|
|
| My only experience with yoga is with Birkram, which I have done since this past February. I enjoyed it for the most part but had a few injuries along the way (back and knees, nothing too serious).
I am moving to the East Village in NYC on December 1, and there is a Ashtanga yoga location within a one-minute walk from my new apartment. Most of all, I am eager to try out a different form of yoga.
My question: Is it too soon for me to try this form of yoga? I'm worried that by starting with Bikram, my fundamentals are flawed.
Here is a link to the location:
http://www.ashtangayogashala.net/ |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | I say go for it! I have heard wonderful things about the Ashtanga Yoga Shala. I live in the NYC suburbs and it's really difficult to find a convenient place that teaches Ashtanga at all, much less a really great studio.
I have been doing Bikram for about 3 1/2 years and I tried Ashtanga about 6 months ago. (I practice on my own- not Bikram or Ashtanga, just general yoga- and I've taken other types of yoga classes on an intermittent basis but only Bikram classes with regularity. I'm also a Bikram instructor). I was unable to sustain a regular practice b/c the closest studio was about 40 minutes away and I am also a yoga and fitness instructor so it was difficult/impossible for me to make it to class on a regular basis because of my own classes. I really liked the Astanga practice though. I found it to be a lot more difficult than Bikram- there are more poses and many are just more technically difficult.
Anyway, I don't think you've necessarily been "ruined" by Bikram!  I would just approach Ashtanga with a beginner's heart and mind. One minute from the Ashtanga Yoga Shala- I am envious! Enjoy! |
|
| |
|
| Kiltfire
Yoga Shala is a great studio, I've only been there once but really enjoyed it. I live all the way on the other side of Manhattan so it's totally inconvenient for me. I took a led primary which is the only way you can do one class. You can't drop in for a mysore class usually. If you commit to a mysore practice, you have to commit. It's much more of a relationship between teacher and pupil when you take on the mysore practice. If you want to drop in once or twice a week for a led class, you can too. I say you take their beginner's class. Then go to a couple of led classes to get a feel of the pacing and flow and an overview of the series, then begin the mysore practice.
You will definitely benefit from the astanga practice. However, be aware of a few things. First, be careful with your knees. Ashtanga has some poses that will be tricky for your knees if you are not careful. Explain to your teacher that you have had some knee injuries and that you are concerned. Remind him/her frequently about your knees as they might forget from week to week. If you feel pain in your knees stop and ask for help or do an easier version of the pose.
If you decide to do the Mysore style practice, it will be a lot different than Bikram. You practice quietly on your own a lot and the teacher will come around occassionaly to adjust you. Ashtanga is often very hands-on.
Yes, go into it with an open mind and enjoy the learning process. You will definitely find it challenging, but give it time and you will get a huge benefit from it. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for the great replies. I will let you know how the experience goes, once I settle in and try it out.
I noticed it's a big committment and rather costly, so I'm going to be sure it's something I want to do before plunking down $200/month! |
|
| |
|
| I agree with the others, give Ashtanga a try. If you had said you had no experience in yoga whatsoever, I would have been cautionary, because as someone who has had experience practicing and teaching in many different settings (studio, gym, community outreach classes, etc.) I've seen that an Ashtanga studio's idea of beginner, is a gym yoga practitioner's idea of advanced. But since you have a good background in yoga, I wouldn't worry about not having enough of a footing for Ashtanga. Even though I've never been to Yoga Shala, I've heard it's a good studio with very qualified instructors. A good beginner's class should be very informative and will give you a strong foundation to build your practice upon.
On another note, I love Bikram and Ashtanga yoga--then again, any style I've done, I've become addicted to (guess you can call me a yogaholic). If you like Bikram, I think you'll like Ashtanga. They both have strong heat building principles, with Bikram creating heat externally, and Ashtanga creating heat from within with your own breath. If the idea of becoming hot and sweaty appeals to you, I say go for it! Doing another style will definitely broaden your horizons and help give you a whole new perspective on not just your own personal practice. I've found that as an instructor, being experienced in different yoga styles makes you more knowledeable and quite possibly more confident in your own practice, and a more effective teacher if you instruct (or if you don't instruct, I believe it makes that inner guru, that self teacher a little stronger).
