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

In the past few days there have been some changes on the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute website, ayri.org. There is a new link under the practice category called in capitals TEACHERS LIST.

In contrast with the familiar list of teachers on ashtanga.com, this list as of today (August 14 2008) primarily lists certified teachers (not authorized teachers), or a fraction of the total.

The new list on the AYRI site comes with a change in the standards for being listed. To be listed, the website states:

[Teachers] should maintain a yoga room or shala to allow for daily, preferably morning, Mysore-style practice and should honor Saturdays and the full/new moon days as rest days.

In addition, it seems that the requirements for keeping the authorization to teach are being significantly tightened. For example, teachers are asked to :

• return to India every year and half to study for 2 months
• have a shala for daily classes
• refrain from teaching on traditional rest days such as Moon days
• refrain from teaching any series beyond the primary series
• refrain from teaching workshops

These requirements look like an attempt to raise standards and the quality of teaching. Perhaps it is due to the notable increase in students and teachers in the past 5 years (we wrote about how the number had at least doubled back in 2006). To me, these changes raise questions about the essence of Ashtanga yoga.

What effect will these new requirements have on the quality of teaching of Ashtanga yoga across the world?

In my opinion, in many ways this is a step in the wrong direction for Asthanga yoga.

Asking for a trip to India every 18 months for two whole months puts a heavy burden on new parents and on those with fewer financial means.

No Workshops?
Workshops provide benefits for both teachers and students, and are a key part in building the worldwide Ashtanga community.

Asking teachers to forgo the extra income from workshops may make it impossible for a lot of them to return to India so frequently, since ironically it is often these very workshops which give the teachers the means to return to do so.

Personally, a lot of what I have learned about Ashtanga yoga is directly due to taking workshops with authorized teachers. Had these requirements been in place when I was starting my yoga journey, I would not have had the amazing opportunities to learn from such talented teachers.

Hundreds of dedicated teachers have devoted their lives to teaching ashtanga yoga. They have made enormous sacrifices to become authorized. It seems unfair to change the rules so drastically and abruptly. The standards are changing in a way that may make it impossible for a lot of teachers to continue teaching as authorized teachers.

In addition, raising the standards in such a way that few teachers meet them could have the perverse effect of lowering the quality of teaching because they become meaningless.

These changes do not seem to be in the interest of the Ashtanga yoga community, and in the continued spreading of this wonderful practice.

These are my initial thoughts and I wrote this because I care deeply about the practice. I welcome your opinions on this important matter.

[This article was kindly contributed by Brooke Hewes].

Last month I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Rome’s Lino Miele at a workshop in Bozeman, Montana. If you haven’t heard of him, Lino is a senior Ashtanga Yoga teacher who has been studying the practice for more than 20 years-yet you wouldn’t know it at first glance. He’s as humble as a novice and as excited about the practice as if it were a recent discovery.

Lino Miele and Guruji

As those of us who practice know, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is vigorous. It’s a remarkable and joyful practice, but vigorous nonetheless. In fact, it’s the vigor-the progressively challenging postures strung together with coordinated breath and movement-that encourages body-mind unification. That cultivates all eight limbs of Ashtanga. That encourages stillness: the calm and joy inherent in the present moment. With the grace of a ballet dancer, the shifting intonations of a seasoned thespian, and the wisdom of a yogi, Lino showed a room full of students the gentle side intrinsic to Ashtanga. His lens and teaching tool was the Full Vinyasa System, which he also refers to as “the scientific method.”

The following highlights from his workshop can inform and lend context to all students of yoga, Ashtanga or otherwise.

1. Learn Full Vinyasa. Vinyasa is synchronized breath and movement. Each time you move with conscious breath, you are completing a vinyasa. While I have always known the definition of the term, before Lino I understood vinyasa as what transpires between poses: the moving transitions. In Ashtanga, however, vinyasa supports and cradles the posture, which itself is included in the vinyasa count that begins and ends at samasthiti. While counting vinyasa for janu shirshasana A, B and C, for instance, there are 22 coordinated body-breath movements between samasthiti, including “jumping through”, “jumping back,” and what Lino calls the “state of the asana”: the five breaths spend in head-to-knee pose.

