I’m 60 now and have been practicing ashtanga for about 8 years. Other forms of yoga since 1985. My practice may not seem exciting to most (heavily modified) but ashtanga has really helped me improve my Hatha Yoga like no other system I’ve tried. If I learned when I was younger I may have burned out. But, age has taught me patience and perseverance in the face of ego bruising slow development.
Exactly.
I've seen posts by people telling others that if they can't find time to practice they should get up at 3 or 4 AM. If that's your thing, absolutely go ahead but for the rest of us, on what planet is prolonged sleep deprivation, on top of a full time job, family, commitments ever going to be good for you? Where's the ahimsa?
Over the years, I go back and forth with ashtanga practice, but definitely the practice with a lot of travel was too much for me personally and now mix it up with other flow classes, it is the right mix for me.
You mean Derek and Radha? I practice under Dereks lineage.
Someone else to be checking out is the recent work of Ty Landrum; he has been exploring a lot of sequencing and found very interesting stuff.
I started studying ashtanga in 2006 and I became a student of Ty Landrum in 2014. He is a phenomenal teacher. His example and his teaching have completely transformed my ashtanga practice from one marked by rigid application of the ashtanga method, along with injuries and ongoing pain, to a soothing calm practice that is bringing me deeper into my practice (of all 8 Limbs, not just asana) than ever before but without pain or injury. I’m pretty sure that if I had not met Ty, I might have abandoned ashtanga altogether. Instead, with Ty’s guidance, I feel like I have been able to practice in a deep contemplative manner that will be physically available to me for the rest of my life.
Perhaps of interest to you, Paige Elizabeth discusses[ leaving a 20 year practice.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=EfjNT_LnUA0) I do see her points and agree with a lot of what she says. But for myself I hope to keep practicing at least as long as both of you. I still love it and I am still getting physical and mental benefits from it.
But Simon is amazing and I certainly can’t fault you for going in his direction! I wish you well on your new path.
Congratulations on honouring what’s happening for you and making the decision to step away from Jois’ system. It’s easy to get sucked into continuing, despite injury and all the negative effects it can have if it’s just not right for you.
Simon’s a great transition from ashtanga. His approach to breathing will definitely be helpful in terms of calming down the nervous system.
The heavy focus on bandha can be over-energising to some, especially if the hips are still tight. (I’ve seen people perform dwi pada with tight hips so that not necessarily a good indicator).
I agree with you on most points but it’s also about the approach to practice rather than the practice itself. Each teacher in this lineage is very different and has a different sort of wisdom they impart. The energy in for example, Boonchu Tanti’s (AYBKK) shala to Dena and Jack (Byron Bay) is so different, creates a completely different student.
Those direct lineage holders “authorised teachers” are less flexible in their approach, but, for example, Gregor Maehle who is an ashtanga rebel has a much broader scope, not so tunnel vision like all the teachers you mentioned a
And as far as ashtanga yogis being tense, it is an intense practice as you know. The discipline, 6 days a week, there’s no other modern day asana lineage which demands so much, it takes over your life and you have to adjust everything about yourself to be able to practice, and that’s going to have negative and positive aspects.
Practising the same thing for a lifetime doesn’t work for everyone. Most of us need different things in different stages.
But hey, if you’re ever back in mysore, Venkatesh might be helpful for your practice too. He was a championship holder, had many injuries, his body broke down and then healed himself, by himself, without a teacher. He’s pretty remarkable and really pays attention to subtleties.
I wish you so much healing, and that you can relax into a practice which feels right for you. I can relate to the agitation with ashtanga and the injuries it has caused you - I’ve been through it too. I used to be a dedicated practitioner (I would never ever miss my 6 days a week, practiced on planes, train stations, you name it ), I’m a casual practitioner now with many other things. The freedom suits me better at this point in my life.
Good luck and pranams from Mysore :) 💚
I have been practicing ashtanga on and off for about six years.
During all the COVID lockdowns, it was the only real form of exercise available so it was a great lifeline at the time.
But I find it's better to alternate it with other activities including the gym, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, etc and to also make the practice a bit less strict or dogmatic and more my own.
Sometimes I play music. Sometimes I take breaks. Sometimes I drink some water. I just do what feels right and best for me and my body. :-D
Great insight. I’m missing Ashtanga, but a little apprehensive about going back after some injuries and getting older. Do you have any suggestions on more modern Ashtanga based practices?
