Yogavibes put together this interview with one of the faces of Ashtanga, Kino Macgregor.

Q. Why Ashtanga Yoga? What makes this method of yoga so meaningful or transformational for you?

A. Yoga has the power to transform your whole life. It is a lifelong journey into the inner space of the higher self within each person. Ashtanga Yoga is a traditional, lineage based practice that comes directly from India. I love the traditional nature of the practice because it allows me to surrender to something much bigger than any one person. I met Sri K. Pattabhi Jois when I was twenty-three years old and it changed everything I knew about myself. He represented the true potential of the human spirit and he taught a simple method of yoga that anyone can learn. I’ve devoted the last fourteen years of my life to studying Ashtanga Yoga in India and I now continue my studies with Guruji’s grandson, R. Sharath Jois.

Q. What do you have to say to yogis that are scared and/or intimated by the intensity and discipline of Ashtanga Yoga? How should they approach the practice?

A. Start with something really basic. Do not jump into a complete, fast paced practice. The way that my teacher would work with beginners was to start off with a very short easy practice of the Sun Salutations that takes between five and ten minutes to learn and practice. Many people dive head first into yoga and get overwhelmed with the intensity and the discipline. Beginners should just enjoy being beginners and take it easy, have fun and enjoy their practice. Don’t worry about doing it every day, start off with a modest goal of doing yoga three times a week, and then let yoga inspire you to do more.

Q. Does boredom ever strike in your personal practice? If so, how do you keep on keepin’ on?

A. The journey in yoga is as infinite as the human spirit so there are always new depths and new experiences waiting through the vehicle of the practice. That being said, I’ve been through many periods of boredom where I felt like I was circling an endless plateau. What I’ve found is that periods of boredom – where it seems like you are making no progress or even sliding backwards – are actually periods of deep integration. Whatever I’m experiencing, I do my best to just give it space to be, so if I’m bored I just be aware that I’m bored and keep practicing.

Read more about Kino and Ashtanga

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The Connection Between Ashtanga Yoga Student and Teacher

I had the fortune of being an Ashtanga Yoga student at Jois Yoga in Greenwich before it closed recently. Two aspects that stood out at Jois were:

• Universal respect for the traditional yoga practice
• High degree of respect/reverence for the teachers

Sarath and Saraswathi Jois at Jois Yoga in Greenwich, CT

Most of the practitioners I befriended seemed to be extremely dedicated and well read. They followed Krishnamacharya/Pattabhi Jois guidelines such as:

• Practice Mysore Style Ashtanga each day (ideally first thing in the AM) with practice beginning at the same time each day
• Practice asana every day except Saturdays
• Follow the eight limbed path, live by the yamas and niyamas
• Teacher Led Ashtanga Primary Series on Fridays
• No asana practice on Full Moon or New Moon Days (click here to find out why)
• Practice mostly with one teacher and form an intimate student/teacher bond

The final bullet point on the list stood out to me the most. One of the students made a gift in the form of a Sanskrit mantra on a slab of wood for her teacher.

The Sanskrit yoga mantra translates to read:

Let us together be protected

Let us together be nourished and blessed

Let us together join our mental forces in strength for the benefit of all

Let our efforts be luminous and joyful

May there be no discord between us

Let there be peace in all realms

This mantra comes from the Jois family and is featured in Sharath Jois’ book (see book review here). This gift from student to teacher speaks volumes to the impact that the teacher has had on her life.

It’s a touching piece that beautifully articulates the importance of a harmonious relationship between the student and the teacher. The mantra also speaks to peace (in the final line) in a broader context, which I think is a beautiful intention. If you identify with this mantra, you’ll probably enjoy this version of the Ashtanga Yoga Opening Mantra.

If there’s been an important yoga teacher that you’ve had in your life, consider reaching out to him or her and express your feelings. A gesture like this can go a long way.

Has there been a specific teacher in your life who has had a profound impact on you? We’d love to hear your story 🙂

Many yogis are hesitating doing a self practice and finds the mysore style a bit scary, why do you think that is?

Releasing control and letting go to the process isn’t always the easiest thing to step into, but can definitely be rewarding. I think for many there is an intimidation factor with being in a room where people are practicing at their own pace from memory, and it can feel daunting. I always urge students not to let that stop them from trying it. It is in Mysore class where you learn the practice, so not knowing anything on your first day is perfectly and absolutely where you should be. Jokingly, I often tell those who are hesitant to try Mysore class, because of various excuses, that if they have air in their lungs, then they are the perfect candidate to get started. My job as a teacher is to meet the student where they are now, and assist them in learning the practice in a way that suits them. It is as simple as that. Yes, a breathing individual is the bare minimum requirement, but a dose of courage never hurts.