Lino became interested in the scientific method of vinyasa five years after first studying with guruji in Mysore. In 1993, Lino was in France when he, as he writes in his book Astanga Yoga, was inspired when Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois “in his energetic voice [began] calling the exact number of the vinyasa.” Lino began researching the system, which Pattabhi Jois with his guru Sri. T. Krishnamacharya developed from the ancient text Yoga Korunta, which states “Oh yogi! Do not do asana without vinyasa.” In addition to listing each vinyasa count for all postures in surya namaskara A and B, the primary series and the finishing sequence, in Astanga Yoga Lino lists the benefits of each posture ascertained from time spent with guruji, consultation with doctors and persistent review of medical texts. And, no doubt, his own dedicated yogasana.

Helsinki Ashtanga Yoga School
10 Year Anniversary Party (by Rodrigo Quinones)

As students learn the Ashtanga Vinyasa sequence, Lino advises learning these counts-that uttihtia trikonasana (triangle pose), for example, has five vinyasas; parshvottanasana (intense side stretch pose) has 16 vinyasas; and navasana (boat pose) has 13-to see the big picture. To understand the fluidity of breath, body and mind so beautifully articulated through Ashtanga Yoga.

2. Practice Full Vinyasa. During what Lino called a full vinyasa practice, we came to samasthiti between most of the postures, including seated poses. As we did, Lino kept count. “Line up each asana with breath,” he said. He presented the system as a teaching tool that we should learn but not always do. Just knowing the count for each posture informs us of the extra breaths and fidgeting (i.e. the distractions) we so often take between poses. If one did practice with a vinyasa between each posture every day, the better part of their mornings would be spent on the mat. (And while this would be delightful, it precludes most day jobs.) Which brings me to another lovely lesson from Lino: learn, and then learn to let go.

3. Don’t Get Attached-to Full Vinyasa or Anything. Lino insists that learning about the vinyasa system helps one dive deeper into the sequence, and, eventually, oneself. “You taste it, eat it, swallow the system, you digest the system, “he told us in his Italian-accented, matter-of-fact English. In time, he continued, extending the metaphor even further, you become the system. “The practice is you,” he said, and each time you step on your mat, “you work on yourself.”

Years ago Lino taught this system at a workshop in New York City. After learning the full vinyasa system, one woman started doing it every day (as Lino himself did for years). She did it during the primary series and then the second series. Then, two years later, she saw Lino again and she was still doing it. “That’s enough. Basta. Stop,” he said to her. She asked why. He explained that had he taught it as a tool-to become aware-but not to do every day. She started crying, and not just with gentle, zig-zag tears, but with sobs. “Why you cry,” he asked. And she replied: “You’ve taken away my baby.”

It’s vinyasa, he told us all with a knowing smile and a stern wag of his pointer finger, not her baby.

In other words, don’t get attached.

4. Cultivate Compassion for Yourself. “What you don’t do today, you do tomorrow,” Lino told us. In terms of vinyasa, learn the proper counts for each posture and aspire toward them. In the meanwhile, be patient and give yourself a break as you practice lengthening your breath and becoming more adept at transitions. The strength, skill and stamina cultivated through practice will build and, eventually, give way to a fluid full vinyasa practice. Once there, you can decide on your own when it is best to practice with full or half vinyasa.

NOTE: In Astanga Yoga, Lino recommends that beginners practice half vinyasa-which most of us likely do and includes picking up, jumping back and jumping forward to seated positions sans samasthiti; for postures like supta padangusthasana (sleeping big toe posture) where you finish on your back, half vinyasa is initiated by chakrasana (wheel).

5. Practice Posture, not Pride. Which Lino-after arranging himself into a challenging posture and, in jest, strutting around the room with a proud, inflated chest-demonstrated by glancing toward the ceiling and, with one hand over the other, pulling down his ego. Yoga, he explained, lends ample opportunity for accomplishment. But when you finally get that pose you’ve been working on for months, years even, feel a sense of accomplishment and move on. When you move fluidly and properly through full vinyasa, congratulate yourself and then come back to your breath. Ground your ego just as you do your big toe mounds in samasthiti.

6. Go Ahead and Laugh. Have fun. He did. Just be sure to maintain vinyasa meanwhile.

Helsinki Ashtanga Yoga School
10 Year Anniversary Party (by Rodrigo Quinones)

7. It’s OK to be Selfish. Make time for your practice without feeling guilty. Through your practice, he said, you will open your heart to a more joyful, intrinsic way of being. You will change. You will find stillness and peace. By making such space in yourself, you will inspire love and mindfulness in others.