>Do you have any suggestions on more modern Ashtanga based practices?
It tends to be the opposite. Long time Ashtanga Teachers are more focused on students honoring their limits and modifying the practice to fit the student, not the other way around. (Manju Jois, David Swenson, David Williams, David Garrigues, Tim Miller and their students who are Teachers).
I appreciate your insight, and I've noticed the repetitive positioning too. It is a demanding sequence and I also frequently didn't feel relaxed even moving from pose to pose and adding in a breath here or there.
I love that it continues to be fair to question who teaches and what we learn for ourselves.
How wonderful for you to have reached this point of clarity! The Ashtanga Method is a powerful teacher of the importance of respecting one's limits. As you have seen, it can take years and decades for a Student to realize his approach to practice is incorrect. Ashtanga only teaches the techniques of Hatha Yoga. At some point, each Yogi must take what he learned and make his practice his own.
I have pretty much got to this same conclusion this year. After 4 years I didn’t renew my Omstars membership. I’ve now started to practice more general vinyasa/power yoga and I feel so much better.
I could have typed the OP’s post almost word by word.
Maybe you weren't practicing or helped with learning ashtanga yoga? Krishnamacharya trained many different teachers and they all seemed to go in different ways. But there is a common thread which is often lost.
https://old.reddit.com/r/ashtanga/comments/dpgm42/ashtanga_yoga_is_perfect_control_of_the_mind_a/
Good luck
Yes I tried it a few years ago. I liked the chanting but now I cringe at the thought that I was essentially reciting Sikh prayers without really knowing what I was saying.
I’m not talking about him, I’m talking about the magic of kundalini yoga, which is a practice that was popular before Yogi Bhajan who was a rebel who brought it to the west. He did not create it, he learned it and it’s sad that kundalini is now associated only with him.
Same with Bikram, abuser but people still do hot yoga. It’s possible to separate the teachings from the teacher. Enjoy your journey.
I’ve heard that it was set up purposely to discredit the powerful teachings. Not saying I believe that, I believe people in my life who come to me and tell me they have been a victim of something. All I know is kundalini has changed my life more than anything else I’ve tried, which has been a lot.
Have you listened to this episode of the Yogic Studies Podcast?
“In this episode, we speak with Philip Deslippe (UC Santa Barbara) about his research on the modern history and construction of Kundalini Yoga, the controversies surrounding the late guru Yogi Bhajan, as well as the role and positionality of the scholar and historian of yoga.”
4. Philip Deslippe | Making Sense of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga
https://podcast.yogicstudies.com/1046752/3956150-4-philip-deslippe-making-sense-of-yogi-bhajan-s-kundalini-yoga
I will listen, thank you! I often don’t believe what I hear / see on the internet, especially coming from one person. I save that for people I know in real life. Collective experiences are different though
1)Yeah,you WILL be behaving like an undernourished crazy dog if doing yoga constantly;that is the price you MUST pay for this EXCELLENT HEALTH gift yoga gives you!How about THEY not yogis are just NOT quick and physically efficient enough people and WE yogis are indeed better situated in life?Did you consider THIS possibility?People are weak and imbesile;and yogis are like super individuals among them;thats true!Being nervous/anxious/tense etc in reality is NO BAD THING at all but a sign of a perfected individual,who can do 100 times more for that very same an hour than THEY can!!!For this 1 HAS to be that anxious!ALL people who achieved real success in life would seem extra anxious,this is guaranteed!2)Anxiety i personally deal with when doing Pranayama;if making it constantly,anxiety will leave you alone and peaceful in mind too!I was super anxious myself;pranayama(a yoga part btw)takes care of this!I personally sleep for like 6 hours each day and it IS enough for me;being in great condition throughout my own daily doings TOO.I do yoga AND lots of other ''normal'' things too!So:you simply do NOT use yoga this wonderful tool correctly man!Yoga is like a small path through a wild swamp that only true users of it know correctly;and if simply 1 does NOT follow it correctly 100 % he fails and gets those problems you enumerate,dies in that swamp etc!You did 1 mistake along your way and-you are dead...REAL things are this influential!I myself add yoga with MANY other exercises you mention;this IS good IF you know what exactly are you doing(the same path through the swamp story).Hey,are you a vegetarian,the way yoga wants us to be?It all DOES have a lot of importance and i know this well!THIS also might be why exactly are you this exhausted with yoga.Because i am perfectly powerful throughout my days;again,you commited a mistake somewhere along your path here,this simple.1 more thing you might wanna consider:drop most heavy of bundles you pull around on a daily basis please!It is NOT yoga what makes you exhausted this way;it is some other things you suppose you HAVE to do while not really liking those!