Beyond that, I have observed, time and time again, as students begin to apply the principles of the practice, they in turn, find a new found strength within themselves, as they venture forward and face obstacles presented head on. Yes, it may feel scary in the beginning, but with consistent practice I’ve seen miracles unfold and when we embrace our fears there is no amount of confidence that can be acquired when doing just that. Encountering the unknown and opening up to our inherent potential is much more then simply bending the body. It is within the daily discipline that this potential awakens as it points us to a more fulfilling place than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

About Laruga:

Hello! My name is Laruga. I think it’s pretty obvious I have a passion for Ashtanga yoga. Above all, I guess you can say, I’m a truth seeker. Always have been, probably always will be. Precocious as a child, I have nourished my curiosity into adulthood. A constant gnawing from the inside, somehow I’ve always known there was more to life than meets the eye. I’ve been a practitioner of yoga for over 18 years, including 15 years of daily Ashtanga yoga practice.

Check out more of the interview — here. 

Image via PeaceLoveYoga

We profiled a Tim Miller Lecture video two weeks ago.

Today,  I wanted to highlight Tim’s weekly blog post, Tuesdays with Timji. I thought that it was a real post, and to see that Tim Miller, a yoga teacher who knows a lot more than a lot of us about the practice, even struggles to get people to class from time to time is real. I look forward to practicing at his studio one day.

For the past 25 years I have been teaching an Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga class every Monday at 5:30pm.  This class began when we opened the North County Yoga Center in 1988 as my attempt to initiate beginners into a practice that is very challenging on many levels simultaneously.  Over the years I have attempted to present the practice in a user- friendly format, but if the practice is watered down too much it loses its primal potency.  When I took my first ashtanga yoga class in 1978 I knew that I had found the way home—the way back to my own Soul.  There was something so deeply resonant and familiar about the practice—it was like rediscovering a long lost friend.  That first yoga class changed the course of my life and the same practice continues to keep me sane to this very day.  I had the good fortune to meet K. Pattabhi Jois, Guruji, in 1978.  Over the next 30 years we developed a close relationship and he taught me many helpful and liberating things.  Guruji learned from the great master T. Krishnamacharya, who had been taught by the legendary yogi in the cave in the Himalayas, Sri Rama Mohan Brahmachari.  These three gurus collectively form a brain trust of some of the most learned and insightful yogis of the past century.  They have been extremely instrumental in regards to creating the current trends of practice.  Krishnamacharya said that the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is the single most important yogic text, and the one that most influenced his methodology of practice.  In the Monday night class I always introduce a couple of yoga sutras and try to connect the philosophy of Patanjali with the methodology of ashtanga yoga.  A common theme in the class is the breath, because breathing is the core of the practice.  I teach simple techniques for making the breath audible (ujjayi) to help us become more mindful of the act of breathing and begin to quiet the mind.  Once the students become mindful of their breath, we explore the connection between breath and movement with simple movements that are initiated and guided by the breath.  Gradually the level of vinyasa (breath with movement) is built up as a preparation for Suryanamaskara.  Now the students are ready to be cooked in the fire of Tapas—the Sacred Fire.  Patanjali says:  “Kaya indriya siddhi ashudhi kshayat tapasah”–The sacred fire removes impurities and brings mastery to the body and the sense organs.”  Tapas brings us back to our senses, and ashtanga yoga kindles the Sacred Fire like nothing else I’ve ever done.  Many people say that this practice is inappropriate for beginners.  They may be right.

Over the years the Monday night class has waxed and waned in terms of popularity, from as many as 50 students to the all time low of 2 students that I’ve had the past two Mondays.  I try not to take this personally, but everyone wants to feel appreciated, so my self-esteem has suffered a bit.  Desperate situations require desperate solutions.  My wife, Carol, and I have decided that beginning on Monday October 7^th, we will offer the Monday Night Class to the community on a donation basis, resurrecting the sacred box that served me so well over many years of operation on the honor system.  When I first started practicing, a yoga class cost two dollars.  Over the years classes have gotten pricey, which has excluded part of the population.  Money no longer needs to be an issue.  Perhaps the practice itself is the issue—yes, it’s challenging, but also very rewarding.  Maybe it’s me—heaven forbid.  I know there are people all over San Diego County that shake in their boots at the mention of my name, and think it takes great courage just to set foot in the Ashtanga Yoga Center.  Let me set the record straight on that—I’m a pussycat.   

“In this modern world, everything is instant. No one has patience. Everyone wants to have [everything] as soon as possible. In yoga also it has become like that. Many places you go, they certify you in 15 days, one month. Always someone who’s coming to India, they think, “Oh, I’ll be here for one month, I should get a certificate that I’m studying here.” We get many phone calls. Last week also there were three phone calls, one from Delhi, one from England, another from America. Straight away they said “Oh, do you have teacher training.” Yoga is getting big but it is getting crazy also. It’s not that yoga is crazy. People are making it crazy. They’re not understanding the sense of yoga, the purity of yoga. A yoga teacher should always maintain the purity of the practice.

