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

Yoga is the path of purification and transformation. This means, that we can expect to go through many different changes physically, mentally and emotionally throughout the course of our practice.

The Wheel of Life

Generally, any kind of transitional movement in our practice goes from the grosser aspects of our selves to the subtler. What this means is that we are apt to go through more physical changes initially and, over time, we will experience more subtle changes to our mental and emotional states.

Yoga is a process in which we are attempting to awaken and bring forth the more essential parts of our selves. By using the word, “essential”, I mean those parts of our selves that are transcendent and do not change over time.

The further we move away from what is natural or essential in our selves, the more “extra” elements we carry around with in our lives. We eat more than we need to, own more possessions than is needed, talk more than is necessary and so on. It is not so much the fact that

Fierce Devotion

we live with these extra elements, it is the attachment and identification we form with these things that is so harmful and causes such suffering. The stronger the attachment and identification with these extra elements, the more we are apt to forget our essential selves. Having an awareness of the essential aspects of selves is, in many ways, the essence of what Yoga practice is all about.

So, when we embark upon the path of Yoga, we begin to practice and live our lives in such a way as to begin to let go of these “extras”.

What you can expect initially is that your body will begin to go through some very strong and often dramatic changes, especially in the first six months of intense and dedicated daily Ashtanga yoga practice. You will begin to develop what is known as “tapas” or heat in your practice, in your body. This will result in profuse sweating (of course in some more than others). For some, very strong odors will emit from the body. Many people experience changes to their skin. Their skin will break out in acne, rashes and such. In more extreme cases, some people develop very large boils.

Eyes of the Truth

Other mild to stronger symptoms of purification will begin to appear for most practitioners. It is very common to see the increased occurrence of colds and flu and fevers, as well as, headaches, drowsiness and light-headedness. It is important to honor and respect these kinds of changes, as they can be quite deep in one’s system. I recommend that you take extra time to rest and be quiet. You can also be mindful of your tendency towards “busyness” and begin to reduce the general number of activities in your day.

Naturally, because the asana practice is so rigorous, you can expect strong changes to your physique and overall health of your body. You will get significantly stronger in a very integrated and well-balanced fashion. In particular the “core” strength of your body will improve. The “core” refers to the area of the lower trunk and pelvic regions. Strength in these areas has been shown to dramatically increase the function of balance, smoothness of motion and speed of reflexes. It is common knowledge that athletic performance can be improved significantly through the development of one’s core strength. Flexibility of all areas of your body should increase dramatically.

Govinda Kai in Samakonasana, October 2006

One area of improvement that is often overlooked is the increased functionality of the gastro-intestinal system. The frequency of forward bends in asana practice very powerfully cleans out and reconditions our digestive organs. Most people in our modern culture and society, because of unhealthy diets and stress, have some degree of bowel or digestive dysfunction. Constipation and excess gas are the norm for most people. One report stated that many people carry up to 20-30 kilos of undigested feces in their bodies at any one time! A well functioning gastro-intestinal system is vital to the optimal functioning of our immune system and hormonal balances. Overall mental and physical health is dramatically affected by the state of our digestive systems.

A Fine Balance

Thus, one of the areas of focus as we dive deeper into our practices, is the greater and greater level of mindfulness and care of what, when and how we put food into our bodies. I will speak more elaborately on this topic at some other time.

Now, as you begin to become healthier and more in tune physically, you will begin to become sensitive and aware of subtler aspects of your self. For example, you will begin to notice that your senses will generally begin to increase in acute sensitivity. Your sense of smell and sight and hearing will be sharper and clearer. You will feel temperature and pressure changes in different parts of your body in a way that you never have before. Many people report an increased sensitivity and depth to their sense of taste. What was once flavorful before will begin to taste overly salty, bitter, savory or sweet. You will find yourself beginning to crave foods that have subtler or even plain flavors.

