I have only taken one Ashtanga class before, and it was NOT a good experience for me. Nothing was explained, and I essentially had my ass royally kicked for 60 minutes with no room for breaks. I started to laugh when I couldn’t feel my arms anymore and the teacher instructed more sun salutations. The teacher did not offer any modifications. She did not try to really teach the newcomers. I left feeling incredibly unwelcome and defeated. It’s one thing to have my ass kicked during a workout or yoga class but feel I have room to improve. It’s another when you feel like you were an embarrassment to the whole class, which is how I felt as I dragged my feet to my car. I swore I wouldn’t do Ashtanga again.
Well, you know what they say about never saying never.
I now teach Yin Yoga at Super Yoga Palace, a studio that really focuses on Ashtanga and Mysore Ashtanga (developed in Mysore, India). Since I’m trying to show that Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to an Ashtanga practice, I knew I had to take a class eventually just to make sure I’m addressing the right things. [Read more…] about New Yoga Obsession: Mysore Ashtanga
