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Joyless in Shala Moderators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
Yoga -> Ashtanga Yoga | Message format |
lyon |
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I have been trying Ashtanga for the last three months and I find the mysore style so difficult. Unfortunately there are no led classes in my area that fit my schedule. Coming from a Bikram style where the teacher really motivates and talks you through everything. I find it hard to deal with the silence. Half the time I find it hard to remember what I'm doing, how I should be breathing, I just feel really loss in the shala. And lately I find it almost impossible to get out of bed and go, it's completely joyless. Maybe I'm learning something about myself, and need more discipline, or who knows. Has anyone else had similar feelings? If so how did you overcome it? | |||
yogabear |
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Regular Posts: 86 Location: Jacksonville, Florida | Maybe I'm learning something about myself, and need more discipline, or who knows. I think you answered your own question here. | ||
Iraputra |
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Veteran Posts: 113 Location: Uppsala, Sweden | While it is difficult, or almost quite impossible, to accurately evaluate over the Internet why you seem to be struggling so much with your Ashtanga practice, it sounds to me as there are a number of things you could try, depending on what the causes of your problems are. I have not myself had those feelings you describe. You suggest implicitly that you might benefit more from a led class. If so, then you could try a complimentary home practice with the guidance of a DVD, as an alternative. There are several prominent Ashtanga teachers who can guide you this way, step by step, through the Primary Series. Melanie Fawer, John Scott, David Swenson, Kino Macgregor, and so on. When I started yoga, I was taught in a led class for the first six months, and only then moved into the Mysore style format, and if you find it hard to remember all the things that eventually should come to you naturally in one continuous flow, it might be that you have started the Mysore style a bit too soon, since this teaching style does require more autonomy of the student, especially in a big class. So, that could be part of your problem. Maybe having a talk with the teacher(s) about what classes they offer, and above all ask (talk to) him/her about what s/he thinks might be your problem or how to deal with it. After all, your teacher has seen you practice, but none of us here has. In Mysore, one day (Fridays) of the week is led Primary. Another thing that I am sensing is that you seem to be struggling with those infamous six poisons, as we all do, and if this is the real issue, I would recommend that you have a closer look at yoga philosophy regarding the yamas, niyamas and the five kleshas, etc.: “Cultivating a yoga practice is not just about physical flexibility and strength. Cultivating awareness is not about race, gender, or class—it's about waking up to who we are and our place in the world. That is why we start with the yamas. (p. 63, The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner, by Michael Stone, 2008) Another excellent book I would recommend, if you are so (spiritually/philosophically) inclined is A Path with Heart: A Guide through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, by Jack Kornfield (1993). The latter book is a basic guide to buddhist meditation for Westerners. I think both writers are also psychologists/psychotherapists. You could of course also try another yoga style, or another teacher. | ||
Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | ...I would suggest that you work with led classes for a while before Mysore practice. Mysore is really for students who have mastery of the basics. Bikram (which you mention) is a good starting point for beginners. It lacks any significant arm and upper body component, but it gets you in the habit of a sequence and of try to master the asanas in a sequence. Most people find it limiting after a year or two of daily practice, and Ashtanga is a good next step. Put some Iyengar yoga into your education as well - it will teach you alignment and awareness of how asanas affect your state of mind, both of which are essential to the development of a vinyasa practice or endurance in a hot room... .. bg | ||
Iraputra |
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Veteran Posts: 113 Location: Uppsala, Sweden | I just read an article that might be of interest: Joy Story, by Sally Kempton Yoga teaches us that happiness is always available to us, no matter what our circumstances. Here's a hint for how to tap into it: Look within -- The Sanskrit words used in yoga point to different levels/qualities of joy: Sukha, with its opposite duhka, is the joy that depends on circumstances, and often corresponding to the typical reaction of attachment (raga), or aversion (dvesa) to suffering. We are reminded not to let external conditions determine our happiness, but instead cultivate a practice that step by step brings forth a more profound transformational joy, though incidentally, not with the direct intention of becoming happy, but by attitude change and self-inquiry, when we let go of grudges, unrealistic ambitions and egoistic demands, and practice gratitude and lovingkindness to ourselves and one another, avoiding 'asmita', the stories of "I, me and mine", which are produced by a mechanism in the mind called 'ahankara', or the "I-maker". Just leave it alone and rest in the expanding space of the heart. | ||
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