It's in the longing that love grows fondest...
Nothing like being sick and unable to practice for two entire months as I was at the end of this summer (with Lyme disease) to suddenly find new awe and gratitude for the practice. Nothing stops me these days, I feel a shower of abundant blessings at being able to stand up in front of the mat every day and go through primary series. [If you cannot see the pictures go to Claudia Yoga.com]
Thoughts of it "being too long" are still there but I get to chuckle at them now. "If you only knew" I tell them, because those thoughts seem to forget what it was like to be in bed 22 hours a day.
And so I began writing the reasons why I am grateful that Ashtanga Yoga, in particular, has found me, or I found it, or we found each other. Turns out there were ideas of manifesto proportions in it, so I am offering it in small increments.
This is the first reason why I am in a state of eternal thanks towards this practice:
#1 Discipline, Repetition, Habit
Nothing like being sick and unable to practice for two entire months as I was at the end of this summer (with Lyme disease) to suddenly find new awe and gratitude for the practice. Nothing stops me these days, I feel a shower of abundant blessings at being able to stand up in front of the mat every day and go through primary series. [If you cannot see the pictures go to Claudia Yoga.com]
 |
| Primary Series poster by Matthew Sweeney Click on the image if you would like one |
And so I began writing the reasons why I am grateful that Ashtanga Yoga, in particular, has found me, or I found it, or we found each other. Turns out there were ideas of manifesto proportions in it, so I am offering it in small increments.
This is the first reason why I am in a state of eternal thanks towards this practice:
#1 Discipline, Repetition, Habit
There are a few exceptions, but in most cases people who start practicing yoga, if it is not Ashtanga, have a bigger incentive NOT to practice daily. I have seen this again and again with other styles. People who say they practice "on and off" or people who say they practice when schedule permits.
This is because there is no specific format or structure. Any other style of yoga may have the invitation to practice daily, but from the invitation to the actual fact of a a practitioner getting on the mat daily, without having to find a studio heated at the right temperature, then having to make it to the place come rain or snow, or having to find a teacher that will come up with asana routines to show in front of the class, the getting-on-the-mat-daily part may fade into dark.
Ashtanga has built into it a mantra. It goes: "6 times a week, no Saturdays, no moon days". While practicing Ashtanga you KNOW where you are going to be for one hour and half to two each day, possibly in the morning but for some in the afternoon.
When I started practicing I went to a Mysore room when I could and practiced at home with DVDs when I could not, and when the DVDs got "old" I practiced by myself, got immersed in the silence. I remember that THAT was something!
The repetition part of the practice that comes with Ashtanga works in creating a good habit, like brushing your teeth. The new is challenging. Things have to give way, the time for practice HAS to be made, life re-arranged, priorities set, social life thought-again.
This is because there is no specific format or structure. Any other style of yoga may have the invitation to practice daily, but from the invitation to the actual fact of a a practitioner getting on the mat daily, without having to find a studio heated at the right temperature, then having to make it to the place come rain or snow, or having to find a teacher that will come up with asana routines to show in front of the class, the getting-on-the-mat-daily part may fade into dark.
Ashtanga has built into it a mantra. It goes: "6 times a week, no Saturdays, no moon days". While practicing Ashtanga you KNOW where you are going to be for one hour and half to two each day, possibly in the morning but for some in the afternoon.
When I started practicing I went to a Mysore room when I could and practiced at home with DVDs when I could not, and when the DVDs got "old" I practiced by myself, got immersed in the silence. I remember that THAT was something!
 |
| Marichasana C did not look like that in those early days But the promise that it would get better with practice kept me going |
The repetition also works with our head. At least mine. I tend to get bored, I want to jump around, to try new things, play. Maintaining a daily practice within the confines of "perfecting the poses that you already have" as Sharath puts it, before proceeding to new poses, is an insult to the ego that likes to take everything very personally and in a dramatic fashion, it is a threat to the one that wants to be in control all the time. It takes surrendering, it teaches me about yoga.
This is how Ashtanga has built in not only the habit-creation but also the firsts hints at life transformation, and mind transformation, and from day one.
Old relationships (i.e.: those who may have liked to hang out until late night drinking) will probably have to be let go of, or 'restructured'. Food habits change to accommodate an early morning marichasana D, or a Kurmasana, or a Kapotasana. Awareness of the body becomes a very present and clear priority daily. Not to mention awareness of the mind, as in for example no more watching waste television, and going to bed early (I do not have a television anymore, have not had one exactly since I started practicing)
 |
| Last meal of the day happens in the afternoon these days never later than 6 PM |
In the end, I suppose it is the quick benefits that manifest in mlife due to the discipline, repetition and habit creation that I am grateful for. I am a happy gal. And in this world that is no small matter!
REASONS WHY I AM GRATEFUL FOR ASHTANGA YOGA:
sometimes i am so busy that i stop practise a few days or i reduce it for max an hour... in a few week i wil be in mysore, 3 months...so exciting, also so scarry somewhere on the road. 3 months out of home... i am used to travel but most is one month away..
ReplyDeleteClaudia
ReplyDeleteAshtanga is 100 mile journey and not a 100 meter sprint and hence only the very dedicated can draw inspiration and follow the Ashtanga Method for a long period . The very fact that it has 4 series of postures with Primary itself taking 4 years for a person to do comfortably gives one a larger time frame to invest time as a student first before taking on the role of a teacher .So by the time one becomes competent enough to teach primary one would have got the basic discipline to practice Ashtanga 6 days a week and that habit would stay with that person for the rest of his/her life and hence you see only Ashtangis to be quite dedicated practitioners compared to other systems and next in line comes Iyengar system which has tough standards before certifying a person as a teacher .
I have this same problem, on and off with yoga, very difficult for me to create the habit. I can't wait for your book, hopefully it will give me some insight on how to stick to the plan.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDiscovering two things about yoga have taken me out of the P90x "power" yoga basement and cemented my interest and dedication: 1) yoga is active meditation, active prayer 2) ashtanga, which is repetitive and has no surprises allowing a better state of active meditation.
ReplyDeletePeople do yoga for a lot of reasons, but discovering Ashtanga brought me to realize I could practice on my own, with the support of a guru as my budget will allow. People don't free up rooms, paint them saffron and put space heaters and hard wood in them for other yoga styles as much, they do for daily Ashtanga practice. It has been the best thing to happen to me this year and the word 'transformation' seems to fit completely.
Priscilla, I suppose the committment happens when we SEE very clearly the benefits of the morning practice. I just don't feel so good if I don't, that is why it became a good habit to have...
ReplyDeleteRobmuh, that is very interesting, two things strike me from this comment, one that you tried the P90x and then came to Ashtanga and found it more transformative, two what you say about "people dont free up rooms pain them saffron.." that image stayed with me since I read the comment last night, guess there is a deep dedication, mostly cause it works. Appreciate your comment!
Lila, that is GREAT news, I will be there too, I am sure we will come accross at some point :-)
ReplyDeleteKrshna I agree
Hi Claudia:) Happy Holiday season, I am anxiously awaiting my book:) Thank you so much. I have a question. In some of Sharath's conferences he says it's good to practice if you have a cold, but not if you have a fever, my question is then if Primary is more of a physical healing, then is it best to practice Primary when ill(a cold) or just keep practicing my normal Second? I would be so grateful if you could find out:) be well my dear:)
ReplyDelete