And while you’ve got some time, go ahead and practice full vinyasa. It may take longer, but as one woman who I practice with so intuitively put it, “it’s like coming up for air … one gets the chance to completely fill the lungs before diving back into the practice.” Coming to samasthiti between postures isn’t tiring, it’s invigorating for the many opportunities to take deep, comfortable breaths.

8. Carefully, Carefully. Slowly, slowly, Lino repeatedly cautioned. Pay attention to the unique way that your breath floats through your body. And if your breath is too quick or vigorous, stop, place your right hand over your heart, and catch your breath before moving on.

Again, because full vinyasa inherently slows and deepens your breath so that you can move within the prescribed vinyasa counts, you are careful. You are aware. You are present.

9. See Lino Again. That’s my lesson, not his.

Lino-related Links:
• Lino’s Ashtanga Yoga Schools in Rome (Italy), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland).
• Astanga Yoga, written by Lino. This page also showcases his two DVDs, a poster illustrating the primary series, and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’ book Yoga Mala.
• A photo essay of Lino’s annual workshop in Kovalam Beach, South India.
• A review of Lino’s first workshop in the states (Chicago, 1999).

A modified version of this story appeared April 25, 2008 in Yoga On & Off the Mat, a biweekly column by Brooke Hewes about Yoga that can be viewed at NewWest.net/yoga.

John Scott (by 目標はボンドガール)

Like most American ashtangi’s I had heard stories about John Scott for years. One of my teachers in the Bay Area had practiced with John when he lived in London many years ago. But when I asked about the John Scott-style, I didn’t get much of a clue. People would tell you little things about his practice style. John says,

“Save your knees and hamstrings, leave a slight bend in your knees when you enter a standing pose.”

“Keep your hands firmly on the ground as you breathe through trini position in Suryanamaskar.”

“Ground yourself”

But, I couldn’t get a sense of what to expect of John as a teacher. When the Ashtanga community in Vancouver succeeded in getting John to come to North America in June 2007 (June 9th through the 13th), it was a unique chance to see for myself.

Inspiration

What John teaches is inspiration as much as anything else. If you are looking for an in-depth training to help you understand the linkages between anatomy and the practice, this is probably not the workshop for you [David Roche comes to mind here -Ed]. But if, like me, you run into periods when getting on the mat and then heaving yourself through poses and vinyasas is a little strenuous, then go. Go to New Zealand where John lives, find a workshop and go. The workshop really focused on loving the practice and approaching the practice with an attitude that will allow you to practice for life.

I have taken a few workshops and there is almost always a focus on asana and then vinyasa - the mechanics of practice. These are always great and extremely helpful when you are just getting into primary series. You want the formula to practice. What is the cheat? What’s the recipe? We all want to look like Richard Freeman’s or John Scott’s DVD - airborne. John focuses on the practice as a whole. We are trained to think of practice as asanas linked by “jump-backs”. You learn a posture and then your teacher gives you a new posture. So of course that is how we think of practice. In this workshop, the practice is the unit, one flowing movement from Samasthiti to Savasana, from one’s first stance in Samasthiti to one’s closing death in Savasana. A little microscopic life lived out each morning.

John and his wife Lucy

The Vancouver workshop was about how to get there. So, the three elements we focused on were breath, bandhas, and dristi, not asana, not jump backs. The same three things that are the focus of most meditation practices - breathing, grounding/lifting of one’s posture, and the gaze. Morning practice focused progressively on these three elements over the course of the workshop. Try practicing one morning and stopping when you have lost the breath. You’ll be surprised at the results. John did talk about some asanas and technique, but I think almost exclusively as a response to student questions.

In the afternoons John shared technique (but always related to the three elements of the practice), stories of his experience of yoga, stories of Mysore, observations on the state of the world. John’s general style was laid back. Everything was delivered with a “give it a try and see what you think” attitude.

The workshop was large (50 plus people), but I think the size actually helped us focus on the practice and not get too bogged down in poses and the inevitable problem of did you get adjusted or not. The organization was great , despite a few issues with the venue. And Vancouver is a fantastic summer getaway, beautiful, clean, not too hot, not too cool. If I had one suggestion for the organizers for next year (I am hoping that John puts this on his travel schedule), is find a venue in Kitsalano, a nicer neighborhood than the downtown venue that we used this year.