Guruji in Laxmipuram, July 2002

The process of purification will begin to affect you mentally, emotionally and psychically as well. Usually chronic imbalances in one’s system generally become more acute before any deep healing takes place. You will find that your thoughts and your emotions will become more intense and frenetic at times causing periods of great discomfort. Bad moods and bouts of edginess and impatience are common during this time. Although it may seem like you are going crazy at times, this part of the process is important and necessary, so don’t worry about it too much. It is also common to experience intense dreams and very colorful fantasies.

The result of this kind of mental, emotional and psychic purification is that you will find you are becoming far more sensitive and alert to your own state of mind, as well as, the state and energy of the people and environments around you. Many people report an increased occurrence of psychic types of experiences (i.e., reading other people’s minds, anticipating unrelated events, as well as, an increased occurrence of synchronicity). In short, you will become more sensitive to the “energy” of people and places and things. You will become more sensitive to those aspects of our reality that remains hidden or unseen to most normal people. In the long run, this will not seem so unusual to you. What is strange is how most of us can be so blind and unaware of basic aspects of our existence for so long.

Again, as you go through this process, be sure to give as much respect and honor to the subtle and not so subtle changes that are taking place. This path of Yoga, this path of purification is very, very powerful. You are awakening great stores of energy, vitality and power within yourself that you perhaps never knew you had. Anytime, you awaken or come into contact with these kinds of energies, it is important to realize that with greater power, comes greater responsibility. By its nature, the purpose of this power is not intended simply for the gratification of your own selfish desires. In fact, to do so is foolish and dangerous in many different respects. Reflect deeply and mindfully about this process and take great care.

Govinda Kai

Hari OM!

Govinda Kai

[Thank you, Govinda, for sharing some of your philosophy on Ashtanga yoga. And, thank you, for sharing so many of your wonderful, high-quality Ashtanga photos with the community via Flickr. These photos are from Govinda's set titled, My Personal Favorites. All the captions on these photos are Govinda's.

Readers, please share some of the changes you've experienced because of your Ashtanga practice in the Comments! -Ed.]

Over the years I have noticed there are two types of Ashtangi parents: those that wish they could go to Mysore, but are afraid to take the kids and those that book their tickets. We fell into the second category and never thought twice about it.

Our daughter, Rowan, got to experience the Ashtanga pilgrimage to Mysore a month after she turned one year old. Since then people are always asking me for feedback on my experience in traveling with a child to such an intense place. Paul Dallaghan recently wrote an article on Ashtanga.com about taking your kids to Mysore that had some great information and our experiences with a child in Mysore were pretty much the same.

We enjoyed it so much that we plan on taking her to Mysore again at the beginning of next year.

The happy family’s room in Mysore

Planning before taking your kids to Mysore is helpful, but it is India after all and at some point you have to just let it go. We had an apartment set up beforehand, which is probably the only thing I felt was a must to have (who wants to apartment hunt in India with a kid in tow?) and we had a routine for our days. Someone watched her while we practiced - which was nice so we could practice together - but a lot of couples I saw there with children did the “switch-off”. That also seemed to work and Sharath was pretty accommodating for couples with children. (Watch out for Guruji giving large amounts of chocolate to your kid!)

Nermala, the landlady

We were lucky that our landlady watched Rowan for us. She would get up at 5:00 am (!) and we would bring Rowan down to her. She was a school teacher and would grade papers in the early hours while Rowan still slept. She had a grandson the same age as Rowan and they played together very well. Her older son also watched Rowan some and we still email them from time to time. They always want to know how she is doing and when we are coming back to Mysore.

