My journey into the world of Ashtanga Yoga

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
I got introduced to Ashtanga Yoga about a year ago and quite by chance. At that point of time, I was 2 years into being a reasonably regular yoga practitioner at a popular, local yoga studio and I enjoyed turning up at the studio every single time. All of a sudden, my Yoga studio shut down and I couldn’t imagine a life without Yoga as by then, I had integrated it into my life. That’s when one of my then Yoga instructors suggested that I look at pursuing Ashtanga Yoga (I keep thanking her for that). Till then, I had no clue what Ashtanga Yoga was all about—I assumed it was another style of Yoga with some variations of asanas I was familiar with. 

So, in I walked into my 1^st class on July 31, 2017 and a year later, here is who I am- a very different me, a better me. I wasn’t prepared for or aware of what the world of Ashtanga held and the wondrous wealth contained in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. I know what I have discovered is perhaps not even the tip of the iceberg. Considering I am just a year old in the world of Ashtanga Yoga, I am a novice. But I am certainly a more enriched person today than what I was a year ago.  

This blog isn’t about making things look rosy and hunky-dory.  I often encounter challenges with my fluctuating mind and feelings of despondency. But what’s important is that I now have a dependable framework to rely on to move forward in life.

Here are some of my experiences with Ashtanga Yoga–some serious and some funny.

1. Morning Joy: I magically turned into a morning person almost overnight. I was in between jobs when I started Ashtanga Yoga and wanted to utilize my mornings as I didn’t know how my evenings would be with my new job. All my life till then, I had struggled to wake up early and had believed myself to be a night owl. Ashtanga Yoga turned my lethargy and dread of early mornings into eager anticipation.
2. Stomach Condition: All through my childhood, adolescence and adult life, I had battled with stomach conditions that were a result of irregular lifestyle habits. Early morning Ashtanga Yoga practice literally eliminated this health challenge, and this has been the biggest gift of Ashtanga Yoga to me. I now understand that Ayurveda and medical science have an explanation of how our digestive systems work best between 4.00-6.00 am and that explains my healing.
3. Self-awareness: I discovered and continue to discover things about my body & mind that I wasn’t/am not aware of. The structure and nature of Ashtanga Yoga is such that it automatically, gradually and naturally makes you look inwards, observe elements about your body, breath and mind. This has been helping me at multiple levels. The ritual of rolling out and rolling up the mat is akin to a prayer for me.
4. Patience: I realized that trying to compete with others around me or with myself is foolhardy. Yes, there is a bit of envy and lots of admiration! 😊 And not that I do not have moments or days of restlessness when I find myself stuck in a certain phase but then, it doesn't take long to be reminded that it is foolish to be impatient. An injury kept me off the mat for a couple of months earlier this year. But I surprised myself by being remarkably OK with the situation and patiently waited for the time to return to the mat. My body knows better and I better not work against it! I am where I am supposed to be. 😊
5.  Discipline: Ashtanga Yoga has brought in a certain level of discipline in me -both on & off the mat. I don’t argue or negotiate with my mind anymore when the alarm rings in the morning. On certain mornings if I struggle to wake up early, it isn’t out of laziness. It is because my body asks to be rested and I have learnt to listen to it. That to me, is a very significant change.
6. Food Habits: What I eat, when I eat and how much I eat at dinner determines the quality of my practice the next morning. Ashtanga Yoga led me to explore healthier ways of eating.
7. Skin: Practice of Ashtanga Yoga flushes out tons of toxins from the body through excessive sweating and the result of that was very perceptible in the way my skin turned from being excessively dry to being moist and soft with very little dependency on moisturizers.
8. Fringe Benefits:  I have contributed a fair bit to the prosperity of the Yoga accessory and clothing industry. 😊 Yoga mats, towels and clothing-- each accessory aided my growth and progress in asanas. As I advanced from Suryanamaskar, to Padangushtasana, to Marichiasana D and to Garbha Pindasana, my yoga wardrobe kept getting modified to help me with the asanas. I now welcome Yoga wear & gear as gifts. 😊
9.  Yoga Sutra: Ashtanga Yoga introduced me to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and the vast treasure of knowledge and wisdom that is beautifully woven into it. I have begun to understand bit by bit that this brilliant treatise is a powerful barometer that serves as an anchor as well as a navigation tool in the journey of self-development and discovery. I have re-discovered the power of chanting through this.
10. Friendships: Ashtanga Yoga has brought in laughter, cheer and new friendships into my life. Friendships that give me a sense of kinship. I cherish the community that I am now a part of and hope these will be lasting friendships.

Lastly and most importantly, I believe that no learning can be fulfilling without a sound teacher and guide. I am very grateful to my Ashtanga Yoga guide, Nitesh Batra, whose calm, kind, gentle and infinitely patient ways of teaching keeps me grounded. If it were not for his holistic teaching approaches that urge us to look beyond the physical aspects of Yoga, I would have ended up pursuing Ashtanga Yoga as a mere physical exercise. I have a very long way to go. But I also know that I have come a very long way in this past year.