Ten Mysore Tips for Newbies

Recently I taught a Beginner's course at AYS where I highlighted the foundational elements of ashtanga and introduced Mysore style of practice. I had such a fun time sharing my love of practice with others - especially beginners! These are often the students who are most willing to learn, listen, and try something new. Since David is in India, I am running the Mysore program at AYS and it is my goal to help beginners learn the practice. I am teaching another Beginner's Workshop on February 11 - do come!

I love teaching beginners - all I have to do is think about how much happiness my own practice gives me and share what I know to be true: ashtanga yoga is a spiritual practice that allows you to reflect and enter a meditative state in a practical way. The method is superb as well, there is a series and a plan to the glorious madness, and all you have to do is practice. Tune in. Breathe. And take more practice!

Courageous Beginners, snaps to you! May we all have a beginner's mind when we roll out our mats...and be able to listen to the subtle teachings that come from our own daily efforts. Some of the best lessons come from self inquiry. It takes guts - throw that ego out the door; allow yourself to be able to receive the information that comes to you, be willing to learn. Jai-ho!

I still feel as though I am a beginner. I learn more about myself with each practice. With recently completing the third series, I have become a brand-spankin' new beginner all over again. I have had to learn the proper vinyasa, the correct breath and the right dhyana (meditative state). A deep relationship to ourselves happens during yoga practice, but only once we have done it for a long time. So with this, ask me in five years how the third series is going - then I will be able to tell you more about it. After only doing it for six months, it is always a challenge, and each time I practice it, I am constantly learning. Take this information with you, beginner, to understand that this is a constant practice that is evolving.  You as a practitioner will always be learning, always evolving, always going inward and more deeper into the practice. 

Rumi says, "Dig, dig, keep digging. There is water there somewhere."

*****

As a beginner, the first asana is the hardest, and it is called, "get over it asana". This means to take that first step and get on your mat. What is holding you back from learning something new? Whatever that is, it has to go.

Here's a very short list of tips to get you tasting the possible glory of "Supta, Jump!" and begin a Mysore Ashtanga yoga practice. Please comment below if you wanna share your wisdom with others. There is also a great link to Claudia's blog and book below, so this is another glimpse of Mysore-beta.

Ten Mysore Tips for Newbies:

1. Set your practice time to the same time each time you practice; don't think that you are going to step onto your mat "when you feel like it". Do the practice rain or shine, at the same time each time you practice. This will build routine. If it is 5 pm because you're a working mom, so be it. Strive for a morning practice some day. 

2. You need to have your family and/or partner on board so that he or she will help you get your sleepy asana out of bed to make #1 possible. Also, he or she will help you carve out room in your day so that you CAN get onto the mat. You must be supported on this journey!

3. When you add a new practice to your life, you need energy! You must go to bed early. Especially adding an early morning daily practice to your life, you will be tired in the beginning. You have to prepare yourself physically for a whole new challenge. Good sleep is paramount.


4. Start planning out your meals so that you don't eat dinner after six or seven pm...you want a rested belly when you sleep for deeper relaxation, and also, a lighter tummy for the morning's asana practice. This goes hand in hand with #3. Combined with good rest, you also must have fuel: eat three healthy vegetarian meals a day; do not eat before your practice if you are practicing in the early hours.


5.  Commit to one teacher/school when you are first learning. When you start, practice three days a week for one month, progressing to five days a week after. Later, six days a week of continuous practice. 

6. Start doing your research. Learn the names of the postures and study them like you are taking an anatomy course. This will increase your awareness of your own body and influence you to make the positive changes in your life so that you can continue to do this practice and develop a healthy relationship with yourself.


7. Borrow a DVD from your teacher or another student at the yoga school so you can practice and learn at home if you do not go to the shala or a yoga school. This is a wise tool to use if you are doggin' it one day and miss your practice time, or have a hard time getting motivated. This is better than not practicing at all and skipping it altogether.


8. The first two weeks should be repetitive, your initial goal is to feel better and breathe. Move slowly in the practice - don't think you have to learn the primary series in a month! Sun Salutations. Work on these for three days to three weeks. This will give you foundations. Once you memorize the breath and the movements, these will be yours forever.


9. Focus on the basic movements of Surya Namaskar A and B, and learn the breath first. The other practice elements will come later. Especially if someone says to you, "bandha, drishti, vinyasa, dhyana, breath", and you are not sure, speak like an ashtangi and say, "Yes".


10. Take a beginner's series class to begin, or come to the next beginning class on February 11 - 9:30 am at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia. Get yourself started on some foundations. Then, you can take practice. If you still can't get a chance to practice at a shala, do what you were taught during that class, 3x a week.


