AshtangaNews Ashtanga Yoga Matters (as taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois)

“If you want to change things about yourself,” says Rueger, “this is the best way to get results.”

Alexis Lathem at Vermont Woman wrote a great article about Ashtanga and teacher, Christine Hoar at Bristol Yoga in Bristol, Vermont (near Burlington, Vermont, for us non-East coasters).

Alexis writes a particularly accessible description of what Ashtanga is, which I think would be something neat to share with new or non-Ashtangis - as well as a thoughtful and accurate profile of Christine and her path to becoming an Ashtanga teacher authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Here’s just one little bit.

Yoga in Vermont

“It’s one of Christine’s gifts – she’s very good at connecting people,” says Tre McCarney, a studio regular. “Christine will make sure that you are introduced to the person next to you. Everyone is made to feel welcome. People who visit say how supportive this community is. It’s noticeable.”

Some other things I like about Christine are: she gives back to her community…

…in another trip to Mysore, Hoar taught yoga twice a week to a group of women who had been rescued from the sex trade. They practiced on a cement roof with no mats and no stretchy yoga clothing; Hoar spoke only a few words of their language – the words for inhale and exhale, up and down – but it was enough to get them into the postures. “They kept coming back,” says Hoar. “No one made them come, but they liked it. It made them smile.”

…and she speaks her truth:

Hoar admits that in Mysore, where a roomful of Ashtanga devotees are all practicing together, vying for the special attention of the guru, the atmosphere can get highly competitive. “People are focusing on a single aspect of yoga – the physical asana. It can border on (and cross into) self-absorption,” she reflected in a note from India.

Christine Hoar has been authorized to teach Ashtanga by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Bristol Yoga hosts many workshops by guest Ashtanga teachers and lists Christine’s travel schedule.

Christine came to my birthday dinner a couple of years ago when she visited Yoga is Youthfulness in Mountain View, California, and she’s really cool.

An exciting project is under way at our studio, Yoga is Youthfulness, this summer: two students - Antonia and Dave - have been taking hundreds of photos during our Mysore classes, and they are all up (almost 450!) on our studio website.

The purposes of this project are:

• To create a calendar for our community (and whoever else is interested in buying it).
• To have a snapshot of “real” yogis. Most yoga photos you can find these days are of advanced practitioners in near perfect postures.
• To have a raw record of the look and feel of a Mysore-Style class.

We invite all of you to take a look at the photos and vote for the ones you like best. The photographers are very talented.

I’ll keep you updated when I know more about the calendar.

In the meantime, here is a selection of my favorites.

Bakasana

Bhekasana

Prasarita Padottanasana C

Marichyasana B

Baddha Konasana

Antonia (the photographer) and Karna Pindasana

Dave (the photgrapher) in Garbha Pindasana

Alert reader, t-om, commented that Kristian Salo of Helsinki, Finland has published photos from the Helsinki stop of the Ashtanga World Tour, which takes place August 20-31.

Thank you, t-om, for the tip! Thank you, Kristian, for sharing your photos.

Look at all those people!

The photos published so far seem to be from a performance for and conference with Sri K. Pattabhis Jois, Saraswati and Sharath.

Saraswati looking extra luminous

Maybe Kristian will publish more photos as the days progress, though it appears that many photographers are present.

Pattabhis Jois

R. Sharath

A rapt audience for Sri K. Pattabhis Jois, Sharath and Saraswati

The Magic Elixir

Sharath’s been wearing one of the London tour shirts. The ones that feature Guruji on a bottle. Ashtanga - the magic elixir.

But the hangover is a bitch.

Side Effects may include: emotional breakdown, extreme fatigue, a feeling of personal growth that makes you wonder where you’re growing as you assess the damages and potential damages, an intense desire to give up your day job, a magnetic pull that seems to be originating from somewhere in Southern India, feelings of contentment, acceptance, and perhaps exhaustion that make you act a bit stoned most of the time, a desire to give up anything that doesn’t seem to compliment your yoga practice, an inability to relate to those who don’t do yoga, chocolate cravings, excessive coffee consumption, and pain.

Secret Life of the Moon
from Carpe Ithcus on Flickr

Rest up so you can drink up again tomorrow. But be sure to avoid heavy machinery.