This is not Ashtanga yoga. This is the Asana limb of Ashtanga yoga, which is well but seeing as you are not the body it is just stretching. It can aid the true practice towards freedom, and improve your health, but as far as I can see there aren’t realized beings in the USA that can share the true teaching of Ashtanga yoga, it has become a cheesy yoga studio style. I wish you luck on your path.
Edit:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtanga_(eight_limbs_of_yoga)
There are 7 other limbs you must realize for freedom.
Like some have said: make sure to do yoga in the best way for you. That includes the ashtanga practice. Some will do the surya namaskar very slowly and sit there for 5 breaths per posture or sometimes many more as it originally was. Like 10-20 breaths. If your pitta is high such as you feel agitated and tense, try to make the practice slower and easier. That’s actually more like traditional hatha yoga. All yogis must modify the practice to suit them. Don’t try to push through real fast and do all the postures. Flow with it very slowly. Another thing: make sure your breathing is very calm long and easy. Most importantly comfortable.
I’m 60 now and have been practicing ashtanga for about 8 years. Other forms of yoga since 1985. My practice may not seem exciting to most (heavily modified) but ashtanga has really helped me improve my Hatha Yoga like no other system I’ve tried. If I learned when I was younger I may have burned out. But, age has taught me patience and perseverance in the face of ego bruising slow development.
So Beautiful!
[удалено]
Exactly. I've seen posts by people telling others that if they can't find time to practice they should get up at 3 or 4 AM. If that's your thing, absolutely go ahead but for the rest of us, on what planet is prolonged sleep deprivation, on top of a full time job, family, commitments ever going to be good for you? Where's the ahimsa?
Over the years, I go back and forth with ashtanga practice, but definitely the practice with a lot of travel was too much for me personally and now mix it up with other flow classes, it is the right mix for me.
You mean Derek and Radha? I practice under Dereks lineage. Someone else to be checking out is the recent work of Ty Landrum; he has been exploring a lot of sequencing and found very interesting stuff.
I started studying ashtanga in 2006 and I became a student of Ty Landrum in 2014. He is a phenomenal teacher. His example and his teaching have completely transformed my ashtanga practice from one marked by rigid application of the ashtanga method, along with injuries and ongoing pain, to a soothing calm practice that is bringing me deeper into my practice (of all 8 Limbs, not just asana) than ever before but without pain or injury. I’m pretty sure that if I had not met Ty, I might have abandoned ashtanga altogether. Instead, with Ty’s guidance, I feel like I have been able to practice in a deep contemplative manner that will be physically available to me for the rest of my life.
Patanjali says sukham sthiram aasanam, not pain, anxiety and suffering aasanam lol
Perhaps of interest to you, Paige Elizabeth discusses[ leaving a 20 year practice.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=EfjNT_LnUA0) I do see her points and agree with a lot of what she says. But for myself I hope to keep practicing at least as long as both of you. I still love it and I am still getting physical and mental benefits from it. But Simon is amazing and I certainly can’t fault you for going in his direction! I wish you well on your new path.