Rowan & some of her schoolmates

We also let Rowan attend an Indian nursery school that was around the corner from Guruji’s shala. She had a great time and I will let her attend again this year. She was the youngest one at the time (most kids were 2-4 years old), but the kids loved her and the staff were really nice. They spoke English well and it was easy to communicate with them. They also made it a point to let me know they were Christian Indians and were very bummed that Rowan was going to miss Christmas with them ( ). They were open from 8:30am – 12:30pm – so we dropped her off after practice and breakfast and picked her up before lunch. We had to fill out a registration form when we enrolled her (it asked for our caste) and then we paid on a monthly basis, which ended up being around $12.50 per month. It was a little overwhelming for her at first because she was the only non-Indian at the school and ALL the kids wanted to play with her at once. They got used to her and she loved having some playtime with other children.

Rowan’s school in Mysore

We did set up some playgroups with other children of Ashtangis, too. Some parents I saw with kids there never left their apartment except to practice and others, like us, were off every weekend exploring or hanging out at the pool. I think that people who warn you from taking children to Mysore are probably the type of parents that freak out every time their child falls down. I went into the experience thinking that she would probably get sick at least once, but there are good hospitals, doctors, and chemists in Mysore and I wasn’t worried (she didn’t get sick though).

Mysore-Style Table Dance?

Obviously there are going to be places you like to go more (i.e., that are set up more kid friendly) and places you might not go. Restaurants on the whole were fine. Staff ALWAYS liked her and would often take her and watch her while we ate (usually that was because there were five staff for every one person and they would rather hang out with a cute kid than do nothing). She was still mainly breastfeeding and eating some solid foods, but we didn’t really have a hard time finding food for her. Breakfast ended up being her largest meal. You can get some wonderful Western-style breakfasts at many places around Gokulam. The Green Hotel, the Southern Star, and Green Leaf were restaurants we ate at frequently because they were the most accommodating. We also frequented many of the homes of Indian women who make lunches for students. They always loved Rowan and would take her out of my arms as soon as we would enter. It can be a bit unnerving at first, but they were always very gentle and loving with her and she adored the attention. Coffee Day ended up being an afternoon treat on many days. The staff would take her from me (this happened so much everywhere we went!) and keep her behind the counter with them. All the young Indian kids that hung out in Coffee Day also loved playing with her.

Jason, Rowan & Tara getting ready to go

Getting around in Mysore was pretty easy. We had a motorcycle and did the Indian thing where we sat her in-between us and rode around with her on the bike. I actually put her in a front sling carrier and that made me feel safer since she wouldn’t wiggle out while we were driving. I probably won’t do that the next time since she will be older. I bought a helmet for her here in the states before we left (you can’t find them in India) and made sure she wore that, too. We went everywhere on the motorcycle – even as far out as Chamundi Hill and the dam.

The Rowanmobile

Jason was a good driver and we tried to not drive after dark when we would often take a rickshaw. I also brought a cheap umbrella stroller (one with bigger wheels to get around in dirt) and it came in handy when walking around Gokulam and when we went to the zoo.

We also did some traveling in India while we were there and I never had a problem with it. Rowan enjoyed the experiences and we always found that people loved her and were accommodating.

Rowan helps out.

We took the train to Chennai for a trip to Auroville for a few weeks. Even though the train ride was about 7 hours, it went fine. We stayed in Auroville (a.k.a the jungle) for two weeks and practiced yoga with Chad and Monica. It was during a freak monsoon and it rained more than I have every experienced in my life. That was the roughest point of our trip to India with a kid and that was only because we were stuck indoors for days at a time with a one year-old with boundless energy. And even that wasn’t too bad.

Overall, our experience was greatly enriched by taking our daughter with us. We wouldn’t hesitate to take her and her baby brother or sister (hopefully, one day!) back with us. I would be happy to talk to anyone more about it or answer specific questions if you are thinking of taking your children. You can email me directly at taraisagoddess(at)hotmail.com.