[Note from Editors: In honor of Moon Day and the Europe leg of the Ashtanga World Tour, we’re publishing KJS‘ creative post on Moon Day, which we - in a fit of silly-we-simply-don’t-know-what-came-over-us-ness didn’t publish during the 2006 World Tour in New York. Thank you, KJS! And, Happy Moon Day! Is it okay to say that?

How do you all feel about Moon Days? - Tracy]

As noted in the first of what’s turning into a series on beautiful Ashtanga photos taken at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago, Illinois, we’re highlighting Bindifry’s Flickr stream.

I especially like her Ashtanga set and India 2005 - 2006 set.

This practice favors neither sex. - Bindifry

Hey! Is that Bindify, aka Lisa Hill, with Lino Miele at our local yoga studio, Yoga is Youthfulness in Mountain View, California?

Bindifry with Lino Miele at YiY

Philippe, have you met this person who has commented thoughtfully on your post about starting a Mysore-style Ashtanga program?

In Bindifry’s comment on her Ashtanga set, she explains Ashtanga, and includes this important bit:

PLEASE do NOT attempt these postures without proper supervision.

Bhekasana

This studio looks so nice.

Along with:

Do your practice and all is coming.

- Sri K. Pattabhis Jois

Bindifry has a blog about her travels called Adventures in India. Her entry related to this photo:

…afterwards we decided to hire an omni bus and go to wagha border-the border of pakistan and india-to watch the border guards do their competetive good natured dance. this is done daily at sunrise and sunset. the scene is very much like a high school pep ralley. the guards open the border gates and they do a marching kick dance that is reminiscent of john cleese’s “silly walk” from monty python. this was the most fun i have ever had in india and i went back to my hotel unable to wipe the smile off my face.

At the Wagha border

February 2004

Thank you, Bindifry (aka Lisa Hill)! And best wishes on your travels.

being sarcastic, silly, & obnoxious. taken at the southern star hotel pool in mysore, karnataka, south india

Eh?

At first, I was shocked at the juxtaposition between my traditional thoughts on Ashtanga yoga and Basia Lipska’s photo sets on Flickr. [Basia removed the photos sets from Flickr. Basia’s new Flickr account has a variety of different, but still interesting photos. Basia’s website is also active. -Ed.]

Then, I thought: “Wait just a minute…one of the main reasons you like Ashtanga is that it opens you…physically and mentally, and helps you better experience the moment, as it is.” So, why so closed-minded?

Basia’s photos do that. “WAKE UP!”, they say. And get out of your head, your shala, your neighborhood and your preconceptions.

These photos are hot, they’re a mental freak out and they look neat.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section!

Basia is sweating in these pictures; she’s not just a model: she’s an Ashtangi.

Go to Basia’s photo sets and play “Basia’s What’s That Posture?” with your friends!

Basia Lipska is an Ashtangi, authorized to teach by Sri K. Pattabhis Jois, and can usually be found in Tokyo, Japan at Ashtanga Yoga Japan or the International Yoga Centre.

Originally from Poland, Basia is also a scholar, a photographer and, well, a model, plus based on my emails with her, a totally nice person.

What’s that posture? And who made that belt?

Find out about more Basia’s many endeavors on her website, Sacred by Design.

from the Knots exhibit

The Yoga Knots photos shown here were part of a photography exhibit in Montreal, Canada in August 2006.

The shock of shallowness I immediately perceived of these fashiony, Vogue-like photos contrasts Basia’s thoughtful essay on the meaning of Yoga Knots:

Prologue: Yoga Knots
(by Basia Lipska)
For the past 6 years, I literally tie myself into knots over the idea of eventually attaining enlightenment. Before sunrise, when it is still pitch black outside, I tangle my body into the form of a knot. I stand barefooted, clothed sparingly on top of a rubber thin mat placed directly onto the floor. I breathe loudly and with determination I squeeze myself into a knot-like assemblage of the body. The same knot is formed on both sides of the body. Once there, I remain for a minimum of five very deep long breaths.