You know when I was a child, whenever I used to see a Chinese or a Japanese, I thought they knew Karate. We used to stay away from them because we thought they knew Karate. Because we had been to see ‘Enter the Dragon,’ the Bruce Lee movie. Then there was no television or anything, the only entertainment was to go to a theater and watch a movie. So, we watched that movie, and we thought every Chinese, Japanese knows martial arts. So he can beat us up, so stay away from them. And now [the] same thing has happened to yoga. Whoever looks like an Indian, if he is dressed in a saffron, or even a lungi (traditional South Indian dress), he becomes a yogī. Many yogīs are sprouting up everywhere. Why I’m saying this is, for a practitioner [of yoga] it is very important to choose your teacher. A teacher who can guide you properly. A teacher who knows, who has been practicing for many years, who has come from a lineage. That is very important.”

-R Sharath Jois (January 2012, Mysore Conference)

What is Satya?

In English, the Sanskrit word Satya is translated to mean “truth.” Satya is one of the Yamas from the Yamas and Niyamas that Patanjali passed down in Yoga Sutras (arguably the most important yogic text).

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The Yamas and Niyamas can be best simplified as ten guidelines to purifying life and becoming a better person.

What does truth or Satya mean in the context of the Yamas and Niyamas?

Satya and Truth

Satya is honesty in all facets of your life. Honest behavior with honest thoughts and honest intentions. Satya will help guide us to true speech.

Thanks to Francisco Bjuan for the drawing!

Satya and Ego

Satya is an ego reducer. When you are living by the Yama of Satya you will not lie for social gain or social kudos.

While using Satya, we have to be mindful of the first Yama, Ahimsa, or non-violence. Ahimsa tells us that it is not always desirable to speak the truth on all occasions, for it could harm someone unnecessarily. We consider what we say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others. If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing.

Why Do People Lie?

Rory taught us that if we lie, we are lying because we cannot be true with ourselves. We want ourselves to look better, feel better, and create our own virtual reality. Satya tells us that we need to ask ourselves why we are we lying. Do we have an ego that wants to be amassed with crap and be congratulated or do we want to be free and truthful? Rory said if we lie, we are lying straight to God. Our karma would be affected.

Conclusion

Satya, the Yamas and Niyamas, and yoga guide us to freedom…. to mental emancipation.

The reality is the truth is not always easy to face. Sometimes, the truths that we most need to recognize are the very same terrifying and painful truths that we are subconsciously working to ignore.

Acting in truth can require incredible courage and faith, but, from practicing Satya, I know that it can change our lives. Family will trust you, friends will trust you, and strangers will trust you. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali it is written, “When one is firmly established in speaking truth, the fruits of action become subservient to him.”

How do you practice Satya and Truth?

What is Ahimsa? How Can One Practice Ahimsa?

This post is all about answering the question, “What is Ahimsa?” In a previous post, we explained that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras specified 8 limbs of yoga with the first limb being the yamas. Within the yamas, there are 5 different principles. The principle we will focus on today is Ahimsa.

Literal Translation of Ahimsa

The literal translation of the Sanksrit word Ahimsa is nonviolence. In other words: do not harm anything.

What is Ahimsa? Practicing Ahimsa Outwardly

The principle applies to physical harm and verbal harm of all creatures (yes, even insects.) As a former college football player, when people see me practicing “catch and release” with the smallest bugs and insects, their reactions are priceless. When I explain Ahimsa as the basis of my rationale, some laugh, some become curious, some say, “you’ve got to be kidding me,” and some even get angry (which is quite ironic.)

What is Ahimsa? Practicing Ahimsa Internally

Ahimsa also teaches us to be nonviolent in thought. In fact, if you even think about punching someone in the face, it’s just as bad as doing it.

The practice of Ahimsa teaches us to be non+violent internally. Avoid beating yourself up on the inside. For example, if you’re meditating and find your mind wandering towards the past or the future, do you curse yourself and get angry for straying from your practice? Or do you practice Ahimsa and patiently guide your mind back to the present moment?

Examples of Ahimsa in Our Lives

How many times have you heard someone belittle someone else or themselves? “Oh, I’m such a idiot,” is a phrase that’s used too commonly. Ahimsa teaches us to not be so hard on ourselves.

A negative thought is a violent thought. People find it easy to speak negatively, it is the point of least resistance for them. In a previous post, we touched on how people belittle others behind their backs. The practice of Ahimsa tells us that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are attractive alternatives described in this post.

What is Ahimsa? Ahimsa During Asana

Ahimsa can also be seen as a guide in your Asana practice. Do you let your ego get in the way by getting frustrated when you can’t hold a certain arm balance? Or do you patiently accept where you’re at in your practice? Don’t push past your body’s limit, honor where your body is, avoid injury.

Perhaps you recently started practicing yoga and notice that you usually have a “good feeling” after Asana practice. If you want to carry that good feeling off of the mat, start by practicing Ahimsa.

Quotes about Ahimsa

“The yogi sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings and therefore opposes violence and loses all fear. The yogi is stern with himself when dealing with his own faults but gentle with the faults of others.” ~B.K.S Iyengar

“Practice of asanas without the backing of Yama and Niyama is mere acrobatics.” ~B.K.S Iyengar

How do you practice yoga off the mat? Do you stick to the principles of Ahimsa?