Rowan & Tara

[About Tara: Tara Morton has been practicing Ashtanga yoga for about 7 years. She lives in Encinitas, California, and practices with Tim Miller. Since Rowan’s birth, she has curtailed her yoga teaching (though she still teaches occasionally), and now mostly focuses on her practice. Rowan’s father, Jason, is a full-time yoga teacher. This article is based on a four-month trip to India studying at AYRI in 2005, which is documented on Rowan’s blog, Yoga Mommy, on Ashtangi.org.

Thank you so much to Tara for sharing her experiences with a toddler in Mysore in this well-written and personal article! – Ed.]

In observance of Thanksgiving here in the U.S., what is your own personal sweet little nugget of grace?

As in this, from Ashtangi, Yoga Gumbo:

Later, in Sirsasana, I managed to lift enough with my arms and shoulders so that there was absolutely no weight on my head. I would say my skull was about ½ inch off the ground. I had the weirdest sensation of gravity being reversed, as if I were hanging by my arms from the ceiling rather than pressing with my arms into the floor. I felt like I had superhero gravity-defying powers! I was Levitating Headstand Woman! I know that this is the “correct” way to do headstand in ashtanga, but I have had a love/hate relationship with this pose for the past few months – lots of fear surrounding Sirsasana for me – so this was truly a sweet little nugget of grace for me to savor.

Souls Skyward from Govinda Kai
taken at the San Francisco stop of the Ashtanga World Tour 2006

Registration for Pattabhi Jois’ new shala in the Florida Keys is now open. Dates for the inaugural workshops are March 25-29 and April 1-6, 2007 with a grand opening party on March 25.

No practice on Moon Day, April 2
photo from meepfly

For more about the workshop, check out our prior post, Pattabhi Jois’ New Shala in Florida or go to directly to AYRI’s webpage, which has accomodations and other information (including the option to pay using Paypal).

With all this excitement about Ashtanga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and family in the U.S., you probably haven’t had time to find out about Islamorada, the Florida Keys’ location of the new shala. For information about Islamorada, stay right here.

Anne’s beach, ocean side of the shala
from IrishNYC

How do I pronounce Islamorada?

In Spanish it is pronounced Ees la more eh dah, but if you want to fit in with the locals, pronounce it eye la more ah dah. - Easy Adventures Boat Charters

Where is Islamorada?
Islamorada is about a 2-hour drive from Miami International Airport. It is one of the Florida Keys, located between well-known Key Largo and Key West. It actually consists of several keys (islands):

Young Green Sea Turtle from ecocentrikGuy

Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Lower Matecumbe Key and Craig Keys.

The Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute USA is on Upper Matecumbe Key. Here it is on Google maps.

What film should I watch before going?
It’s a trick question: Key Largo of course. This 1948 classic with Humphrey Bogart set in the Florida Keys will put you in the right mood.

What will the weather be like?
According to Fodor’s travel guides, temperatures in March range from 68-79°F (20-26°C). Tourist season runs from December through May so prices will still be high during the March workshop. (Also, summer is hurricane season, so phew, it’s not in the summer.)

What can I do on Islamorada besides practice Ashtanga yoga?

• Sport fishing. Islamorada is the sportfishing capital of the world, according to the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce (and pretty much all websites about Islamorada). Although this activity may be inconsistent with the Ahimsa (non-violence and a respect for all life, one the Yamas, the first limb of Ashtanga Yoga).


Sunset from p-freddy

• Bowl! The new shala is conveniently located near the Fish Bowl, a bowling alley (not a place to dive or snorkel). It has 12 lanes!
• Eat Key Lime pie. There really is a difference between a key lime and a regular lime. According to a review of key lime pie in the New York Times, the Cheeca Lodge has some of the best key lime pie (along with a real key lime tree). Key Lime is the official state pie of Florida, and it’s vegeterian.


Founders Park Beach, on the bay side of the new shala, from KellyKeys

• Swim with the dolphins. I am pretty sure it will be possible to see wild dolphin and this could be the experience of a lifetime. Those of you who want to swim with dolphin might try Theater of the Sea (a marine park) in Islamorada.


