Developing a Home practice Part 15b Visiting a Shala

In the previous post in this series I considered why it had taken me a year and half of practicing Ashtanga to finally decide to visit a shala. In this post I re-present those posts that followed my two visits to the Shala as well as a post from a couple of weeks later where I try to explain why it was that I hadn't been since.

First Visit Sunday, 21 September 2008
'This morning I went to my first Mysore class. Now I've been practicing Ashtanga from books dvd's etc, 6 days a week, for a year and a half but never had a lesson class or workshop. Often thought about it but the longer I didn't go the more apprehensive/uncomfortable I was about going. Settled for the excuse that there wasn't anywhere nearby. I figure I'm not alone in this so for anyone else shala shy here's how it went.

Took the train into London and went to Ashtangayogalondon for Sunday Mysore. Make sure you write down the door number if you go as it's very inconspicuous. Eventually found it after walking up and down Drumond street a couple of times. Buzzed in, met at the door, L, friendly, asked if I knew the series and if I had any injuries and told me to be sure to say if I found an adjustment too much. I guess it's a small Shala, maybe room for 15 to 20 mats. Not much room to change but I'd come with my yoga shorts under my trousers so no problem. I had been concerned about the etiquette for placing my mat but they very cleverly have these little logos all over the floor that you center your mat on. And there was a wall! Each mat is next to a wall, something I'm used to having at home so that made me more comfortable though I didn't need it.

Felt so strange striped down to my shorts walking through the room to put down my mat, but then you start on the oh so familiar Surys and your just in your own world again. Occasionally I would notice that someone would quietly chant before they started their practice. Liked that, nice way to get yourself in the right frame of mind, might learn it this week. I'd thought I would get to see a bit of other peoples practice but I was facing the wall and it didn't feel appropriate to be looking around. Felt like such a lack of pretension, everyone just getting on with their practice. Loved the sound of the breath in the room but it was so hot I found it hard to breathe and my breath was all over the place for most of the session. Had expected it to be hot but not this hot, I've never sweated so much in my life. There were pools of sweat on my mat, half way through I would move back up into downward dog and a stream of sweat would start coming out of my Nike's. I weighed myself later and worked out I'd sweat 3-4 kilo's. Foolishly I'd just taken my sticky mat, next week I'll take the rug or maybe buy a Yoga towel (any advice?).

Adjustments were excellent and if you've only ever practiced at home then this is really why you should go to a Shala. L and R would come around the room and give me a little bit more of a twist here a press on the small of my back there and it made such a difference. The occasional lift and support giving focus and finally a lift in my backbend that was just fantastic. All done calmly, professionally and effectively. Did wonder about the etiquette though. Wanted to say thank you as they adjusted me but felt I should be focusing on my breath and then they had moved on before I could say anything though I managed to thank them before I left.

Got through my practice, Jump backs and Through went well on the whole but then my mat was so sweaty I was just sailing though....no literally sailing "life on the ocean ways" through. After backbends you go into the other room which is cooler and such a relief, Savasana was glorious. And that was that, changed quickly and rushed out into the fresh air thinking about how good a bottle of cold water was going to taste.'



Second Visit Monday, 29 September 2008
'Had my second Mysore class Sunday.This is by way of an update to this post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/thinking-about-going-to-your-first.htmlWas still really hot and I was sweating like crazy again, but better prepared so less embarrassed about it. The microfiber towel worked pretty well. Though if I hadn't ordered a Yogitoes I would have bought another one for finishing. Took along a nice clean fluffy towel for adjustments too which again made me feel a lot better. Could jump back on the Microfiber but gave up on jumping though cleanly and just settled for jumping to sit. Have you noticed on my video's how it takes me a while to get myself set to lift off? That's Ok at home but dont feel comfortable doing that in the Shala so just went straight into it. Probably a good habit to get into.

Made a bit of a hash of my practice, was much more focused last week. All my bad habits came out, forgetting which leg I had started with or starting with the wrong leg, creative breathing, missing out a vinyassa or two. Upavishta konasana to Setu bandhasana was a mess. I think in my home practice I tend to rush through that section, especially on a work day. But it's kind of like fast forwarding through a movie. You get to the next good bit (backbends) but lose the whole pace of the movie. And while that section might not seem as challenging as the Mari's or as dramatic as the Kurma's there's a lot of hip opening and prep necessary for 2nd.Followed Sharath's DVD this morning and going to do that all week to add a little discipline.Amazing adjustments again, Mari D in particular was an eye opener. Been able to just manage it for little while now but Sunday L. just kept turning me further and further into it until I could grasp my wrist rather than just my fingertips. Felt like if she let go my legs would go spinning round and round in cartoon fashion.

