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What Is The Right Way to Practice Ashtanga Yoga?

August 5, 2014 By Monica Stone Leave a Comment

If you’ve gotten deep into Ashtanga, like me, you’ve figured out by now that there is a lot of question and tension about how to practice the sequence. The practice has changed and evolved over time, and depending on what year your teacher studied in Mysore, there are going to be some differences in the teaching.

It’s all very minor. Here are some examples:

  • The drishti was at the toes, now the nose
  • There used to be three forward folds, now there are two
  • There were eight breaths in a posture, now 10
  • Come to standing during all vinyasas, now it’s seated to seated

These are all very minor changes, and whether you look to your nose or toes, or do three forward folds instead of two, as long as your are practicing the method (breath, bandhas, drishti, and posture), then everyone benefits the same. 

Everything changes and evolves over time. A great article explaining this is called  Ashtanga As It Was  by Nancy Gilgoff.  She mentions many things that are different such as how Guruji taught her 5 Surya Namaskara A & B to start, but then had her cut them back to three each and keep it that way. There are some postures that he didn’t teach and at times he had students practicing primary and intermediate series twice a day! This isn’t a big mystery as you can see that he hasn’t included some postures in Yoga Mala, and he teaches to come back to Samastitihi (Equal Standing Posture/Mountain Posture) after all four Prasarita Padottanasanas, which is still how Manju Jois teaches. Also, you can find YouTube videos of Guruji teaching Tim Miller, Richard Freeman, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Eddie Stern some others where he skips Parivritta Parshvakonasana, which Nancy also mentions that he thought was a “crazy posture”. Some people come up into full handstand in Navasana, but in this video they all barely lift their feet off the ground. 

Do Your PracticeAnd All Is Coming

Here’s a small excerpt from Nancy’s article: 

In the seated postures, there were a minimal number of vinyasas. There were no vinyasas between sides. Moreover, there were no vinyasas between variations – so all of Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C were done together (right side, left side of A, right, left of B, right, left of C), then a vinyasa before Marichyasana. Then all of the Marichyasana variations, A, B, C, and D, were done together, without vinyasas between sides or variations; then a vinyasa before three Navasana. Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana were also grouped together without vinyasas between them. Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana were also done together, with no vinyasa between – we were taught to simply change the hand position after Ubhaya Padangusthasana and go right into Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana. 

I think it’s good to know the history of how the practice changed an evolved. I hear a lot of people question why things changed and say, why wouldn’t we practice it the way Guruji originally taught it? I think those questions are good, and I have questioned it all myself, but too much focus on that, especially where it comes to a point of resisting practice is missing the actual point of practice.

Do your practice & all is coming...
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Who knows exactly why Guruji changed it or why anything in the world changes? Things evolve and usually become more refined over time. Perhaps he changed things because so many students started flocking to Mysore and he couldn’t teach individually anymore. Maybe he felt that the majority of people needed to build strength, so he could make sure that happened with the added vinyasas if he wasn’t able to give so much individual attention. Maybe he was experimenting more in the early days, and as things changed, he was able to refine and evolve the practice? Maybe it’s something completely beyond my range of thinking!

Yoga Is 99 Practice.jpg

 

There are a ton of rumors and theories. What we do know is that it was one way, and then things changed, and now it’s a little different. The foundations are all still the same though which is what matters. 

Guruji always said to his students, “Teach how I taught you.” This means that whoever your teacher is, you might learn the practice a little bit differently than another teacher. It doesn’t make it wrong, and it’s disheartening when I come across anger and judgment about this topic in the yoga community. It’s just karma (cause & effect). Whoever your teacher is, I think it’s important to accept and respect them. If you do not connect, then look for another teacher and try again. The only common theme is that you commit to the method. The practice works the same once you make the decision to commit. 

Can't We All Just Get Along---love monica


 

Filed Under: Instruction Tagged With: ashtanga

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

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Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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