For years, I explored trending yoga styles, started 2 decades ago with the music-led Les Mills BODYBALANCE™ classes to the sweat-dripping intensity of hot yoga to the gravity-defying aerial yoga. But somewhere along the way, something felt ... missing.
Little did I know, the missing piece wasn't a new style, but a whole new approach. Enter Ashtanga Mysore. This traditional practice threw everything I thought I knew about yoga into question.
Don't get me wrong, those classes were fun. But the focus was often on the external - the perfect pose, the trendy transitions. It wasn't until I stumbled into an Ashtanga Mysore class that my perception of yoga, and myself, was shaken to its core.
Ashtanga Mysore is different. It's self-paced, silent, and deeply meditative. At first, it was a shock. It wasn't the intensity – though as someone who adored gentler flows, it was a challenge! It's just me, the mat, and a relentless self-confrontation.
The quiet forced me to confront all the "hidden corners" I'd been ignoring - the self-doubt, limiting thoughts, and buried anxieties. It was like shining a light into the dusty corners of my mind – uncomfortable, yes, but necessary.
The practice became a mirror reflecting everything I didn't want to deal with. It was tempting to push it away, get frustrated, or simply give up. But in this quiet space, I discovered a different path: acceptance.
The more I accepted my shortcomings, the lighter I felt. The surrender I thought I knew turned out to be shallow compared to the complete surrender Ashtanga demanded. It's a constant battle - some days I flow with grace, others the autopilot kicks in and I fall back into old patterns.
This experience has taught me a valuable lesson: growth doesn't always look fun or feel easy. It can be downright challenging, even uncomfortable. Change is hard, but for me, Ashtanga was the catalyst I needed. It's a journey worth taking, one that proves change doesn't always arrive with fanfare – sometimes, the most profound transformations are the quietest ones.
Ashtanga has shown me the true essence of yoga - it's far more than just a physical practice.
This is my story, a reminder that sometimes, the most profound changes come from stepping outside our comfort zone and embracing the unknown. It's a challenging, rewarding journey, and the destination? A deeper understanding of myself, both on and off the mat.
So, if you find yourself yearning for something more in your yoga practice, maybe, just maybe, Ashtanga Mysore awaits.
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