We are all Athlete when we are practicing the Ashtanga Yoga

Yoga is a discipline and to practice Ashtanga Yoga take a lot of dedication. Therefore as per Iain when we are dedicating ourself to it we are training ourself such as athlete. I could not agree more.

Because there will be a physical change in our body there will also be a physical change in our mind. We all hear that Yoga is the connection between the soul and the universe it is for me the connection between the I and the inner I. It is more individual at the beginning, it is only when we know who we are that we can start to understand the rest of the world or the people.

This morning during the practice I tried my level best to surrender to it. I had a bad night and I woke up moody, unhappy. 

Then I understood that it will only depend on me whether I will have a good or a bad practice, we are what we think as well as we are we eat, we are what we say and so on.

After all it was a good practice and was happy to finish where I am supposed to be.

The practice, the understanding and the acknowledgment of the Ashtanga Yoga Method only relies on the practitioner, wether you want to follow it and surrender to it without any question and expectation or you take the other side of it, you skip when you want to skip because you feel uncomfortable and you add secondary asana because it is flattering your ego.

You have the choice. Whatever the choice you are taking it will define you as a human been. As mention before and as Iain said, which I really like, we should create a relationship between us and the practice and furthermore a relationship with ourself. The way we are practicing is often the reflection of who we are truly.

Once we have digest all the information and acknowledge it then we start to practice Yoga in his pure form and origin. 

With Love & Light ;-)

5000 applications!!!!

During the conference today this is what Sharat said. There were 5000 applications for November, December, January..... the shall is completely full and no more registrations are possible until next year. So we should feel lucky to be part of the students who got accepted. Of course I feel lucky ;-)

I met Ian Grysak today. He was in the line up, I cam to him and asked him "are you Iain Grysak?" he said yes, then I told him that I was reading his articles and get inspired by it and his point of view. So I thanked him for it and went back to the queue. He was very humble, he asked my name and told me thank you.

I was surprise that no one was around him, talking with him, he was alone on his own like any others practitioners.

If you want to real a real blog about a the real ashtanga Yoga practice and the real commitment I highly recommended his webstie:

http://spaciousyoga.com/you-stop-there-lessons-from-sharath-jois/

I am still asking myself whether I will register for his workshop "Ashtanga Immersion course" on February or not...... On March I am going to Lombok so I should ask for a 2 months visa before going to Bali if I want to attend his course.... I am really interesting in it.

Will see.

So today was the led class, I arrived late on purpose (but before the class's starting) and did my practice upstair in the changing room. I wanted it. And I did the full practice ;-) I was sweating like anything, practice is led for one small hour and when Sharat count is at 3 I am just finishing my first breathing....

Monday there is no class, full moon and then Tuesday is the led class..... Did not expect it. I won't go to it as it at 4.30 AM (I have to leave the Ashram by 3.30 AM to be at the shala by 4.00 AM and all of it for a quick led class.... no thank you). Then I will do my practice in our shala at 5.00 AM.

I feel great.

- Namaste -

Yesterday was Guru Purnima and New Moon

Therefore there was no practice. Sarawasti has invited all students to the Puja that took place in the main shala from 10.00 AM to late in the afternoon.

They did a fire ceremony and 2 priests were there. All Jois family was there, Sharat and his wife, his mother Sarawasti, kids, cousins. I won't display pictures of them, we were authorised to take picture during the ceremony, some people were even filming, so I took some pictures with Sharat and his wife but do not intend to display them.

However the shala was completely packed!

After the puja some students were singing Kirtans, shloka to the family. Some of them came on stage with guitare and started the Bakthi Yoga. I am not a huge fan of it, I like to sing kirtans however I do not like to sing it with a westernise style if I may say. It is just very personal, I do not feel any devotion into that, just pop music singing old shloka or kirtans which does not make any sense to me.

Sarawasti spoke about her dad, she was very emotional.

Anyway this morning it was time for the practice and I do believe it was the full moon:

It was a really good practice.

Starts: 4.45 AM

Ends: 6.40 AM

I did 20 Sun salutation in order to sweat and to warm up my body. Also I did more vinyasa at the beginning of the sitting posture.

I have been adjusted in Supta Kurmasana and slowly but sure the posture is coming.

I have bought some medicinal plaster with herbal "magic" ayurvedic and put it all around my knee, I slept with it and took my shower with it and this morning my knee was better, so I was able to manage so Ardha Bada Padma but not all of them, I think these plasters are working nicely, will put another one today for the all day.

In six day I am living to Europe, during august I will practice differently but sill will manage to be on my mat by 4.30 AM.

June 22nd - What a gooood practice / David Roche, KPJAYI

Starts: 4.45 AM
Ends: 6.30 AM
All series

I have added some full vinyasas at the beginning of the sitting postures then I stop to do full when at Janu Shirshana.

The bad new is my knee, specially the left, does not want to bend properly, painful...

The good new is the all series become easier and easier. Breathing okay, hamstrings perfectly fine, focus 200% and smiling while practicing.

I have added 2 more weeks to my practice so I will be finishing on July 23rd. I have also bought a new yoga mat and a mat for my yoga mat. Tomorrow I will try both of them, I still really love my former yoga mat but my "yoga blanket" bought at Purple Yoga Valley is sliding so not very convenient during the Vinyasa....

I will be flying to France on July 26th then back to India by October. I hope, I would be able to continue my regular practice on my own, it will be slightly challenging as I will be teaching on August, but if I keep the 4.30 AM practice then it completely possible.

