remember that there are different forms for different reasons......... mainly that one form is not for every person. Some like it hot...... some like it slow.... some like it to flow....... i hope you get the idea... 
This is your journey of self discovery, take it one step at a time..... if Ashtanga is for you, then you are most definately right where you need to be for now!
-"One ounze of practice is worth more than a ton of theory"
Om Shanti,
Ravi
Edited by Ravi 2007-01-02 2:18 PM
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| I know Ravi, it's amazing that she can do those things 2 days before the birth of their son. I would have thought that it wasn't safe. And she's so tiny, her stomach seems to trim despite being 9 months pregnant... I always wondered how yoga would improve pregnancy, I'd say she's a sign that it will! Their son, who was born right there in Mysore and lived there for the first few years, is the co-owner of the studio with his father, and teaches sessions as well. I imagine he must be something having grown up his whole life immersed in yoga.
Well, I'll be reading those articles and either going to the studio for my first classes later this week or sometime next week. I'll inform you of my progress too. Cheerio! sp |
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| many of my clients practice yoga (vinyasa, not necessarily astanga, but also astanga) throughout their pregnancies. they prefer it to the prenatal classes around here because of the focus on birth preparation without taking the "it's a delicate time' approach. it can be 'delicate' but it isn't necessarily. |
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| slowpie6 - 2006-12-30 12:45 PM
And finally, I simply cannot seem to remember any of the sanskrit names for the asanas that I practice. The videos I have used rarely if ever use their real names and simply reading them and trying to remember doesn't seem to work with me. Are classes usually guided with the sanskrit names in Ashtanga, or do they usually translate?
sp
Hi slowpie! I picked up this trick from a premed forum- try learning the word backwards, and at least you will be able to spell it! Cover up the whole word except for the last letter, say it aloud to yourself 3 or 4 times til you remember it, then uncover the next to last letter and repeat it several times; keep uncovering one letter at at time and repeating, until done with the word, and presto, it is in your permanent memory. This reminds me of the drawing trick to turn an object upside down that you want to draw- you'll see the parts much more clearly when not looking at it as a whole, and your drawing will be much more accurate. I've stunned 4th graders with this technique, proving to them that yes, they can draw in a realistic style (this is about the age when people start to say, "I can't draw...")
Your new adventure in yoga sounds exciting- congradulations on bringing it out of the house!
Your friend,
ellen |
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Location: Upstate NY | slowpie6 - 2007-01-02 2:41 PM
I know Ravi, it's amazing that she can do those things 2 days before the birth of their son. I would have thought that it wasn't safe. And she's so tiny, her stomach seems to trim despite being 9 months pregnant... I always wondered how yoga would improve pregnancy, I'd say she's a sign that it will! Their son, who was born right there in Mysore and lived there for the first few years, is the co-owner of the studio with his father, and teaches sessions as well. I imagine he must be something having grown up his whole life immersed in yoga.
Well, I'll be reading those articles and either going to the studio for my first classes later this week or sometime next week. I'll inform you of my progress too. Cheerio! sp
----> I know that for an experienced practitioner that asanas during pregnancy are quite fine...... but never in a million years would I expect such advanced postures so late in the pregnancy..... in fact it is severly discouraged  |
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| Well, I'm neither planning a pregnancy nor to try to do any yoga without guidance when and if I decide to ever have children...
But today, I am planning on going to my first session at the studio. I can't explain this feeling, but I am terrified and strangely apprehensive. I don't know why. I feel intimidated, insecure, inadequate. I hope that this teacher is very good at putting people at ease. I feel as though I am about to walk into a room full of people who spend half the day with their feet behind their head or watch tv in headstand, subsisting solely on alfalfa sprouts and oxygen... I'm sure that once I go in and "break the ice", so to speak, I'll feel silly remembering how I felt today, but it's very real to me right now. I'm very thankful that I didn't heed the warnings and began practice on my own with videos, because if I didn't at least have as much practice as I do, I don't think I could have ever gone to a class.
