Ashtanga Yoga paschimottanasana
Having practiced and taught Yoga for a number of years I wanted to share with you my friends the love and the understanding I have for Ashtanga Yoga. This may help some of you understand why I am such a fan, after all, perception plays a key role in our pleasure and suffering.
When I first began practicing Yoga I found Kundalini Yoga a system of Yoga that is ancient and extremely powerful in it’s ability to transform and heal. I loved it! After moving to Florida I found Iyengar style yoga and then Ashtanga soon thereafter. I loved the alignment of Iyengar Yoga and the movement of Ashtanga, but as I was young and easily distracted I became enamoured with the creativity and freedom of Vinyasa style yoga. To clarify; vinyasa is essentially a hybrid of the 3 series of Ashtanga and is woven together by the teacher based on their expression of sequencing. This can be a wonderful experience if the teacher is talented and intelligent in their sequencing capabilities, however this is not always the case.
As Yoga teachers can become competitive with themselves or other teachers in their sequencing style and the push to be different and creative in sequencing can lead to a nonsensical sequence that leaves yogis in an unbalanced state.
After many years of having a fun, creative teaching style and practice I was drawn back to the basics and committed to an Ashtanga home practice. This is when I feel that I really grew as a practicioner and as a teacher! The consistency of sequencing allowed my mind and body to develop a level of trust that I could not reach with the constant change of other styles of creative yoga. Was I bored you ask? Well, maybe in the beginning the mind looks for distractions but after a while it falls into a beautiful state of calm- because it knows where it is going and it can let go! Imagine giving the mind a single focus- like on the breath- and letting it ride… because the body knows where it is going the mind can stay in a state of focus. My physical body transformed as did my body awareness, again due to consistency. You may be familiar with the saying “Jack of all trades master of none” , well that is what a mixed practice can create-A “confused yogi”.
What about all the different asanas (postures) you get to try out in other classes. Well first ask yourself why do you practice? Each asana has specific benefits and the theory behind the three series is;
1) Yoga Chikitsa (Yoga Therapy)-the primary series moves through the first layer clearing the heavy stuff out of the way. Cleansing major organs and strenghtening our core, when so many of us come to yoga plugged in to the outside world this is the first guidance to connect back to ourselves. This begins to strengthen our knowledge that we are more than enough! We are more than this, what we see.
It helps to loosen the grip of the root kleshas (hindrances/obstacles).
Avidya- ignorance of who we truly are.
The primary series is often likened to a farmer tilling the soil in preparation.
2) Nadi Shodhana (Purification of the Nervous System). However, this translation needs to be broadened in it’s understanding to include much more than just the physical nervous system. Moving beyond the gross body here we bring balance to the subtle energy body. Here we are clearing our passages to optimizes our flow of vitality. Often humans feel that it is due to age that they lose their vitality, here we are presented with the knowledge that to increase our vitality we are offerred the opportunity to unclog our pipes and allow our vitality to flow!
3)Sthira Bhaga (Divine Steadiness) Much like a flower which has strong roots deep in to the earth to create stablity yet also has the grace to grow upwards with lightness so that it may radiate with the sun and be able to sustain itself during winds, rains and various shifts in nature- The third series is that divine balance for the ashtanga practicioner.
Ashtanga is an 8 limbed practice beyond the asana practice. This gives us techniques that we can use in our everyday life. According to ashtangayoga.com ” Ashtanga Yoga is a system of yoga transmitted to the modern world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009). This method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.”
The greatest obstacle I find when teaching & practicing ashtanga yoga is the “end gaming” of the ego mind. I teach from the same place as my teacher Manju Jois and that is that it can be for everybody. Modify modify modify- Let your ego move aside and let the mind focus on a balanced ujayi breath, rather than what you can or cannot do. So get yourself out of the way and let the magic happen. Much love and peace…see you in practice, Margarida
What a beautiful, heartfelt and succinct way of explaining the practice. I definitely resonate with your journey. I similarly have gone from Iyengar, to Kripalu, Vinyasa and finally to Ashtanga. While I enjoy and still practice all these styles, I feel that my enjoyment stems from the many wonderful master teachers I’ve trained with who have strongly emphasized alignment as well as intellingent and balanced sequencing. I find now that for my own personal practice, I go straight to primary series for many of the reasons you outlined above. Initially, I was swayed and confused by the misconceptions rampant in the yoga world that ashtanga is a bootcamp, physically elitist and narcissistic practice. I’m so grateful to have had these misconceptions permanently debunked during my first class at OYP. Practicing with both Manju and you, Margarida, allowed me to strongly feel the beautiful meditative, spiritual current and the alchemy that makes this practice so effective…and If I can do it with my limitations (with modifications of course), most anyone can! Thank you so much, Margarida, for re-introducing me so lovingly and gently to this sacred practice. Om Love, Lu
Great synopsis! I will use this in my clubhouse class. Many blessings, Nancy Clark