Any style of yoga is likely to invite the practitioner to commit to a practice, but Ashtanga burns it into the blue-print of the very core of your experience. There is no way out.
In response to Kino's recent article on the logic behind a 6 times a week practice, Nobel points out how his own teacher says that there is 'no dabble into Ashtanga' either you get in and commit to it or you are out. Which is not to say it is prohibitive, but in order to fully feel the benefits you need to make it stick.
The commitment starts with a daily asana or poses practice because there is no substitute for sweat to get us to focus, to become more effective so that we will not hurt ourselves, to save our energy so it will not be all spent by the time we finish the standing part of our series of asanas for the day, be it primary series, or intermediate or any of the advanced ones.
That deceivingly 'simple' act of committing to a practice changes our lives dramatically and instantly.
At first, of course, we only notice the most notorious colors in the palate of transformation. We can't really eat that late if we will attempt to get into Marichasana A...nything the next morning. Our socializing rituals change, drinking becomes something we either stop completely or at least put a lot more thought into before attempting. Waking up early brings up new mind states, ones we perhaps did not know we had before we tried waking before the light came out. There is a new wander sense in the air.
If we still continue to progress the pastel colors of the transformation blend into new colors and we notice new depths on the painting. New shades, new brightness. Now people who are negative around us suddenly become highlighted. We cannot spend that much energy in them, we have to let them go in order to have enough stamina, mental strength and clarity to continue with the challenge of submitting the body into a meditative yet strong physical daily practice. New, more positive people flourish into our lives, new friendships are forged.
We find new opportunities. Being more grounded in our own bodies we are also more open to them, perhaps we take a chance, our lives change.
There is truth to the "Do Your Practice And All Is Coming" that Pattabhi Jois is famous for saying again and again. The "All" behind the coming, is whatever you want it to be, but your desires may change just by virtue of getting on the mat daily.
Whereas in the past you may have wanted security and a structured way of knowing where you were going, the possibilities awakened by what you can do with your body give way to a more open way of life and what you can do (or, shhh, NOT do) with it. One where trust is invited and we can go confidently along knowing that what we need is coming.
The alchemy of yoga manifests in front of our eyes slowly, and if we pay attention, very close attention, we might even notice it.
That deceivingly 'simple' act of committing to a practice changes our lives dramatically and instantly.
At first, of course, we only notice the most notorious colors in the palate of transformation. We can't really eat that late if we will attempt to get into Marichasana A...nything the next morning. Our socializing rituals change, drinking becomes something we either stop completely or at least put a lot more thought into before attempting. Waking up early brings up new mind states, ones we perhaps did not know we had before we tried waking before the light came out. There is a new wander sense in the air.
If we still continue to progress the pastel colors of the transformation blend into new colors and we notice new depths on the painting. New shades, new brightness. Now people who are negative around us suddenly become highlighted. We cannot spend that much energy in them, we have to let them go in order to have enough stamina, mental strength and clarity to continue with the challenge of submitting the body into a meditative yet strong physical daily practice. New, more positive people flourish into our lives, new friendships are forged.
We find new opportunities. Being more grounded in our own bodies we are also more open to them, perhaps we take a chance, our lives change.
There is truth to the "Do Your Practice And All Is Coming" that Pattabhi Jois is famous for saying again and again. The "All" behind the coming, is whatever you want it to be, but your desires may change just by virtue of getting on the mat daily.
Whereas in the past you may have wanted security and a structured way of knowing where you were going, the possibilities awakened by what you can do with your body give way to a more open way of life and what you can do (or, shhh, NOT do) with it. One where trust is invited and we can go confidently along knowing that what we need is coming.
The alchemy of yoga manifests in front of our eyes slowly, and if we pay attention, very close attention, we might even notice it.
REASONS WHY I AM GRATEFUL FOR ASHTANGA YOGA:
"Marichasana A...nything the next morning" Hahaha. Great article, Claudia! I've recently attempted a 6-day week practice. It has been 3 weeks thus far and your blog post with Kino's and Noble's really describes well what I'm experiencing at the moment. Thanks!
ReplyDelete:-) That is great news Iwanismail! 3 weeks! I think you have fallen down the rabbit hole already. Stay in touch, would like to hear more, I have just followed you in Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI am committed, if I get a date with a girl we have to schedule it around my yoga practice. Most of my day is scheduled around my practice.
ReplyDeletebravo for this post
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post Claudia. Tomorrow will be a week since I started a 6 day a week 5:30am Mysore practice. I'm loving it. Why didn't I realise I'd love it so much before? I tried it once, managed 3 days, but absconded, this must've been 2 years ago? All I can say is that it can't have been the right time. NOW is though :)
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia, thank you for the articles - I always enjoy them!
ReplyDeleteCould you share your insight why I am not able to keep the focus, my mind is wondering and I am thinking about something else all the time. For the first 4 months of practice I was very focused and now lost it. Would appreciate your thoughts
Spitfire, I am the same way, practice comes first... although no dates for me, happily married now! but I understand how it must be for you, you really need to arrange priorities especially while in the dating world.
ReplyDeletethank you Lilasvb
Micqui, AND you are dropping back already! lucky you... congratulations on the week of 6 times, and on this being the right time.
Anon I hear you, same here, it comes and goes, I like how James put it a few weeks ago, he said it is a moving average, not a target. It improves over periods of time, and mostly goes one forward three back, but it does overall go forward... towards more focus that is
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCommitment has been the #1 most valuable gift of the Ashtanga practice for me. I am looking forward to it running over into other areas of my life in the coming year. I didn't expect to, but now I really love that the practice requires that you commit, as you reiterate. I've written my take on it a bit here on Balance's blog: http://www.balanceyogawellness.com/blog/assuming-strength-by-sharon-floyd. Thank you for your insight!
ReplyDelete