Knots

They are special breaths called Ujjayi, meaning ‘extended victory.’ In other words, I’m to stretch my breath, make it ‘victorious,’ controlling the value and length of each inhale and exhale while staring at a point on the ceiling with calm albeit alert eyes. The goal is to stay in this knot effortlessly, assuming a comfortable stance, prepared to linger like this eternally with an empty mind and lack of emotion.

After five breaths, I detach myself from the posture, untangle myself loose by resuming the prescribed breath counts and movements. If for any reason a thought would suddenly arise and cause a disturbance to my monotonous breathing, part of my body would immediately tense into an involuntary knot of tension - an inner calamity would ensue. Hence, my focus must remain intact as I watch from a distance the thoughts that appear and disappear while my entire body relaxes into the yogic knot I’ve constructed.

Simple lines

Though the intent is consistent every morning, the feel of the body wrapped into this knot has a spectrum of sensations ranging from heaviness, pain, discomfort to a lightness and ease. Everyday I wonder which it‘ll be and attempt to decipher the reasons behind the particular sensations of the morning practice. I analyze the activities of the prior day as to locate what could have triggered the ‘dis’ ease or the lack of agility in entering the same knot, at the same time, at the same place, with the same technique, with the same body…though perhaps not with the same mind?

Knots, illustrated

The noose posture, Pasasana in Sanskrit, is the term by which this particular asana is referred to in the yoga circles around the world, specifically the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga System. If you happen to be adept enough to be practicing the Intermediate Series, or Nadi Shodana (nerve purification), of this yogic system, then the noose posture appears after having completed the first 26 standing postures, and then is followed by 57 other postures. This sequence is performed five times a week within a span of 90 minutes.

And so, I knot myself up in the mornings whether alone or surrounded by up to 50 other fellow practitioners. At other times I demonstrate it to a few beginners or up to 100 viewers. I teach it, explain its constituents and assist others in exploring it as to attain its powerful benefits. For some it is a great challenge and requires time and effort through heat, repetition and perhaps a string of grunts. The access to the posture lies not in the physique but in attaining the key to untangle the corresponding knot of the mind. This is the art of yoga.

A closeup of a teacher

But why intentionally ravel myself up into a state of immobility only to untangle myself? Perhaps to relive the experience of freedom and its negation, repeatedly? Or have it proven to me that anything is possible – knots can be dealt with. That I can be taught to be my own surgeon or “doctor of the jungle,” as is recited in the mantra I repeat before commencing practice. It is a path that I trudge upon every morning, as do others worldwide.

To me, it is a symbolic study of the dialectics of knots. I train to do and undo; to like what I dislike; to be detached from the things I love; to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations - In essence, to resolve opposition. I tackle entering unlikely and challenging situations as to be adept at undoing myself into a state of emancipation. This daily repetitive action is a practice of observation, a study of the weaving of opposites as to produce a tapestry showing the way to transcend the dualistic nature of life.

After many years of practice, this tapestry of knots is my personal map of an art of opposites. Yoga became a lifestyle for me, an art of living. And I, the artist creating my existence, painting my destiny onto the tabula rasa provided – the yoga practice mat.”

Unknotted

Thank you, Basia! The best way to reach Basia is via her website, Sacred by Design (under construction as of August 2006).

Aix les Bains, France

After much anticipation, the first leg of Guruji’s European Tour kicked off in the thermal spa town of Aix-les-Bains on the 6 August 2006. Although there was a distinct French flavour to the week, the crowd was multi-national and definitely multi-cultural. For starters, there was a Chinese-American living in London, a Brazilian based in Paris, Germans from Stuttgart, and an Italian-Australian from Lyon.

Despite the initial hesitation about having to make a trip into province (as we city folk like to say), Aix-les-Bains was in many ways the perfect setting. Situated on the edge of Lake Bourget, and nestled in between the Alps, it provided a natural backdrop for the get-together of this group of diverse people with the single aim of meeting and learning from the guru of Ashtanga yoga, Sri K. Pattabhis Jois.

Another beautiful photo of Aix les Bains, France

Some stayed in period hotels near the spas, others camped out in tents at the foot of the mountains while yet others found hostels around the lake. There were students and professionals, tattooed hippies, families with toddlers, the old and the young.

