ABOUT PRACTICE

“Yoga is a benevolent friend that is always there to greet us with a smile. Practice is a journey to our inner selves.” David Swenson

“99% Practice – 1% Theory” K. Patthabi Jois

There is a general opinion that ashtanga yoga is too rigorous. Nevertheless, this practice stands nowadays the closest to me. Bound series will bring my mind completely, or at least greatly shut down for an easier jump or slip (whether flight, a saying of one of my teachers Gyöngyvér Pápa) by itself into the following asana. I deliberately do not use the term automatically, because the process “flow” which can be observed during ashtanga practice, is not the same as the ‘autopilot switched on’ feeling. In fact, I do not have to think about the order of the asanas because after a while the body knows which way to turn, bend or move. All is just a sample studied, followed. But the study, specifically the understanding helps the mind to relax. Repetition completes knowledge and after a while you do not have to pay special attention to the order, the mind doesn’t consider anything anymore, it is working offline.This way it is possible to complete the ‘flow’, when taking into account one-pointed attention, diving into the practice. You need to be well anchored at the beginning of the movement (asana), keep energy locks (bandhas) and attention (dhristi), and breath perfectly (ujjayi). (About ujjayi breathing read more here: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/ashtangayoga/basics/breathing-ujjayi/ ) The practice is like a major surgery, if you do it right, you succeed if not, it can be dangerous.
During practice the attention of the mind and the toughts are bound to wander, bandhas locking the energy while the asanas regulate and at the same time release the phisical realms. The argument against rigorousness that nevertheless remains quite time for self-reflection! During a yoga practice, the practitioner gets a lot of experience and sensation physically, mentally and spiritually as well. Reflecting these conditions require constant introspection and correction. Personally, after eleven years hatha yoga practice and two years ashtanga yoga practice I can always find new and new aspects of the execution of asanas, even if they are so well known to me. A friend of mine told me that newly she likes to go to hatha or vinyasa flow classes outside of mysore, the ashtanga series she already knows … after a one-month mysore workshop retreat her only yoga practice is ashtanga again. I think it also indicates what is needed is a reliable teacher who can help you find new and new aspects in your practice besides of the intimate experiences of self-practice. Even if it’s about a more than well known asana series or familarize the practitioner with a new asana.