So this evening, at the studio, they are offering two classes. One is hatha yoga, and the other is Ashtanga level 2. I've decided to attend the level 2 class, because Ashtanga is what I want to do, and also because this one is being guided by the great yogi and owner of the studio. The other session is given by a reputable teacher, but I would greatly like to see what the master does and how he teaches. I will of course first ask whether it is permitted to jump right into level 2. Over the weekend, when I plan to go again, there will be level 1 classes given, one with this other instructor, and the other with the master again. I'll attend those too. Provided this evening's class doesn't traumatize me too much.
I'm also wishing I had done a lighter workout yesterday, since some of my muscles feel a bit worn. I did my most challenging video, Bryan Kest's Power Yoga 3: Sweat. That is some tough stuff. Sometimes I can't make it through to the end, but I pushed forward, trying to encourage myself that I could make it through a whole class. If anyone out there has tried to do that video before, can you compare it somewhat to a typical intermediate level ashtanga workout? I know as others have pointed out, that most of my questions will be answered once I attend a class, but I'm asking now because I'm afraid all these questions will somehow stop me from going at all. Gosh I feel small.
I sure hope that I manage to maintain my focus during class too. I've never attended one (save for a dreadful experience at a bikram studio years ago where I only survived the warmup, and barely at that)... I am aware that you should not pay any attention to what others are doing, or how deep they go into a pose, and all that stuff, but this will be my first exposure to what is possible and so I'm interested. I've never even practiced in front of a mirror to see what I am doing, and have only ever seen myself in pictures I forced my hubby to take when I succeeded at some difficult asana (my Natarajasana and Kakasana where quite beautiful, I must say).
Speaking of pictures, I think I'm going to take self-portraits of myself today to compare to in a couple of months and see how my body is changing. I keep wishing I had pics of myself 9 months ago before I started practicing yoga to actually see the difference. I feel a spectacular change, my whole body is firm and my arms are just huge and defined, but it would still be interesting to actually view those changes from the outside. It's not that I'm vain or any such thing, but I have never felt better in my own skin and I am proud of what I've achieved, and would have liked a record of those changes. Ack, maybe there is a little vanity involved. But for someone who has overcome problems with eating disorders and negative body image, I think a bit of self-appreciation is a very positive change and that I should embrace it. Now if I could only stop weighing myself so obsessively...
Well, to any who read this, thanks for listening, I'm sorry for the rant. Think of me later today and hope I did make it out there. I'll update you all later. Ciao, sp
Edited by slowpie6 2007-01-03 12:35 PM
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| even after 16 years of Yoga, and an athletic background, I get apprehensive about going to a new teacher, or studio, or workshop.
However, once I'm there and break a sweat, it's all good.
Learning is scary at first, but once you learn how to learn and enjoy learning for the sake of learning, it's a little less scary.
You'll do fine, you'll have fun, you'll learn and be better than before.  |
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| Well, I've just returned from my very first class. As it turns out, the teacher for the Hatha yoga session did not show up, so the master teacher merged that class with the ashtanga level 2 class and led a modified class so it might provide a challenge to level 2 students while being accessible to those who practice hatha yoga instead of ashtanga. Before we went into the class, I asked the teacher if there were some "prerequisites" to attending the level 2 classes, and he told me he would tell me after class whether he thought I could go to those or start with level 1. He came to tell me midway through class that I should come to level 2! And frankly, I know we're not there to compare or anything, but I could plainly see that I was more advanced than most of the other students present, able to hold more challenging balances longer and moving deeper into the poses (I'm naturally more flexible so it helps).
Anyways, all that to say that it was a wonderful experience, even with a very large class of over 30 students, the teacher managed to give individual attention to those who needed it or to help us take the poses deeper - he came to me personally on more than one occasion, so I already feel like I've learned a lot.
