One of the more advanced styles of yoga
offered at the retreat is Ashtanga yoga. This style originates from Mysore,
India where it was developed by TirumalaiKrishnamacharya and Krishna
PattabhiJois. The practice of this style is intense, both physically and
mentally. Poses are not held but instead the practitioner is constantly moving.
There is also a specific order of poses that should be followed in order to
rediscover your full capacity for physical, mental, and spiritual growth. You
will learn how to combine correct breathing, postures, gazing point, and bandas
(energetic locks), to acquire control over your own senses and consciousness.
Those we practice Ashtangawith devotion will gain balance of mind and body.
Ashtanga Mysore Style
For those who prefer to move at their own
pace, Mysore style might be right for you. Each practitioner is allowed to have
their own practice, with the teacher only moving you to the next posture when
you are ready. You will have responsibility for your own practice and speed of
learning. Your personal sequence of pose will become a part of you, as you
practice them daily, committing them to memory until they become instinctual.
Your teacher will also fully learn your
practice and those of your fellow students. This connection between you and
your teacher and your fellow practitioners helps to create a sense of
community. You will soon learn the names of the community members and be
inspired as you see others accomplishing amazing things in their own practices.
Knowing that you have all started from the beginning, putting in extraordinary
effort and work to reach your personal goals is truly life affirming.
The path of Mysore is not an easy one. You
must challenge yourself to meet your own goals. You cannot leave the learning
process up to your teacher; it is on your shoulders to improve yourself. You
will arise early in the morning, when the world is still,to devote yourself to
your practice.