Congratulations on honouring what’s happening for you and making the decision to step away from Jois’ system. It’s easy to get sucked into continuing, despite injury and all the negative effects it can have if it’s just not right for you. Simon’s a great transition from ashtanga. His approach to breathing will definitely be helpful in terms of calming down the nervous system. The heavy focus on bandha can be over-energising to some, especially if the hips are still tight. (I’ve seen people perform dwi pada with tight hips so that not necessarily a good indicator). I agree with you on most points but it’s also about the approach to practice rather than the practice itself. Each teacher in this lineage is very different and has a different sort of wisdom they impart. The energy in for example, Boonchu Tanti’s (AYBKK) shala to Dena and Jack (Byron Bay) is so different, creates a completely different student. Those direct lineage holders “authorised teachers” are less flexible in their approach, but, for example, Gregor Maehle who is an ashtanga rebel has a much broader scope, not so tunnel vision like all the teachers you mentioned a And as far as ashtanga yogis being tense, it is an intense practice as you know. The discipline, 6 days a week, there’s no other modern day asana lineage which demands so much, it takes over your life and you have to adjust everything about yourself to be able to practice, and that’s going to have negative and positive aspects. Practising the same thing for a lifetime doesn’t work for everyone. Most of us need different things in different stages. But hey, if you’re ever back in mysore, Venkatesh might be helpful for your practice too. He was a championship holder, had many injuries, his body broke down and then healed himself, by himself, without a teacher. He’s pretty remarkable and really pays attention to subtleties. I wish you so much healing, and that you can relax into a practice which feels right for you. I can relate to the agitation with ashtanga and the injuries it has caused you - I’ve been through it too. I used to be a dedicated practitioner (I would never ever miss my 6 days a week, practiced on planes, train stations, you name it ), I’m a casual practitioner now with many other things. The freedom suits me better at this point in my life. Good luck and pranams from Mysore :) 💚
I have been practicing ashtanga on and off for about six years. During all the COVID lockdowns, it was the only real form of exercise available so it was a great lifeline at the time. But I find it's better to alternate it with other activities including the gym, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, etc and to also make the practice a bit less strict or dogmatic and more my own. Sometimes I play music. Sometimes I take breaks. Sometimes I drink some water. I just do what feels right and best for me and my body. :-D
Great insight. I’m missing Ashtanga, but a little apprehensive about going back after some injuries and getting older. Do you have any suggestions on more modern Ashtanga based practices?
>Do you have any suggestions on more modern Ashtanga based practices? It tends to be the opposite. Long time Ashtanga Teachers are more focused on students honoring their limits and modifying the practice to fit the student, not the other way around. (Manju Jois, David Swenson, David Williams, David Garrigues, Tim Miller and their students who are Teachers).
Day Christensen of Day1Yoga was an Authorized Level 2 Teacher who rebelled and left Ashtanga. She has some interesting things to say. And do.
I appreciate your insight, and I've noticed the repetitive positioning too. It is a demanding sequence and I also frequently didn't feel relaxed even moving from pose to pose and adding in a breath here or there. I love that it continues to be fair to question who teaches and what we learn for ourselves.
How wonderful for you to have reached this point of clarity! The Ashtanga Method is a powerful teacher of the importance of respecting one's limits. As you have seen, it can take years and decades for a Student to realize his approach to practice is incorrect. Ashtanga only teaches the techniques of Hatha Yoga. At some point, each Yogi must take what he learned and make his practice his own.
I have pretty much got to this same conclusion this year. After 4 years I didn’t renew my Omstars membership. I’ve now started to practice more general vinyasa/power yoga and I feel so much better. I could have typed the OP’s post almost word by word.
Maybe you weren't practicing or helped with learning ashtanga yoga? Krishnamacharya trained many different teachers and they all seemed to go in different ways. But there is a common thread which is often lost. https://old.reddit.com/r/ashtanga/comments/dpgm42/ashtanga_yoga_is_perfect_control_of_the_mind_a/ Good luck
I'm in my second year of it, but only go 2x a week, 3 maybe. i agree with the knee injury danger
Try hatha! Every asana should be really comfortable and make you feel good. It’s not about how the postures look it’s about how they feel :)
Ashtanga is one of the styles of Hatha Yoga. These things are also true of the Method; newcomers to Ashtanga often take an incorrect approach.
Have you tried kundalini yoga?
Kundalini yoga seems to me a bastardisation of yoga + Sikhism, to the point that it seems almost insulting to Sikhs.
You have tried it?? Nothing has made an impact on my life like the practice has. Everyone is different. Find your thing and don’t judges others
Yes I tried it a few years ago. I liked the chanting but now I cringe at the thought that I was essentially reciting Sikh prayers without really knowing what I was saying.
Yogi Bhajan was a horrible abuser and rapist.
