Can we practice Ashtanga in cold country?

What a stupid question I know.

I am not sweating during my practice, so today I practiced in the afternoon, the temperature was about 25° as it is still the winter in Mysore.

I am amazed to see how much my body has becoming in tune with the weather. I really can stand hot as I can not stand anymore cold. It is my 4th year in India and this winter 2016-2017 is cold, well not cold as in Canada or Europe because still during the day we have 25° but now to me it is cold.

So I am not sweating at all during my practice. In the morning no sweat because it is about 15° and in the afternoon neither.....

In the main shala I was sweating like hell, also we were about 60 students practicing altogether so of course it might help a little bit, but now I do not really enjoy the practice. I like to sweat. Still the practice was good today, body flexible, practiced beautiful backbends, practiced Shirshasana with the head not touching the floor, Pincha Mayurasana was completely under control, so I really enjoyed it and I was fully happy after it but I am missing the hot weather.

Santosha! I am satisfied with what I am doing right now.

Therefore I am full of admiration toward the Ashtangis living in NY, Yukon, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden etc. and still practicing during the winter - for this it takes a lot of TAPAS!!!

Can not deny that the best practice of all time is when you are by the sea shore and then after it you go for swim, this the perfect yogic life and it is so easy to follow it but when you are living in the city to have a real yogic life is really hard.

Tomorrow back the morning practice.

- Namaste -

May 19th, 2016 - End of Week 6

Duration: 1h41
No Meditation, no Pranayama just pure asana practice

And it was sooooooooo goooooood! I think I have crossed a major step into my practice, since yesterday my hamstrings are back, I can bend forward without any pain and now I start to really enjoy it.

My mind was very peaceful I was here and now, it was nice. 

I have also noticed that practicing variation for asana is not a good thing, sometimes it may help but at one point the variation should let the place of the real asana and whatever happens the improvement will come.

Today I have practice the Marychasana D without the variation, I can not grab my arm while twisting but on the contrary with the variation I feel more the rotation of the torso, I can really feel my abdominal working as in the variation I can not.

I did the drop back and the hand stand. I do not dare to do all full hand stand without the wall but next week I will try to avoid the wall.

I am feeling great.

May 5th, 2016

Well it was a very good practice. I did one of my best Kukutasana.

Did not dare to do any chakrasana because my neck is back on track so I have to be gentle with my body.

But practice fulfill me J

Evening practice: A lot of Suraya Namaskara (Ashtanga Style). Core exercice (Pilates!).

April 13th, 2016

Hamstrings are on strike, bending forward is a torture which is a real joke while you are practicing the Primary Series……

Neck is gone…..