Kind of blown away by the whole adjustment thing. Seems so generous. It's one thing to stand at the frount of a room and say do this, do that but to get down on a sweaty mat and help our sweaty bodies into these asanas just seems such a generous selfless act. A big THANK-YOU to all the ashtanga teachers and assistants who do that every morning, your wonderful. '

Owning my practice Tuesday, 7 October 2008
'I went to a Shala for the first time three weeks ago after a year and a half of self-practice (see posts below) and it was great, very beneficial and no doubt just what I needed. I was made aware of some of the physical possibilities of my body through adjustments. Pulled up gently on a couple of asanas I'd missed out and came away with a mental list of things to work on; getting the sequence of the last third of primary right, focusing on the correct sequence of breath, chakrosana etc.

I've been working on all these elements for the last couple of weeks.........thing is, my practice doesn't feel mine anymore. Or less mine.I started practicing Ashtanga alone at home with a book from the library, and then a DVD, more books more DVDs, youtube and the Internet. Asana I thought were impossible for me, for my body have become possible. All the time it's just been me on my mat, alone in a room early each morning, my practice. It's followed my mood and inclination, will, desire, frustration, stubborn determination, whatever.Somehow now, after visiting the Shala, it feels a little like I'm practicing for someone else, my teacher? I need to work on this or that, improve this or that. Those elements to work on didn't come from me, didn't arise in me. Perhaps they should have done and done so a long time ago perhaps some things I might never have noticed on my own. Don't get me wrong I'm so very grateful for the attention, the adjustments, advice, suggestions it's just that each morning this last week it's felt a bit of a chore, my hearts not been in it. I feel more distant from my practice, less involved.

No doubt it will pass and it's just an adjustment but it's strange no? Wondered if anyone else had felt the same. And then I began to wonder if there's something similar when someone changes teachers and if so what that says about the teacher / student relationship ( I used to be a teacher ). And when you go to India, to Mysore does it feel more or less your practice, more Guruji's perhaps, more the traditions practice. Or does it always feel your practice.

Perhaps if you began learning Ashtanga in a Shala it's different. If you give yourself over to a teacher to the tradition it's still your practice but in a different context. For me there was just this style of yoga that appealed to me, that appeared graceful and yet powerful, beautiful, perfect. I looked at it as practiced by John Scott, Doug Swenson, Richard Freeman, Sharath, Lino, Kino. And it's the same practice but each time subtly different and sometimes not so subtle. A personal expression...... there you go, a personal practice. As far as I know they all learnt from teachers and studied in Mysore and yet all have their OWN practice. So perhaps I'm just over reacting and it will pass, I hope so because I know I can gain so much from visiting the Shala and perhaps one day, a trip to mysore. And yet...........?'

That was six months ago and it's only recently that I've begun to think about visiting a Shala again. I think it was about a month ago that I began to consider it, I'd been hearing a lot of good things about Yoga Place in London from other bloggers. I'd also started to consider again the possibility of going to Mysore, plus, while I'd now begun to practice Intermediate, I still wanted to tidy up my Primary. I made a plan to go to a shala in two weeks, in the mean time I would practice along with Sharath's DVD everyday, so as to make sure I wasn't missing anything out this time and just generally iron out some of the kinks.

If you don't have Sharath's DVD I highly recommend it. He has such an economical practice. Nothing fancy, no flourishes, handstands, it's a practice stripped down to the bare bones. I loved it. I've always had busy jump backs, arranging myself just right, preparing to lift up or jump forward etc. Sharath just comes out of a pose folds his legs and jumps back. If it's an asana with a half lotus he just jumps back from half lotus, this was great. I forced myself to follow his count and breath and eliminate all the busyness. I even learnt to Jump back in half lotus and to jump through into some of the asana. My practice felt completely different, tight and flowing. Thoughts of visiting a Shala were forgotten, I was learning new things here at home, my practice was progressing and blossoming, I didn't want to interrupt or redirect the focus of my practice, not for now at least.

So for now I'm happy with my my practice and not in any rush to visit a Shala. I'd still like to go sometime but it's a bit difficult. I can only make it on a Sunday and that's the only day I get to spend with my partner. Perhaps I could go every other Sunday, I know I'd gain such a lot from going, we'll have to see.

Next: Part 16, What's it all about http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2009/05/developing-home-practice-part-16.html