|
|
| Hello,
I'm looking for some guidance. I'm studying Ashtanga in Mysore, India right now. I've been more of an anusara/ power yoga/ vinyasa kind of girl before coming here, and for the last two months, I've been hard core ashtanga. I came because my practice had plateaued, and having sampled Ashtanga, knew it was the most challenging thing I'd ever attempted, in large part because it is so hard for me, and I need to pace myself, and my ego gets a good bruising every time I attempt a jump through. In the last two months, while I've learned the primary series, I feel like I've regressed in my practice. My hamstrings are so tight hanumanasa, my favorite pose, is impossible. I think I've actually injured my hamstrings. My wisdom says, "back off," so I have, but I'm just wondering, looking for some sort of consolation - is this normal? In the beginning of an Ashtanga practice, did anyone else on this forum plateau, go backward even? I know, I know, there is no forward, no backward...but you know what I mean, right? I want my old practice back! But I don't want to give up Ashtanga! I love it! I used to think it was rigid, goal-oriented -- now I understand that there are infinite asana within every asana. It's totally awesome. But I need help from all of you veteran ashtangis to help me keep going. Thank you!!!! |
|
| |
|
| Hello Jules and welcome. How great you're getting the oportunity to do the Prune study! I do understand what you mean regarding the plateau and even regression. I was recently chatting with a pretty famous yogini and asked her a similar question. She candidly admitted (which is why I don't mention her name) her enthusiam/state of mind frequently waned from her practive but she doesn't let it show. We mutually concurred that we just have to look for another aspect that re-ignites the passion.
Is what you descibed above able to be discussed with your teacher there? I sure hope so as if he/she/they would surely they'd like to hear your perspective and be able to help you--a study in Prune shouldn't be all about the asana.
So I'm no help really; just wanted you to know you aren't alone and I'm really looking forward to see how this works out.
Namaste! |
|
| |
|
| I am an Asthangi and I know you don't want to hear about ego....but yoga is about transcendence of the ego.That is your ego and I know because I have been through periods where mine was saying the same thing. You know it is your ego. That is why you threw that caveat in there. It is absolutely okay to want to grow your practice but when it becomes a source of stress and the playfulness is not there, then that is when the ego steps in and that will totally destroy your practice.
That being said. Yoga reflects life. In life, you have so called set backs and stalls and in yoga you will have them too. As far as the famous yogini whose enthusiasm wanes, the mind wants to go into a state of peacefulness and tranquility. The ego is what wants to be hyped up all the time. Enjoy your practice for what it is today. The only yoga police out there are those that exist in your mind.
As far as your hamstring, you may have injured it or you may be extremely sore and your body may not be recuperating at the pace you need it too. I have experienced that when I have been at a workshop doing a crap load of yoga. Be careful. If you think you are having a setback now, you will definitely have one if your muscles aren't recuperating the way they should. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
 
| If the yogi is any good at helping you to learn how to learn yoga-whether ashtanga,iyengar,hatha etc, you should improve noticeably with each and every session.With bigger and sometimes more subtle improvements in the long run. But if you dont mind and are enjoying yourself thats cool. Depends on how serious you are. However you can improve and have fun too. |
|
| |
|
| just keep practicing
all is coming
...
additionally.
it is possible that in your previous practice you have been cheating your alignment.
this is especially likely in a flowing tradition of yoga as the emphasis is placed upon breath and flow moreso than alignment...
perhaps it is that in traveling to mysore to study you have found teachers that are making you be more honest with the limits of your body and showing you how to move better from the place of alignment rather than sacrificing it in favor of the appearance of greater depth.
rather than lamenting your inability to go to your previous depth, celebrate your newfound ability to work with greater precision.
i find myself frequently having to step back away from depth to install new alignment into my poses.
Edited by dhanurasana 2009-12-19 11:44 PM
|
|
| |
|
| I cannot say I totally agree with this. I practice 6 days a week and I don't see a big noticeable difference every single time I practice. It is like when you are trying to loose weight. When you loose the first few pounds, you may not see any noticeable difference in your body or in how your clothes fit. As you continue to loose the weight, it becomes more and more noticeable until even your friends can see the change.
With yoga, there are subtle changes happening but it may take months of doing the same pose over and over again before you notice the change and then it may only be a millimeter difference.
Every body is different. It will take some people 1 month to do splits while it may take someone else 10 years. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
| I know a couple of people who practice 7 days a week and notice nothing for weeks. However I know other who practice daily or sometimes once a fortnight who are aware of differences and improvements in each class. Funnily enough the people who dont notice much go to different teachers from the ones who are improving more rapidly. So it is down to the teacher. So I understand why you say you cannot totally agree with this. Go find a yogi who can help you learn how to learn yoga, rather than just trying to do lots of yoga, then you will be amazed by your own natural ability to progress quicker than ever regardless of age or weight! |
|
| |
|
| that is wonderful. What about your own practice? Do you see those results in your body from practicing 7 days a week?
On another note, every BODY is different.
vibes - 2009-12-22 6:33 PM
I know a couple of people who practice 7 days a week and notice nothing for weeks. However I know other who practice daily or sometimes once a fortnight who are aware of differences and improvements in each class. Funnily enough the people who dont notice much go to different teachers from the ones who are improving more rapidly. So it is down to the teacher. So I understand why you say you cannot totally agree with this. Go find a yogi who can help you learn how to learn yoga, rather than just trying to do lots of yoga, then you will be amazed by your own natural ability to progress quicker than ever regardless of age or weight! |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
| Its about quality not quantity.yes is the answer to your question. |
|
| |
|
| i feel a certain quantity of practice is necessary to achieve quality.
its easy to tell the difference between students who practice and students who don't
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
| Maybe so. You can certainly tell the difference between people who practice well and people who do not. It is about how you do it not how much you do it. The same is with food,love,sex etc- It isnt about quantity,but quality. I know its hard to grasp that especially living in a consumerist society where people are programmed to want more and more. However it is easy to forget the simple things in life are most important and quality of life is far more important than how much we live. Also as we get older (which we are doing constantly) it is of great importance to become more efficient. |
|
| |
|
| My practice is different every day. It may be because I've not been doing it very long, but there's always something that's a little better than the last practice. Of course sometimes I can't do an asana that was ok a few days before (mari d is a prime example) but it does seem that I'm going forward slowly every day. |
|
| |
|
| i find that i go forwards and backwards all the time.
come to think of it, it's like that in a lot of areas in life.
i think that quantity in life is often finite, but quality is infinite.
in my current life doesn't allow the quantity of direct spiritual practice that i had before (2-3 hrs). today, my direct practice of yoga is about 20-30 minutes daily. i also find about 30 minutes for contemplation, and about 15-30 for meditation. about half the quantity that i had before, but the same level of quality that brings peace and balance to my life.
and actually, instead of seeing things as forward and backwards, i see it as a spiral like a double helix.
|
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 86
Location: Jacksonville, Florida | It's good to be back, ya'll.
Another 'yes' to your question.
I like the "ups & downs of life" analogy to ashtanga practice. |
|
| |
Has your practice ever seemed to have regressed? Help!