A review has to have stars or thumbs to make it easy to grasp. So here you go. I give John Scott’s Vancouver Workshop two thumbs up. Suggestions for next year would be longer maybe a full week or even two, and maybe in a more laid-back location than downtown Vancouver. Anyone else that attended please add any other thoughts in the comment sections below.

A stiff body has a good potential for learning Yoga. A flexible body is usually more caught up in Bhoga [over-indulgence].

Saraswathi Rangaswamy, daughter of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy’s mother, launched her own website this month, Saraswathi Ashtanga.

The Home Page of SaraswatiAshtanga.com

She has many insights into Ashtanga, women and family responsibility from a feminine point of view. Each page of Saraswathi’s site is well-worth reading. Her site is infused with the gentle wisdom, kindness and humor of the Jois family.

Saraswathi in action

It took me ten years to learn the asanas well, then two children to forget about it, but the Yogic experience I got from that was more than any asana could ever give me.

Sharath was a real weakling in his early years, he did not like going to school and would be home for months on lying sick in his bed.

The main subjects are:

• Saraswathi - describing her life with yoga intertwined throughout. She has been teaching since 1971 and in 1986 was criticized for teaching women and men together.
• Insights - wisdom from Saraswathi, like “Everybody speaks about the greatness of my father. Yes now he is great, but does anybody know what sufferings he went through in order to come to where he’s at today?”
• Feminine Perspective - wisdom specifically related to women’s traditional responsibilities, like:

Men are stronger than women physically, but women are more talented yogis.

Saraswathi’s Hands

The site also lists Saraswathi’s teaching schedule and contact information. It specifically states that Saraswathi welcomes beginning Ashtanga students. She teaches her own class every day after assisting her father, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. She has an ever increasing dedicated following.

Plus it’s a beautifully designed site with plenty of great photos (the photos here are from the site).

As a side note, of all the photos tagged Ashtanga on Flickr, I found so very, very few of this beautiful woman…so please, can some of you capture some photos when you go to Islamorada or Mysore next?

(Thanks to Ashtanga.com for this tipoff.)

It’s been awhile since we shared our geeky fascination with numbers with you. See Yoga Trends on Google and Ashtanga Grows 100% in 4 Years (at least) for examples. In that post, we estimated that the Ashtanga yoga student population had grown by 100% since early 2002.

Here we take a close look at the trend in Ashtanga yoga teachers during the past four years. It looks like the number of Ashtanga yoga teachers, authorized or certified by the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute grew by 179% from February 2002 to December 2006 (which means that we underestimated student growth earlier).

Not only that, but it also seems that the rate of teacher authorizations is increasing.

Number of teachers authorized or certified by AYRI
Do you detect a trend?

This data comes from Ashtanga.com’s monthly newsletters which publishes new teachers’ names every month - we looked at all the newsletters from March 2002 until December 2006.

The total number of authorized Ashtanga teachers was 176 (including 34 certified teachers) as of December 29, 2006. Since early 2002, a total of 113 new teacher authorizations have been announced on Ashtanga.com.

The world of Ashtanga Yoga

A lot of the “travelling teachers” moved to Asia.

Japan had an especially impressive growth in Ashtanga teachers with 5 teachers authorized since early 2002, compared to one 4 years earlier. Ashtangis in Japan definitely seem enthusiastic about Ashtanga as evidenced by some of our recent posts:

• Interview of Ashtanga Practitioners in Tokyo,
• The Ashtanga Role Models of the Future,
• Yoga Fest Tokyo 2006, and
• Govinda Kai’s Vision of Yoga in Japan.

The 2 countries with the most new teachers are the United States with 62 (40 newly authorized) and the United Kingdom with 18 (12 newly authorized).

Matthew & Dominic Corigliano in Toronto, Canada
(We can’t have only graphs in this post. Boring!)

Women and men teachers are equally represented. As of December 2006, 53% of teachers were women, and since early 2002, 63% of newly authorized teachers were women. But wait! Only 10% of female teachers are certified, while 29% of the men are.

Ashtanga.com, by the way, gives the best explanation of the meanings of authorized and certified.

We had to make some assumptions to come up with these fascinating tidbits (especially those in the next graph). If you want the gory details about the assumptions, email me at yogini @ ashtanganews.com.

Growth in teachers by region…
complicated by changes to the definition of “travelling” teacher

And finally, thanks to Ashtanga.com for continually keeping everyone up to date on Ashtanga yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and without which, neither of our geeky numbers posts would have been possible. Also, all the teachers listed on Ashtanga.com are authorized to teach Ashtanga yoga by AYRI.

