Ashtanga Yoga is easily the most challenging yoga practice I have partaken in thus far. On October 15th, Dr. Greene brought in husband and wife duo Andrew and Mila Eppler to show us the ropes, with Andrew teaching and Mila demonstrating each step of the First Primary Series. Before beginning, Andrew showcased a video featuring Dr. TRS Sharma, who was in fact the boy the legendary Krishnamacharya was standing on in the famous Mysore demonstration photo. In the video, Sharma notes that he felt like he was going to collapse under the pressure, yet nothing happened; and ultimately, he felt good subsequent to Krishnamacharya’s act, which is as much of a relief as it is a surprise. The picture itself looks painful, but the traditions stemming from Mysore, India, and the father of modern yoga’s disciples are rich in pain as a means of perseverance (or in other words, mastery of physical practice as a gateway to internal enlightenment).
Ashtanga Yoga is arguably a prime example of this, as the primary series which progresses from one through six is challenging from the get-go, even though it does not appear that difficult on paper. It was originally only four parts, I believe, but almost no one could make it to the final one when it was in this format, and I shall later explain my thoughts on why.
Ashtanga Yoga, credited in the modern world and refined by the late K. Pattabhi Jois, features mantras at the beginning and end of practice, Sun Salutations, Fundamental Positions, Finishing Sequences, and in the middle of that, the Primary Series — whichever one you are on. Typically, as evidenced by the documentary Ashtanga, NY, you don’t move on from one asana to another until the instructor directs you to, as is the case with any Mysore based class. For the purpose of our class, however, we went at our own pace and decided for ourselves what asanas we could attempt and which ones we should stop and observe.
The Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskara), sets A and B, are not difficult by themselves; but the rhythm of them is. To do them properly, the timing must be perfect. Beginning in Tadasana, I lifted my arms straight up, then walked forward and bent over, touching my heels. Subsequently, I jumped into a low push up, lowering into Upward Facing Dog, then down into Downward Facing Dog, before coming back to my original stance. This is Sun Salutation Set A. Set B is similar, except it throws in Warrior I Pose after Downward Facing Dog. Again, though these asanas separately are relatively easy, thrown together in a timed rhythm they become much more difficult, as a simple misstep will throw off the entire vinyasa.
In-between each of the postures, the vinyasa setup of Set A is present and serves as the transition from asana to asana. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on six asanas — 2 standing, 2 seated, and 2 from the finishing sequence — and the reasons that they stood out to me over the course of this intense physical and mental practice. First, I must speak to the mantra that we opened with as Andrew, in a voice that was clear and powerful, chanted “Om, vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde sandarśita svātma sukhāva bodhe, niḥ-śreyase jaṅgali-kāyamāne saṁsāra hālāhala moha-śāntyai, ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ śankha - cakr - āsi dhāriṇam, sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ praṇamāmi patañjalim.”
This began our practice, and we knew to focus as we moved on into Surya Namaskara, before jumping into the First Primary Series. The first asana that struck me in its ability to both induce and relieve tension was Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. Standing in Tadasana, I put my left arm on my left hip and lifted my right leg straight up, grasping my right big toe with my right hand as I extended the attached arm. I then moved my right leg and arm to my right side instead of in front of me, and here I lost balance and had to restart. Upon re-entering the second step of the asana, I moved back to my original position and placed both hands on my hips, extending only my right leg out. This asana stretched both my inner and outer thigh muscles, creating a deep tension in both standing and lifted legs as I struggled to maintain balance. This struggle informed my breath, as it was difficult to keep my pranayama even when I felt as if the strain of the asana was going to cause me to run out of it.
Immediately after, I entered Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana. In this asana, I started out in Vrikshasana, my right foot inside my inner left thigh. Then, I placed my right hand behind my back and bent over, my left hand touching the floor and left leg rooted firmly in the ground, the four-corner teaching from our Iyengar practice serving me well in this balancing act. The stretch that occurred in my lower back was unbelievable; I have a lot of tension in my back from day to day activities, and asanas that engage both my back and upper legs tend to create immense relief for me. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana accomplishes this quickly and effectively, earning the title of my favorite standing asana.