A mature sea turtle from ecocentrikGuy

• Dive, snorkel, kayak. Just take a look at the photos in this post! And if you want more photos, the Islamorada photos on Flickr are stunning.

But you don’t care about any of that. You just want to practice Ashtanga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois! However, if you do want to share anything you know about Islamorada, please add it in the Comments section. Thanks!

What am I? from ecocentrikGuy

Do you know who the other lion of Mysore is?

According to Bishwanath Ghosh in an article on Desicritics.org, it is writer, R.K. Narayan.

One made Mysore the international capital of ashtanga yoga, the other gave the city a pseudonym and put it on India’s literary map. Pattabhi Jois and R.K. Narayan, lions in their respective fields; and Mysore, I thought, would bear their signature.

Despite this introduction, Ghosh barely talks about Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Ashtanga yoga, and when he does, he’s a little dismissive of the whole Ashtanga thang:

Gloomy!
courtesy Govinda Kai

Jois’ Mysore was indoor: chiselled Western bodies striking difficult yoga postures in unison in a gloomy hall.

Gloomy? I haven’t been to AYRI, but the photos of the old and the new shala and the film footage I’ve seen don’t seem to depict gloominess. Then again, who would post gloomy photos of AYRI? No one likes gloomy.

Anyways, Ghosh continues:

“There, on the left,” the friend stopped the car and pointed out, “that’s where Pattabhi Jois used to live.” The door of the house still bears a small signboard: Vidwan Pattabhi Jois. The house looked too simple to have been the world’s biggest export centre of ashtanga yoga. Jois now lives in a more upmarket neighbourhood, Gokulam. He charges Rs 27,900 for the first month of training (doesn’t include food and lodging) and Rs 17,900 for each month thereafter. Little wonder that almost all his students are Westerners.

R.K. Narayan

That’s it about Guruji.

So who is R.K. Narayan? He was a writer and if you’re curious about the community and people of Mysore and southern India, maybe R.K. Narayan’s books will interest you. R.K. Narayan wrote about ordinary people in a fictional small town called Malgudi. Mysore, the (formerly) small town where he lived for most of his life, was the inspiration for his stories. Narayan lived from 1906-2001, which means that this year, he would have been 100 years old.

Malgudi or Mysore?
courtesy Suyog Gaidhani

Ghosh traces Narayan’s steps through old Mysore, noting the changes the city’s undergoing and tries to experience some of the Mysore that Narayan loved. (Ghosh actually quotes the same Deccan Herald article about Mysore we did in a prior post, Brand Mysore.)

Narayan’s books not only capture the people and feel of Mysore - it seems they make for a good read regardless of one’s interest in Mysore:

Setting aside his plentiful and remarkable novels, Narayan firmly occupies a seat in the pantheon of 19th- and 20th-century short-story geniuses, a group that includes Chekhov, O. Henry, Frank O’Connor, and Flannery O’Connor.

The concentration of Narayan’s prose is astonishing. While other writers rely on paragraphs and pages to get their points across, Narayan extracts the full capacity of each sentence, so much so that his stories seem bound by an invisible yet essential mechanism, similar to the metrical and quantitative constraints of poetry. - Jhumpa Lahiri, Boston Review.

Because of Lahiri’s essay, I plan to read Malgudi Days, a collection of short stories, which is also the best-selling Narayan book on Amazon.

Malgudi is dead. Long live Mysore. Today you might have to spend a crore to buy an acre in Mysore. But to buy the whole of Malgudi, you need only Rs 80; and it is available at your nearest bookshop. - Bishwanath Ghosh, desicritics.org

The Whole of Malgudi, an illustration from Malgudi Days by Dr. James M. Fennelly

I got super interested in R.K. Narayan from following the links at the bottom of Wikipedia entry on R.K. Narayan.

Has anyone read R.K. Narayan? If so, how did it affect your experience of Mysore?