Also I would like to practice in New York when I will be there on September. 

Even though my knees are painful I am 100% hooked to the Ashtanga practice.

Day 4th, Sarawasthi and David Roche - KPAJI

Time: 4.45 AM

Starts: 4.50 AM

Ends: 6.30 AM

Stops at Navasana

I am understanding how the system is working.

It is not about the jump back or jump front.

It is not about doing or not all Vinyasa

It is not about the performance

It is about a practice done WITH RESPECT TO THE TRADITION.

Traditionally Yoga was taught from mouth to mouth, from Guru to Student, one asana at a time. Once the asana was done properly, with proper breathing, bandhas and alignment then the second asana was given to the student.

Therefore to become a Yoga Teacher took years and years of practice.

In the West we are wrong, we are all wrong.

So now when I am practicing I stay longer into the asana because I know that anyway I won't be authorised to practice the full series.

Then I am repeating the asanas. 

I am still cheating as I should not even do Navasana because of Marychasana D that I can not properly, my torn meniscus does not allow me to do it. 

My morning practice was beautiful, I really enjoy it!

- To be continued -

June 7th, 2016 - DAY 2, KPJAYI

Morning practice: 5.00 AM
Finished at 6.30 AM

I was doing Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana, Saraswathi came to adjust me. Then I got lost and did not know if it was Badakonasana after Supta Kurmasana or Garbha Pindasana (it is is Garbha Pindasana)... so I asked and it was my lesson, do not ask anything ;-)

Sarawasthi assitants did not reply to my question and they finally told me "your Kurmasana was not good go directly to the back bending".

Then I wanted to do the drop back, her assistant told me not to do it.

So I was happy to have done before all vinyasas, I was the only one to do so and I was scared that at one point they will stop me or tell me not to do so, they did not. Some students were looking at me like I was doing something wrong but in the end it was fine.

Tomorrow morning I won't ask any question and will practice silently and hopefully I will be able to do the all series, if not then I will improve my Supta Kurmasana. Actually it was not bad at all, it is jut that I need assistance to grab my hand and bring my foot behind my head, but for the forward fold I am pretty good.

- To be continued -

May 18th, 2016 - Evening Practice

Duration: 1h40
All Vinyasa

Asana missed: Purvotanasana - There is something about it, this one is the ONE that I am often missing.... 

Improvement: Suraya Namasakara B.

I have understood something today. When I go on the mat I have expectations. I want to improve my jump back and jump forward therefore it can become very frustrating because I don't see anything new about it.

However today I noticed that in Asana in which I was comfortable so not paying that much of attention were actually really improving.

Sarvangasana for instance, I hold it for 25 breaths and all weight is on my shoulder and my triceps.

Halasana has really opened my shoulders. It was an asana I thought I have it but in fact no.

Setubandasana a lot of improvement, my pelvis is higher and weight into the scapula (I do the variation).

Kurmasana, by doing an inner rotation of my femur bone my legs are closer to my shoulder and before I used to have this feeling only when I was adjusted as now I can fix it myself.

So what I learned is in fact I should stop to focus on something when my body is not ready because on the other hand while I am practicing and paying attention of what I am doing I can see a lot of things happening. My shoulders are my open, my upper back is stronger, the scapular belt is more powerful as now I can hold Shirshana with my ears far from shoulder, no collapsing at all.

So yes practice and it all comes but do not have expectation on a particular asana. Just let it flow.

And of course TO BE CONTINUED !

May 17th, 2016 - Evening Practice

Duration: 1h30

All Vinyasa: YES

Asana skipped: NONE

Shavasana: 5 minutes (because of the mosquitos)

Today I practiced at 6.00 PM. My body was slightly more flexible but not that much. That make me think that maybe I have something block on the back of my legs, how comes how can not lengthen my legs completely when bending forward?

I did the drop back bending and I still feel a pain in the lower back but it is not the kind of pain that want to make you stop as it is completely bearable. So I don't know if a MRI is necessary or not....

It was a good practice, I can see and feel improvement especially about the opening of my shoulders, much better than 2 weeks ago and my upper back is getting bigger, more muscles are showing.

Shirshana without the head touching the floor is definitely improving, today I was able to do it without touching the wall at all, I lift from my scapular belt, I never did this before, so for the last few years I was doing Shirshasana with the ears in my shoulders because I thought that I was pushing but now that I am really pushing up I can feel the difference... So of course my trapezius is bigger.

To Be continued.

May 16th, 2016

Duration: 1h53
Meditation & Pranayama: 10 minutes
Asana skipped: NONE
Asana added: Ustrasana (to relaxe my hamstrings)

It was an average practice, hamstrings muscles are really painful and I do believe they are getting shorter every day.

My mind was all over the place, can not stabilise it at all, very disturbed mind. Hopefully tomorrow will be better as I have solved something today ;-)

- Namaste -

April 21st, 2016

Beautiful practice, slightly lighter in my jumping back and front.

At  the end I tried to practice Pincha Mayurasana and then this happens:

Teacher: What are u doing?

Me: Try to practice Pincha…

Teacher: Why?

Me: I just give a try…

Teacher (feeling sorry for me): You’re not ready, don’t do it. Practice the Primary series, open your shoulders, work your balance, work you upper  body then practice Pincha… if not then you will close your shoulders and hurt yourself….

Me: …… (a little bit disappointed)

Lesson number 1: Tapas – discipline

I think I am starting practicing Yoga………