Ekam Inhale - last week of practice

So I have reached the end of the month's practice with Saraswathi at KPJAYI.....

I don't think I can put into words the feeling of achievement I have from completing the month, which has been at times frustrating, annoying, jubilous and rewarding.
If I were on a reality talent show I would definitely coin the phrase 'it's been a roller coaster of emotions' but I'm not, so I won't.

In the end it wasn't about completing the series or achieving certain asanas, it was about a development within me as a person and a yoga practitioner that I can now bring to the mats of the people I teach.

Ashtanga (Mysore) the Pattabi Jois lineage, the 'parampara' has an energy and spirituality of it's own that I don't think you can fully understand unless you come here to the birthplace.
I will never forget walking into the shala on the first morning to the sound of the ujayi breath like the ocean breaking onto the shores, sometimes as I walk through the shala after practice I look at the other practitioners and thought that it looks as beautifully choreographed as a ballet, yet as calm as  Buddha in meditation.

What have I learnt? Well, I would rather keep some of it to myself to be honest! What I can say is Ashtanga will reveal things about yourself you may have wanted to keep hidden. It will test you physically, mentally and spiritually. It will make you want to cry and make you jump for joy, all in the same practice. It will make you reassess how you live you life (and not just the yamas and niyamas) it will control what you eat, when you sleep and may well ruin your social life, unless your social life is with the other ashtangi's who understand that you have to leave the party at 8.30pm to go to bed.

I read a fab article, not all of which I agree with on Elephant Journal this morning - it's worth a click as this woman tells it warts and all.
Article - Ashtanga is the most hated yoga

I have been bitten by the Mysore bug....as well as by quite a few of the local bugs!
As I posted on Instagram earlier, Yoga saved my life by giving me a focus when I was going through a particularly tough time in my life, and now Ashtanga has changed it, and shaped the way forward for it.

So, night all, I'm off to bed for an early start tomorrow to go to Goa!!! yay! holidays!

Week Two Ashtanga practice

As week two closed I have moved on one posture to navasana, and in fact having a little go in Bujupindasana too (but not quite there)

Knee pain returned this week. Apparently this comes from a tightness in the hips and is probably not related to my old injury which caused some osteoporosis.
But by Friday it was agony to even bend my knee. So, of course I refer to my physio, Dr.Google and can find many articles on this. So, after reading some articles, in particular this one - link to article elephant journal I have decided to take heed to these words:

'Progression is not the attainment of the posture. It’s the deepening of your understanding of the process. It’s your relationship to the process. It’s your state of being and presence on the mat'

The words resonate with me, and this is something that I will try to remember, when I get stressed on the mat because of physical pain that is hindering my progression. I will remember that there is something that I need to understand and work through and to stay present on the mat. I never would have expected to complete the primary series whilst here, and in fact have got further than I imagined in two weeks and at one point on Friday I felt quite low and sad about this. I'm pretty sure that this is because of the ego, and that I want to be able to learn as much as I can whilst here. And also to continue my practice when I leave Mysore until I can complete the wholes series (luckily after Supta Konoasana I find it all physically achievable!)

So there we are, no great philosophical ramblings today, just an update on where I'm at, and a reminder from Sharath in conference that the asanas (postures) are only there so that the mind can be steadied and calmed to prepare you for pranayama and ultimately meditation. 

not my knee! picture taken also from Elephant Journal