Santorini : First led Ashtanga and practicing on the beach at sunrise

First led Ashtanga class ever with Antonia at Tranquilo

So I've only ever been to a shala twice for Ashtanga Mysore self practice, that would be at AYL, Ashtanga yoga London a few years back, excellent place. It's awkward for me to get there, possible but awkward and I decided early on that I just preferred home practice.

In Santorini though I was told about this

Hatha & Ashtanga?
I think because you never know who has and hasn't heard of Ashtanga or what level of practice anyone coming might have. As well as a few who live and work on the island your going to get people passing through on holiday who can only come for a session or two.

This was held in a very chilled place called Tranquillo's down by Perissa beach (black sand) owned by Kylie who managed to get the wonderful Antonia to come and teach three mornings a week, notice it used to be two, it's growing.

There were around ten or twelve there on the Wednesday I went and Antonia ran out of mats, ended up lending out my Prolite and trying to practice on my equal towel (note to self : don't ever try jumping through on sliding around yoga towel again). Friday I think there were sixteen though Antonia brought along more mats this time. Love that words getting around and you can imagine in a year or so they should have a steady core group that may allow for six day a week mysore self practice as well as the led.

Over on the right of the picture below is where we practiced, moving the tables and chairs to the side of the room

And here's the view

...and me heading to my first ever led Ashtanga class

So how did it go? It was fun, basically we worked through standing and finishing, including paschimottanasana and urdhva danhurasana, skipped headstands. It was hard actually, I was one of the more 'experienced' so knew the postures and what was coming next. I'd get into the posture and then be standing there while Antonia worked the room, felt like an hour and a half in utthita eka padasana.
Some nice adjustments, Antonia knew her stuff, felt safe in her hands, firm but gentle adjustments but then what do I know, this was only the third time I'd ever been adjusted. Let me think, she had me bring my stance in a little in prasaritta C and and still took my hands to the floor. Parsvottanasana she whispered "you can go deeper" which was true but practicing at home I tend to work in deeper over a couple of breaths.  In Ardha baddha padmottasana I felt her fingers run down my left thigh as she passed, reminding me to point my thigh down more (left is the dodgy leg with the old knee ops, I'm lazy with it sometimes). Oh and upward facing dog, she did that bring the shoulders back adjustment I've seen in videos, liked that.

I enjoyed it, if there was a shala close by I'd probably try and go once a week or so for the reminders, practising at home there are always a mass of things that can do with tidying up.

I didn't go again, though I'd planned on going Friday, took my mat down to the beach to watch the sun come up and do my pranayama practice there but it was so beautiful I ended up doing Primary there on the beach instead then went for a swim and back home for pranayama.

Another first, practicing outside, on the beach and with the sun coming up.
The videos below are taken just in front of Tranquilo's I cheekily borrowed their decking





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