There's a level 1/2 combined class tomorrow morning with a different instructor, or a level 1 class tomorrow evening with the master teacher. I'm thinking I'll attend in the evening, but if I were to opt for the morning class, would that be okay? Is there a recommended minimum amount of rest to take between sessions? It would just be over 13 hours later...
Thanks for the support and encouragement, by the way!
sp |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| slowpie - will you switch to being fastpie now? Very cool - glad you enjoyed your class.
I have a lot of trouble understanding these very frequent stories of teachers just not showing up. I feel bad when I rush in with less than 15 minutes before class starts... |
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| you are right, SisTourist, Pie is moving so fast now...
just flying off the shelf!
you should know tomorrow morning whether or not you should attend morning class.
and even if you end up making the wrong decision, the evening class will still be there...
additionally, Karim would always say, "deeper is not necessarily better, just deeper." watch that alignment, Pie
its strange how anything lacking some sort of fancy label just gets called 'hatha' yoga.
when perhaps it should be the other way around, eh?
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| well ashtanga is hatha yoga |
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| The teacher said the difference between hatha and ashtanga yoga is mainly that in hatha, the asanas are practiced one at a time individually, whereas they are linked in a flow in ashtanga. I might have it off a little because he was saying this to someone else and I just overheard, but that's what I gathered. Downwarddog, did you mean that ashtanga is like a subcategory of hatha yoga or that they are different names for identical things? If it's the latter, then I guess there are diffent views on that...
Anyways, I'm going to the morning class, turns out I have to work tonight. Besides, I feel fine. Cheerio! "fast"pie |
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Location: Upstate NY | Om namah Sivaya,
The four main branches of yoga are:
Karma Yoga- the yoga of action, the path of selfless service
Bhakti Yoga- the yoga of devotion
Jnana Yoga- the yoga of knowledge, the philosophical approach
Raja Yoga- the yoga of knowledge, the philisophical approach
Raja yoga is the path of systematic analysis and control of the mind. Compiled by Patanjali Maharishi, Raja yoga is also known as "ashtanga" yoga because its practices can be divided into eight limbs
1)Yamas
2) Niyama
3) Asana
4)Pranayama
5) Pratyahara
6) Dharana
7) Dhyana
Samadhi
Ashtanga is Hatha Yoga. But as Dhanurasana had mentioned a couple post before that if there is no catchy phrase or direct lineage to the sequencing of poses then it it refered to as Hatha Yoga.
Om Shanti,
Ravi |
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| The teacher of today's class (ashtanga level 1&2 combined) said that she is giving a Hatha yoga session tomorrow and referred to it as "much more gentle" than the class she gave today. So could it be argued that ashtanga is hatha yoga pushed a bit further to be a more demanding physical challenge? If I decide to attend a class tomorrow, that's the only one I can go to, so I guess I will find out directly how hatha compares to ashtanga, at least in this studio's vernacular. My impression is that there must be some controversy regarding the overlap between the two, or there would be no sense in a studio offering both ashtanga and hatha if they are the same thing. I did understand that ashtanga follows a fixed series of asanas... does hatha yoga also follow such a determined series of poses, or is there more variation in the sequencing?
Anyhow, in today's class, there were only 5 and 1/2 students (one lady brought her young daughter). So it felt very individualized. The teacher came to adjust my alignment in various poses. Seems that I tend to forget to lower my shoulders, and my lower ribs have a darned tendency to jut outwards. She keeps telling me to pull them in, but I feel as though I don't even know what muscles are responsible for that. I'll keep trying. She also pointed out that I need to raise my arches, but I have flat feet so this is awfully hard for me. I tried to do it throughout and ended up having some real soreness in my arches.
Well, I am officially terribly excited about all this, taking my yoga practice to a new level was a great idea I think. Saturday, I'm going to attend a level 2 class, so I might have another transitional moment of intimidation, but I think I can hold my own.
sp |
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New to Ashtanga