Welcome to Tokyo!

Lisa Hill - a contributor to AshtangaNews through her many great Ashtanga photos from Chicago, Illinois - is teaching at Tokyo Yoga for three months, and kindly shared her blog, yoga and adventures in tokyo, and photos at Bindifry on Flickr with us.

What struck me about Lisa’s blog - and if you like Japan at all, you will really enjoy reading about her daily adventures living there - is the similarity between what she says about Ashtanga students in Japan, which echoed what Govinda Kai said in his post, Vision of Yoga in Japan. From Lisa:

Practice

what i absolutely loved about teaching in this studio was the dedication of the students & their gratitude towards me. every single student was serious, but not too serious (not obsessed). beautiful practices indeed and all completely traditional. there aren’t even any props in the studio to tempt them out of tradition! i am so inspired by this studio that i am going to find a way to do the same thing when i get back to chicago. the owner of the studio is doing all the right things with the right intention & it’s completely inspiring to me. there’s nothing like it at home, and soon there will be!

…i am probably working too hard-adjusting too much. it’s not like the students expect adjustments, they don’t at all. it’s just so cool to be teaching in a room where everyone, no matter what the level, works their butts off, and says “arigato” afterwards loud & clear before leaving the room, much like the greeting you get when entering a sushi bar. it’s just so cool & refreshing. i believe the japanese can be the astanga role models of the future. we have much to learn from them.

Mysore class at Tokyo Yoga

From Govinda:

I have been impressed with the yoga students here in Japan. More than anywhere else I have taught, there is a natural humility and a deep respect for whoever is teaching…This quality makes the process of learning very special, both for the student and for the teacher.

Additionally, I have been impressed by the level of dedication, passion and work ethic that is present in a large number of Japanese yoga students…It is clear to me that the deepest levels of yearning for the fruits of yoga practice (truth, expansion and liberation) are very high.

Lisa and Mindy,
who introduced her to Tokyo Yoga

Stay tuned; more to come…Lisa’s agreed to do an interview with some of the Ashtangis from Tokyo Yoga, and we are looking forward to it.

so if you like new york, you will love tokyo. its the same, only it’s japan. - yoga and adventures in tokyo

She even spied a Hello Kitty yoga mat bag!

Have any of you practiced Ashtanga in Japan? Please comment!

“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.

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).

Just in case you haven’t seen this, No Sleep Til Mysore, a popular Ashtangi blog, recently published translated portions of an interview with R. Sharath from the Times of India.

Seat of Wisdom
from Govinda Kai

In the article, Sharath says that he plans to “always stay in Mysore” and that

Yoga is an integral part of my life and it takes up 85 percent of my time. I love every moment of it and feel blessed because not everyone finds their vocation in life and not everyone is privileged enough to make their passion their primary activity in life.

He intends to build a yoga retreat center in the near future.

I have also started a charitable trust in the name of my grandfather and we are involved in assisting the local community in various causes such as providing artificial limbs to handicapped and helping mentally-challenged children.

He also says that Pattabhis Jois and his family travel 4 months of the year to “spread the message of yoga”. They stay with Sting in London and with Mike D. of the Beastie Boys in New York. The only person to ever get a private lesson from Sharath was Madonna (and that was only for the free t-shirts she gave him). Hmmm.

I couldn’t find the full article online. According to No Sleep Til Mysore, it seems that the article may have only been published in India. Thank you for the translation!

[If you want to read more about Sharath and his thoughts on yoga, we recently highlighted an interview with him published by Lime. -Ed.]

As much as I like finding neat photos of Ashtangis practicing in the shala for AshtangaNews, I recently came across this photo from prolific Ashtanga writer and photographer, Alan Little.

David Swenson workshop in Munich, March 2001

Note the lack of Ashtangis in this photo.

Alan mentions that David Swenson prefers photos not be taken during practice:

There were people attending the workshop, lots, but David doesn’t like anybody to take pictures in class and besides I was busy practicing.

Which is exactly what I always wonder about: if you’re practicing, how can you be taking photos? Nevertheless, I am grateful to all you Ashtangis and photographers who do.

I like this photo and I like Alan’s comment. It’s a neat abstraction of something I take for granted (mats) and the lack of Ashtangis makes me think of what Ashtangis do outside of the studio, about what we take with us when we leave the studio.

Thank you, Alan!