Best wishes and have oodles of fun.
Namasté,
Rachelle
Edited by itchytummy 2004-11-03 6:49 PM
|
|
| |
|
| Rachelle, you GOTS to change your screen name--everytime I see it I start scratching. |
|
| |
|
| Something you should know:
The Yoga Shala holds as truly to Ashtanga as taught to them by Pattabhi as they can.
Given the fact you don't know the versions of the asana that this lineage uses, vs. those of Bikram, I'd suggest you add something in that does address your foundation. In your own words, it's "flawed."
Unfortunately, never having done 72 chaturangas in a practice, swinging through from down/up dog, your shoulders and elbows will be at a serious disadvantage/risk than were you to at least understand the basics of these three asana. It's as important as the knee issues Bikramites experience.
I'm all for experiencing Ashtanga, given the fact it is my own practice. It is not, however, yours. If you decide to give the Yoga Shala a try, look to see if they currently have anyone teaching who has Iyengar or Anusara in their background. These people will at least stop you if you're risking injury. Pattabhi's got a "Nike" attitude. If you hurt yourself, it'll heal and you can come back. (My words.)
Keep in mind that an Ashtanga teachers official "training" is simply to go to Mysore to do practices with Pattabhi. They call it "studying" but they're just led classes. Once you go long enough and frequently enough, if your own practice happens to approve, you can become "authorized" to teach. After years and a certain practive level, once can become "certified." There are about 10 people in the world certified, so if you have someone who is, they either walk on water or they're ... misrepresenting their certification.
In my opinion, the best and safest Ashtanga teacher have other backgrounds to help students move through a more demanding, physically challenging and potentially damaging practice. Remember, the yoga never hurts us, it is we who are doing the yoga incorrectly.
Why don't you check out OM yoga or one of the studios that will also offer you what I call yoga "party tricks" to move into the practice safely, while learning this method's variations of the asana. They're radically different.
In my experience at the Yoga Shala, I still wouldn't send someone new to yoga or to this "family" of yoga there. Things and teacher change, but why not set yourself up for the best and safest experience you can?
You're the one who evidently has enough awareness to see your own practice might not yet be up to facing Ashtanga. Particularly at what might be termed a hard-core Ashtanga studio. I'd trust your judgement in this, given your background is Bikram.
Give it a session or two learning the variations on the asana, then give it a try, perhaps?
You're also not that far from Jiva Mukti, although my same admonishments stand. |
|
| |
|
| Ha! Bruce, you crack me up...sometimes it's good to give yourself a good scratch, just look at how happy some dogs look when they're giving themselves a good scratch behind the ears. Speaking of dogs, how about "itchydownwardfacingdog", or "itchydowndog"?  |
|
| |
|
| Kiltfire - 2004-10-31 4:35 PM
I noticed it's a big committment and rather costly, so I'm going to be sure it's something I want to do before plunking down $200/month!
Actually, Kiltfire, they offer a 6 week fundamentals course for $85. You should take that. It's really not much of a commitment. Try that and see how you like the ashtanga style. Aside from Jivamukti and Om, there are about 6 other good yoga studios in your area.
Sign up for the 6 week fundamental course and take 1 class a week at a different studio and that's still less than $200/month. |
|
| |
|
| yes, like the yes ending yes of James Joyce's wacky book: YES!
i started yoga thru dvds and then touched upon Bikram and as Itchytummy says, it is more about generating heat externally, not my cup of tea, then i was turned on to Iyengar, which gave me a strong foundation. But i believe i was able to learn the nuances of the yoga postures and able to apply them easily becuz i was in a small afternoon class with sometimes just me and another yogi present and the instructor was hands on and taught me very clearly how you should activate your legs and other parts when your not considering these things. And once i started Ashtanga and found the right teachers it suited me perfect, but i believe the Ashtanga in our studio might have been a bit too quick rigorous and intense for me to continue it if i hadn't been in the small classes i took in a studio that had very able instructors but was in a more remote location |
|
| |
Should I begin practicing Ashtanga?
