What did I learn after 10 Weeks of practice at KPJAYI

Your practice stops here!

Well it is obvious to me that after 10 weeks my practice stops at Supta Kurmasana. During these last 10 weeks I haven't been given any new asanas neither the authorisation to practice the full Primary Series.

Led Classes.....

There are two led classes one on Saturday and one on Monday morning. Everyone was fighting to come first inside the shala to have the "privilege" of practicing IN the shala and not in the changing room or in the hall. As for me I did not care, I prefer to practice in the changing room, more spacious so I was not fighting for anything.

The beautiful thing is that at the end of November students organise themselves and start to do a line up, so less rushing which was good to me.

No offense to the big fan of Sharat but led classes really suck. Counting is fast, breathing is fast and basically some days the Primary series was taught in 45 minutes..... or 55 minutes... no shavasana, no closing mantra. Don't see any interest to it.

In the end I was not even coming to the monday led class, why wasting my time driving 30 minutes from home to practice a class that is taught mechanically?

No variation at all.

To my very big surprise practicing without any variation really improve my practice. Instead of looking for an alignment I was looking for going into the asana and then the alignment is coming. I completely got that point and really like it. I have improved a lot and my knee pain is completely gone. For the last 5 years Marichyasana D was not accessible to me and in the last 10 weeks actually after the first week I was able to manage it because I was not allowed to do the variation.

So yes, if this is the way Ashtanga has to be practiced I completely surrender to it. This is the best indication I never have.

Sharat adjustments are just wonderful

Second big surprise to me. When I was practicing with Sarawasthi I have received the worst adjustment ever, it was so awful that I needed to go to the chiropractor to be fixed.

However Sharat adjustments are just perfect, soft and precise. Of course he is scolding you "why you are not breathing, why you are not relaxing, what are you doing with your hand here, don't push, why you are rushing etc..." but in the end his adjustment was very good to me.

It takes a lot of bravery to practice under the guidance of Sharat

Oh yeah, big time!

First of all the level of practitioners is high, when I say high I mean really really really HIGH!!!! The dedication of the practitioners is over the top. 

So when you heard "one more" and it is your turn to unfold your mat in the middle of people doing Primary, Intermediate or Secondary series you have a moment where you just feel that you are not in the right place at all.....

Honestly speaking for the last 10 weeks when I was waiting my turn I thought "what the hell am I doing here, I should go home, I am not one of them".... 

But I never gave up, some days were worst than ever, especially when Sharat told me "your thighs are too big, that is why you can not catch in Supta Kurmasana" and this in the middle of the shala.... I was like "oh okay, thank you" then I left completely puzzled....

But in the same time it gave me a new energy, I was feeding myself from all of them. I had really good practices (to me there were good) and I felt completely good after each of them. 

During the Conference don't ask questions!!

Or if at all you want to ask a question try to ask a "good" question. So what is a "good" question?? No clue, just ask and you will see ;-) if it happens that your question was on the black list question then be ready to be scold like hell.....

There is no Ego

Don't even try to show off when you practice with Sharat, he doesn't care.

Don't leave the Shala without saying Namaste to Sharat

If you have to wait for his eyes to meet your eyes wait. Why? Because when you do that he will smile at you, and his smile is priceless!

Will I come back to Sharat? Why?

Of course I want to come back. Not because I want any authorisation but because practicing with high calibre practictioner gave me the guts to deepen my practice and also after 10 weeks there are so many changes in my body and in my practice that I really want to see until where I can go.

By looking at those practitioners I learned a lot, where to put my arms in Parshvakonasana B for instance (slightly front of the knee and not side of the knee), where to put my foot in Marichyasana D (lower tower the pubic bone and not at the navel level), how to backbend correctly from a standing etc. It was very inspirational to me so absolutely if next year there is a chance to apply for October 2017 I will definitely!

What's next?

As for tomorrow I am starting my personal Mysore Practice in our shala at 4.30 AM and sorry Sharat but I will be practicing the full series!

Then February I will be practicing for one full month in Ubud, Bali with Iain Grysak and from April 2017 in Montreal with Mark Darby.

It is just the beginning.

- Namaste -