Moving on to the seated postures, Navasana was also one of the simplest yet effective asanas. Lifting both legs up in a V shape and as I extended my arms straight out in front so that they met on either side of my knees, the muscles in my thighs and arms strained to keep still, causing my body to shake as I waited for relief. We repeated this asana a couple of times, the movement causing relaxation and strain as we recovered our breath and then held the position again. This effectiveness carried into many of the other asanas that involved bending at an angle and then twisting our arms in a way that was almost pretzel like, but no other asana was as effective in capturing the brilliance of Navasana as Supta Konasa. In Supta Konasa, we spread our legs wide and gripped our toes before rolling back onto the floor, still holding the position and keeping our buttocks in line with our lower back, while maintaining a careful hold of our heads. Then, we rolled forward, stretching our backs over our legs and lowering it into the ground, all while maintaining that same hold on our toes, arms aligned across either leg. Extraordinarily powerful, Supta Konasa left no room for overthinking, as the rolling motion must be done swiftly in time with your breath. This asana was the one that cemented the pranayama asana relationship for me in terms of Ashtanga Yoga, and for that reason it is the one I credit with teaching me the most.
For the Finishing Sequence, Sarvangasana and Uttana Padasana left lasting impressions. Uttana Padasana is similar to Navasana, but instead of sitting up, my head was tilted back on the floor in line with my buttocks as my legs and arms extended into the air in parallel lines. Once again, the power of this asana is immense, and it left me feeling energized and elated. Sarvangasana, on the other hand, is an asana that could be seen as a lead in for Sirsasana, which is when you literally do a headstand. I was uncomfortable attempting the latter without an instructor in my physical presence, but I was able to do Sarvangasana without too much of a problem. My head was flush against the floor, the rest of my body lifted up and supported by my hands, my elbows resting on the floor allowing for support of my head and shoulders as well. Challenging though it was, I was proud of my efforts and felt great subsequent to holding the asana for as long as Mila did.
To end the sequence, while in Savasana Andrew chanted the closing mantra: “Om, svasti-prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṁ nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ, go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham-astu nityaṁ lokā-samastā sukhino-bhavaṁtu.”
Going back to my initial comment on difficulty, I will say Ashtanga Yoga is a difficult and demanding practice. This was only Series 1, and I was sweating like I had not worked out in years, my blood boiling and my thoughts racing as I struggled to keep up. One of the finishing sequences is a headstand, something most beginners probably can’t begin to imagine completing. Thinking of how challenging the sequences that build upon this one are, one can clearly recognize why they were separated into more categories in the first place – for how is one to progress if their goal is utterly unattainable?
That said, I would love to be able to one day commit myself to learning and mastering the First Primary Series. Andrew is very passionate about the subject, and Mila was graceful and focused in her execution of it. To be able to do this practice so seamlessly would be a phenomenal feat. Additionally, being able to ask Andrew questions at the end of the practice was an immense honor, as this is a man who has over three decades of experience in teaching and practicing Ashtanga Yoga.
Speaking of which, we learned that Andrew has been practicing since he was 14 years old, with his father. He credits his dad for teaching him how to be disciplined and dedicated, noting that he was never forced into doing yoga, but rather that it was a way for him to spend time with his dad and build upon their relationship, resulting in a positive learning environment. In terms of teaching, Andrew says that the most important part of it is “keeping it up yourself.” It takes decades to develop an approach, and ultimately students end up being the greatest teachers, because they help their teachers evolve and grow. If they become stagnant in their learning, their teaching methods will grow stale and weak, becoming “crap” instead of being “authentic and sincere.” The greatest benefit of teaching, ultimately, is as Andrew puts it “see[ing] the benefits of yoga in our students.” Watching the impact yoga has on their lives makes those decades of commitment worth it, and it is truly amazing to have had the chance to learn from someone who, like Dr. Greene, absolutely loves yoga.
Having experienced this in a virtual setting, I at first felt like I was missing that pivotal sense of community that is often talked about when people speak of Ashtanga Yoga. However, upon seeing Dr. Greene and my classmates doing the asanas – one of my classmates nailing every single pose, another tripping and then getting back up – and then myself, reflected in my own tiny square, I knew I was not alone in my practice space. We were all doing this at the same time, exploring a completely different side of our physical capabilities amongst a distinguished, highly respected instructor that we never would have learned from if this class was not virtual. From that moment on, I knew I was not by myself; and though nervous about looking like an idiot, I was doing my best, as was the rest of my community. It was the first time I felt that way about my practices, and I hope it won’t be the last.
Until the Next Reflection,
Moujnir
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