Happy practicing to you, and good luck on your ashtanga adventure.

Here is a great resource on how to start a yoga practice - Claudia's blog and book: SUPER HELPFUL!

http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/04/32-suggestions-how-to-start-ashtanga.html

Garbha Pindasana - Rock and Roll, baby!

This blog post is all about the glorious Garbha Pindasana (GP). If you too like or dislike this asana - please bring your comments to the blog - the more the merrier! 

After I finish my practice, I often reflect upon the posture that gave me the most grief, the most joy, and the most curiosity. When I am doing the primary series, it is always Garbha Pindasana that takes the cake: it fills the roll of all three. And in the intermediate series - it's a no brainer, of course it is Karandavasana. In the third series, it is Viranchasana B because of the knee intensity and my history of injuries from my days as a youth ski racer.

During my first practice in Mysore, I had a memorable experience with Garbha Pindasana. A woman next to me was attempting the asana at the same time, and we were both rolling at the same time. I stole out of the corner of my eye a smile from Sharath in wonderment of just how these two women were going to make nine rolls without having a bumper-car crash into each other or others around them. We didn't smash, but I'll never forget the focus it took to roll exactly when she did, and how much effort it took to link my breath with hers so that we could be collaborative in our efforts.

Garbha Pindasana is one of the most important postures for me to come back to often. I have a mild scoliosis in my thoracic spine and the unexpected relief I receive while rolling directly on my spine gives me a lightness through my back that I experience in no other way.  Also, I find that GP gives me a preparation for all of the deep leg-behind-the-head postures and backbending of the advanced series that are to come. 

I recently started taking this posture before I do my practice if I am not doing the primary series.  The intermediate and third series do not have a dynamic rolling posture anything close to this one, and I find that practicing GP before practicing intermediate or third series brings clarity and wisdom to my spine.

If you have any doubts about this posture, be sure to learn this posture from a trained teacher.  It is advised that you can do padamasana easily before attempting this asana as well as Marichyasana D. And don't just go start rolling around like a nimwit - be sure you are rolling directly on the spine and not on the side, or too fast or too slow.  Roll with the breath, deeply - exhaling on the roll down and inhaling on the roll up.

The rolling part is the most important part! The rounded shape you need to create in order to roll successfully gives the entire spine a kyphotic curve. By doing this, the spine gets massaged, relieved, and also, we emulated our earliest backbone's shape. 

Understanding more and more about your own body (it's strengths and weaknesses) is mandatory as you go deeper and deeper into your ashtanga practice. This may mean that you research which asanas give you relief and pain. There may be something hidden that you may only learn about through reflection and study.

In Gregory Maehl's book, "Ashtanga Yoga - the Intermediate Series", he offers insight into the spine's earliest shape that I am always tapping into.

"The sacrum has a kyphotic shape. It is part of the primary curvature that the infant acquires in the womb, where the entire spine in curved in this direction.  The thoracic spine is the other area of the spine that has retained its primary curvature.  Two areas of the spine adapt to a lordotic (bent backward) curvature during the maturation process to produce the double S curve of the spine of the upright walking hominid.  The lordotic curve of the cervical spine begins to form during infancy with the constant effort of lifting the head while lying on the belly; it is necessary to support our heads in an upright position.  The lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine begins to form when we stand upright and start to bear weight in an upright position" (p. 66) 

If you struggle with lotus or have knee pain, have a flat or stiff back lower back, or have a thin mat and are skipping this asana, still do the asana with crossed legs by wrapping your arms around your legs and holding your hands together in front of you.  Put a blanket underneath you to soften the surface below you to make the rolling more comfortable. Hold this for five breaths and then roll. Then lift up in lolasana to mimick the Kukkutasana gesture for five breaths.

Seeing people smirk at this posture is a dire loss, as the breathing-inspired rolling sends us into a state of breathing bliss. Also, a relationship with uddiyana bandha ignites as we use the breath and the bandhas as a softening buffer to the lower back as we roll.  

As I venture further and further into the practice, this is the posture that continues to inspire me. It is also the most unusual asana of the primary series and you can work this asana into Kukkutasana to gain strength for all the arm balances ahead in the practice.

May you too discover which asanas are best for your body and spirit by paying attention, listening, observing and reflecting.  Above all, it is your duty to pay attention, yogi! When you DO have an "Oh yeah!" moment, you will be smart enough not to miss it.

Saraswati, with your knowledge and wisdom, may you teach us the ability to listen and study - may you guide us in our efforts towards higher thinking and intelligence. From Down to Earth Yoga Studio, Bozeman, Montana. Thank you, Randa.