Starting from Sunday morning at 6am, this rather motley bunch of people, each with a tube strapped around his or her back would congregate at the Gymnase des Thermes opposite the town hall. It didn’t matter who we were, and at which stage of the practise we were at. From the moment Guruji boomed ‘Ekam inhale, Dve exhale!’ we all moved in unison, ujayyi breaths synchronised.

A rather motley bunch?!

Guruji, Sharath and Saraswati would move about the gym, helping people into postures as they walked along, often not taking ‘no’ for an answer. If you resisted, it meant that other people had to hold the position for a longer time, while you were being pushed and prodded into the asana. Otherwise, you risked being labelled ‘bad lady!’

Away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan city, without the distraction of having to go to work and nary an internet café in sight, people had more time to socialise with one another. The daily macrobiotic meals whipped up by Roselyne and her culinary team, organised picnics by the lake and outings to the beach provided plenty of opportunity for people to get to know one another. Apart from being open for the daily morning sessions, the gym was further available from 5 to 7pm in the evenings for people who wished to stretch or do a second practice by themselves. These afternoon sessions were often a way to observe and practise with advanced practitioners and seek guidance from them as well.

The town of Aix les Bains

Indeed, many of the participants were yoga teachers who had spent time at Mysore, and were now spread out all over France. As I rolled out my mat each morning, I would sometimes find myself in front of Sébastien Monassa from Aix-en-Provence, sometimes to the right of Arnaud Kancel from Montpellier, both of whom had started out in Caroline Boulinguez’ Samasthiti Studio in Paris. In addition, Renan de Germain and Katell Séligour, Caroline’s current assistants, would both say hello to me before going into the changing room.

Guruji animatedly responding to a question.

One of the highlights of the week was an intimate sit-down “question & answer” session with Jois on Thursday afternoon. Guruji spoke in a strong and clear voice and got quite animated at certain points during the one-and-a-half-hour-long session. Some people sought clarification of specific passages from the text of Yoga Mala, while others asked general questions about chants. Topics ranged from specific questions on why it was not advisable to eat too many vegetables, to whether the restrictions on sexual activity applied only to men, to when was the best time to go to Mysore and whether one had to be Hindu to practise yoga. When faced with more technical questions on whether the nose or the chin should touch the knee, and the use of props, Sharath blithely replied, ‘Come to Mysore, we will teach you correctly.’

A Conference with Guruji and Sharath

As the week wore on, it became harder and harder to climb up the hill to my hotel and I started to develop a craving for ketchup after all the macrobiotic food. Dinner table discussions became more intense, with people wondering if yoga was just yet another commercial activity or if there was indeed a spiritual element to the practice, and what it meant to have a guru and what people expected of a guru.

Unlike the scene in London, where people were exuberant from day one, this lot was relatively shy in the beginning. However, participants warmed up to Guruji, Saraswati and Sharath as the days went by, with more and more people asking to have their photographs taken with Jois and for him to autograph copies of Yoga Mala and the coffee table book, Mysore Style.

By the last day, there were happy smiles all around, but not without a tinge of sadness as the trio whisked off to catch their flight for the next leg of the tour. We had all been touched by the presence of the disciple of Krishnamacharya, we had all immersed ourselves in this ancient science of Ashtanga for a week and it was hard now to part ways. Jenny Vanneufville and Pierre Baronian from Lyon who had put together the week with the help of the Ashtanga Association of Aix-les-Bains had done an excellent job and we were all grateful.

Current and former students of Caroline Boulinguez’s Parisian studio paying homage to Guruji in full force at Aix-les-Bains

Slowly, we unhinged ourselves and each got back to our own realities. There had been a bomb threat at Heathrow airport, and the Londoners wondered if they should fly into Stansted or stay on with their new-found friends in France for a day or two. Others planned trips to nearby towns of Chambery and Lyon, which were an hour away.

Back in Paris, the weather is drab and damp, and I am already missing the easy camaraderie of my fellow Ashtangis and their sun-kissed faces. Next step – Mysore?

About Jinn:The writer, Jinn Lim, is a lawyer from Singapore who currently lives in Paris and is an Ashtanga novice.