I just got hold of a copy of the new Morning Mysore calendar to review. Antonia, Dave and Wendy, Ashtangis at Yoga is Youthfulness, emphasized taking photos of real yogis practicing Ashtanga yoga in Morning Mysore as opposed to picture-perfect Yoga Journal-type “models”.

UPDATE 12/22/06: All 110 Calendars are sold out - thanks!

I am amazed at the quality of the production - the calendar could have been made by professionals, you cannot tell the difference. With the use of modern printing technology, the talent behind the photos and the care taken to produce it, this calendar is truly superb.

Apart from the quality of the photos, each picture has a caption taken from the students’ answers to the question, “What does this practice mean to you?“. These quotes are inspiring, an important and unique feature in a calendar! Here’s a sample:

What’s amazing to me is that as I enter the studio I instantly feel surrounded by this caring energy. I barely know my fellow yogis at the studio and yet feel that I do know them, and they know me. They understand my struggles on the mat, share the humor in it, know why I’m here. They are my friends.

August 2007 - SSR in parsvottasana

From what I hear, as of today more than 100 calendars have already been pre-ordered.

Go to Divine Eye Productions to get a copy (you’ll also be able to see all the months in more detail there).

We are taking preorders only for this calendar. Deadlines for ordering are 11/17/06 Friday noon and 12/1/06 Friday noon. The price is $25 with shipping ($20 if you live near Mountain View, California).

The cover of the calendar - a class in full swing

The first step of the project was to take lots of photos of students practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa in the Mysore-Style classes at Yoga is Youthfulness in Mountain View, California. The best 500 (!) were published in an online photo gallery. Back in August I wrote a post about the calendar/photo project , which included many photos from the project.

The second step was to choose the best 12, and produce a real life calendar.

The back cover and overview of all the photos

What a great gift for Ashtangis everywhere! Thank you Antonia, Dave and Wendy.

The rumours have been flying around for months, but now it’s official: Pattabhi Jois is opening a new shala on American soil, in the South of Florida, called the Ashtanga Yoga Institute USA. Here’s the announcement from the AYRI.org site:

My beloved students,

For the last 30 years I have been visiting the United States to spread my teachings. With great pleasure, I am proud to announce the opening of my new yoga center in Florida.

I would like to invite each and every one of you to join myself, my daughter Saraswathi and my grandson Sharath for the grand opening party on March 24th, followed by a 2-week workshop. This will be our only visit to the United States in 2007. I look forward to seeing you there!

Love, Guruji

Islamorada, FL
First week (5 days): March 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Second week (5 days): April 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (April 2nd moon day holiday)
7:00AM Led Primary Series
Fees: 5-day workshop $200, single class $50
Workshop students are invited to the opening party on March 24
Registration opens November 15

Apparently it was financed by a very dedicated student of his.

Islamorada, at the very tip of the Eastern Coast of the USA

Islamorada “purple island” is part of the Florida Keys about 2 hours drive from Miami Airport - so a little bit easier to get to for most students than Mysore. The climate should as close to Southern Indian as you can get in the continental US, and from the photos it looks like paradise (you know, the lying on the beach kind of paradise).

Someone should alert their tourist board that they are about to receive a lot more attention in the years to come!

From the way it has been presented though, it does not look as if AYIU will be a replacement for going to Mysore, especially for teaching authorization puposes (part of the criteria are 4 trips to AYRI). It seems to be more of a replacement of the annual multi-city World Tour for now. At least in 2007, the World Tour will take place at AYIU.

Perhaps in the future, the Jois family will decide to teach Mysore-Style classes in Islamorada. In any case, this is a big milestone in the development of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and we welcome it wholeheartedly!

I go to the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. If you really want to hook up there, it’s almost impossible not to. It’s full of people with a serious devotion to their practices and a lot of time on their hands. - Linda, aka Boodiba

Butterfly Love
courtesy Jaki Good