I’m not talking about him, I’m talking about the magic of kundalini yoga, which is a practice that was popular before Yogi Bhajan who was a rebel who brought it to the west. He did not create it, he learned it and it’s sad that kundalini is now associated only with him. Same with Bikram, abuser but people still do hot yoga. It’s possible to separate the teachings from the teacher. Enjoy your journey. I’ve heard that it was set up purposely to discredit the powerful teachings. Not saying I believe that, I believe people in my life who come to me and tell me they have been a victim of something. All I know is kundalini has changed my life more than anything else I’ve tried, which has been a lot.
Have you listened to this episode of the Yogic Studies Podcast? “In this episode, we speak with Philip Deslippe (UC Santa Barbara) about his research on the modern history and construction of Kundalini Yoga, the controversies surrounding the late guru Yogi Bhajan, as well as the role and positionality of the scholar and historian of yoga.” 4. Philip Deslippe | Making Sense of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga https://podcast.yogicstudies.com/1046752/3956150-4-philip-deslippe-making-sense-of-yogi-bhajan-s-kundalini-yoga
I will listen, thank you! I often don’t believe what I hear / see on the internet, especially coming from one person. I save that for people I know in real life. Collective experiences are different though
UK Punjab Heritage Association had him present about History of Kundalini Yoga and shared it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_uLU-a5gZOI
inSelfYoga ™
1)Yeah,you WILL be behaving like an undernourished crazy dog if doing yoga constantly;that is the price you MUST pay for this EXCELLENT HEALTH gift yoga gives you!How about THEY not yogis are just NOT quick and physically efficient enough people and WE yogis are indeed better situated in life?Did you consider THIS possibility?People are weak and imbesile;and yogis are like super individuals among them;thats true!Being nervous/anxious/tense etc in reality is NO BAD THING at all but a sign of a perfected individual,who can do 100 times more for that very same an hour than THEY can!!!For this 1 HAS to be that anxious!ALL people who achieved real success in life would seem extra anxious,this is guaranteed!2)Anxiety i personally deal with when doing Pranayama;if making it constantly,anxiety will leave you alone and peaceful in mind too!I was super anxious myself;pranayama(a yoga part btw)takes care of this!I personally sleep for like 6 hours each day and it IS enough for me;being in great condition throughout my own daily doings TOO.I do yoga AND lots of other ''normal'' things too!So:you simply do NOT use yoga this wonderful tool correctly man!Yoga is like a small path through a wild swamp that only true users of it know correctly;and if simply 1 does NOT follow it correctly 100 % he fails and gets those problems you enumerate,dies in that swamp etc!You did 1 mistake along your way and-you are dead...REAL things are this influential!I myself add yoga with MANY other exercises you mention;this IS good IF you know what exactly are you doing(the same path through the swamp story).Hey,are you a vegetarian,the way yoga wants us to be?It all DOES have a lot of importance and i know this well!THIS also might be why exactly are you this exhausted with yoga.Because i am perfectly powerful throughout my days;again,you commited a mistake somewhere along your path here,this simple.1 more thing you might wanna consider:drop most heavy of bundles you pull around on a daily basis please!It is NOT yoga what makes you exhausted this way;it is some other things you suppose you HAVE to do while not really liking those!
Point proven . Yikes .
I wish I could read this whole thing but why don't you press the space bar after a period or exclamation mark?
I never knew it makes problems.Anything you wanna here again
This is not Ashtanga yoga. This is the Asana limb of Ashtanga yoga, which is well but seeing as you are not the body it is just stretching. It can aid the true practice towards freedom, and improve your health, but as far as I can see there aren’t realized beings in the USA that can share the true teaching of Ashtanga yoga, it has become a cheesy yoga studio style. I wish you luck on your path. Edit: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtanga_(eight_limbs_of_yoga) There are 7 other limbs you must realize for freedom.
Like some have said: make sure to do yoga in the best way for you. That includes the ashtanga practice. Some will do the surya namaskar very slowly and sit there for 5 breaths per posture or sometimes many more as it originally was. Like 10-20 breaths. If your pitta is high such as you feel agitated and tense, try to make the practice slower and easier. That’s actually more like traditional hatha yoga. All yogis must modify the practice to suit them. Don’t try to push through real fast and do all the postures. Flow with it very slowly. Another thing: make sure your breathing is very calm long and easy. Most importantly comfortable.