[Thank you to Jinn, our correspondent at the World Tour Europe 2006 in Aix les Bains, for this insightful and well-written post! Anyone interested in contributing from the Copenhagen or Helsinki stops, let us know. -Ed.]

I visited New York recently and I tried to do a tour of all the important Mysore-style classes in Manhattan. I managed to take Ashtanga classes at 3 centers:

• Zoe Slatoff’s afternoon class at Yoga Sutra of NYC
• Guy Donahaye’s class at the Ashtanga Yoga Shala
• Eddie Stern’s class at at Ashtanga Yoga New York

Zoe Slatoff

My first experience was with Zoe Slatoff at the beautiful Yoga Sutra studio in front of Bryant park. The studio itself is on the second floor and looks stunning. Zoe has a well attended afternoon class and her students evidently love her. It was a real treat practicing in the afternoon - everything feels easier due to the increased flexiblity. I knew Zoe from when she was teaching in Berkeley at 7th Heaven, so the class was immediately familiar. This feeling increased when one of my students from Mountain View, Terence, unexpectedly walked in through the door and put his mat next to mine. What a coincidence!

I always make a point of visiting the local Ashtanga studio whenever I travel. Since the practice is the same around the world, it feels like a home away from home. No matter how exotic the places you visit, the opening mantra will be the same anywhere. Daily practice is such an intense commitment that I believe there is a bond between all practioners. The students you meet are always happy to share information, it feels like a big family. Truly a wonderful feeling.

Zoe adjusting a student during her afternoon Mysore-Style class at Yoga Sutra

My second stop was at Guy Donahaye’s Ashtanga Yoga Shala in the East Village, on Tompkins Square. The studio is located in a basement away from the beaten path. It is quite a few blocks from the nearest subway station, and for many people, that means it might as well be on the moon. I got lost while trying to find it and good thing I saw someone holding a yoga mat at a street corner; otherwise, I think I would have missed the class altogether.

Painting of Sri K Pattabhi Jois at Guy Donahaye’s studio in NYC

It was my first time meeting Guy and he gave me the sense that a tight community had emerged at the shala. Since you have to go the extra mile - literally - to get there, students at Ashtanga Yoga Shala have to have a certain dedication to come to the studio every day. From the practice room in the basement, you can see the bottom of the sidewalk. This gives the shala a real feeling of practicing in the middle of a living city; yet, the space is very much apart from the hustle and bustle of New York city. Beautiful, contemporary paintings of Guruji enhance this feeling.

Painting on wood of Guruji in Ashtavakrasana

Last, but definitely not least was Eddie Stern’s Ashtanga Yoga New York. This visit was my third in 5 years, and as with my previous visit, the layout of the shala had changed. Before, Ashtangis went to an upstairs room for the finishing postures, and now finising postures are done in an anteroom to the main practice room. That practice area is where Sharath’s new practice DVD was shot, by the way. There is also now what is the smallest and neatest “office” I have ever seen, a 4-by-4 foot space right in the corner of the building.

The corner office of Ashtanga Yoga New York

Ashtanga Yoga New York has two Mysore-style classes in the morning: 6:30-9:30 am and 11:00-12:30 pm. During peak season, up to 200 students practice there daily , which must make it one of the best attended and largest Mysore-style classes in the world. Only about 30 or so fit in the room, so when it is full (as is usually the case), students write their names on a blackboard and wait to be called. There are one or two assistants to help out with adjustments. The students are advanced - during my visit, there were more Intermediate Series than Primary Series practitioners.

With the room so full of energy, practicing at Ashtanga Yoga New York is truly uplifting. I was able to meet up with KJS who wrote 5 posts for us during Guruji’s 2006 New York leg, with Spiros of Sri Ganesha Tea Stall fame, whom I’ve been wanting to meet for years. As an additional plus Balthazar is just round the corner, one of the most authentic French brasserie in New York with a wonderful bakery. Highly recommended for breakfast, and a lot of students hang out on the benches outside of it after practice now that the chai place is gone from Eddie’s studio.

All in all, New York has one of the most diverse and high quality set of Mysore-style classes anywhere, and Ashtangis lucky enough to visit there will really be spoilt for choice with special places to practice Ashtanga.