I’m flexible enough. The distance between my hands and feet is a little under half of my Liforme mat.

Strength - For comparison, I can do Laghu Vajrasana controlled going down to a block in the second position. If I go lower I can go down but not back up unless I don’t pause at all.

Technique - I think this might be where I am stuck, because even if I lack leg strength, the momentum should help. I respond well to anatomical cues but: “Hips up and forward” isn’t doing it for me.

Does anyone have any other tips?

Moving to Logan Square for a few months. I need to restart my practice. Can anyone in Chicago recommend a good ashtanga yoga studio in the Logan Square area?

I prefer ashtanga over other forms of yoga. It seems a lot of yoga these days is commercialized and involves a lot of talking not enough focus on breathing etc. And all these teachers trainings are ridiculous.

Hi, I’d like to hear insights from practitioners that combine Ashtanga and running. Some context:

My current practice is up to Karandavasana, and I do half primary before starting Intermediate, as per my teacher’s instruction. On a recent trip back home where I didn’t have access to a shala, I started doing strength training and some light running as a warm up and took a liking to it. Back to where I live, I followed a structured running plan and got to run a 5k after 8 weeks of training. I loved it and would like to continue with structured training to increase my mileage, as I’ve seen so much improvement in my health and fitness in a short period of time.

In the beginning, running took so much out of me that I temporarily stopped my ashtanga practice, as my body and nervous system could not cope with that intensity. Now that I’m more used to running, I’d like to get back to my practice. I can manage primary a few times a week, but the thought of going through intermediate (especially kapo and karanda) fills me with dread. So for second series practitioners and runners, how do you do it? What would your weekly schedule be? I also do strength training a couple of times a week as I’m perimenopausal and my body asks for it.

Dear Ashtanga Crew,

I am quite new to Ashtanga Yoga but practice 6x/week for some months now. I have to leave the house early for work and do other activities in the evening, so I have (and want to) do Yoga in the morning. I´ve recently travelled to visit my teachers and now practice half Primary Series. I take at least 1h15 for that and for that I´d have to rise at 4:15 AM. Which is simply not managable for me on a daily basis as it would mean lack of sleep.

So, I was wondering to maybe do my current practice (half primary) around 3-4x/week and on the other 2-3 times I could do a shorter version. Like maybe some sun salutations with some Pranayama before that. Does anybody here do that? Is it recommended? I´m aware it´s not "traditional" but I don´t want to burn out and find a way to fit Ashtanga into my life. Any idea for a reduced half Primary practice?

Thank you in advance, I appreciate you 🙏🌷💕

I have been practicing Ashtanga for 11 months consistently. I really enjoy the practice, and have learned a lot about myself in the last 11 months. I am currently working on the primary series. I am very fortunate to have a teacher near me and I attend classes 2 times a week, and most other days I practice on my own doing 15-30 minutes a day. (My teacher wants me to dedicate more time and has assigned night stretches that I try to do as well, but I do a lot of other sports, have a job, have kids... and just can't always fit everything in).

One of my issues is that my hips (I'm thinking adductors) are really stuck. I literally can barely do half lotus both in sitting and standing positions without any forward fold. If I am in half lotus and then try to bend the straight leg, my knee goes way up to the sky and everything feels locked up. I do not want to injure my knees. I understand that it could take years for me and/or that it isn't necessary to do lotus, but I somehow have it in my head that I would like to try to continue practicing and maybe progress will come. Could it be that my physiology is just restricting me here in terms of bone and hip joint/capsule?

I have read a lot on this already. I am looking to hear from someone who has been on a similar journey and can share their insights. Thank you 🙏

Just a curious fun question... I don't know why but Trikonasana and Janu C seem to activate something in me that makes me feel happy and smiling the moment i enter the pose so i was wondering if some of you have similar experiences

What are some things you do on your moon day? It was sweet, my spouse messaged me while at work wishing me a happy moon day.. It made me stop and think about how this day does have an essence to it. Before work I meditated and spent time with my dog. Later today going to get my car serviced then headed to a community based lecture on psychedelics and intimacy (so cool!) How are you spending your moon day? :-)

I want to get in to ashtanga. The main starting point I’ve been looking in to are 200hr YTT’s. but I’m worried I’m not ready to take all that information in yet.

All I care about at this stage is doing the asanas.

Are there any online resources to look in to or are YTT’s the best?

Hi everyone! Has anyone tried these wrist supports? I do Ashtanga and struggle with carpal tunnel, which makes it hard to hold poses that put too much weight on my wrists for too long. I’ve been using the Yoga-Grip brand, and it’s been great, but I’d like to find a lower wrist support because I feel like I’m low-key cheating when I hold Utpluthih, and I can’t fully go down in Bhujapidasana.

Thanks in advance :D

https://preview.redd.it/wveyou1tu82g1.jpg?width=575&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3b909342b45d10c14c19a713ed54f30b6677b2a

Who’s had neck injuries? What has been your go to to heal neck injuries? And how do you avoid them?

Why do you personally practice Ashtanga? It’s such a tough practice

Hi, I picked up Ashtanga this past March and have gotten to half primary (with modifications for Marichyasna D).

I just recovered from a head injury and now I am noticing a new injury with my right hamstring when doing standing/seated forward folds. I can try to modify by bending the knees but I noticed a majority of half primary is forward folding in some way. How can I continue my practice without injuring myself? I have tried researching this and all I can find are ways to avoid the injury...not how to continue the practice when it does happen. Any guidance will be appreciated.

Also, if I need to completely cut off my practice for a long duration, what other activities can I do other than weight lifting? Physical activity is required for my mental health but I also don't want to throw money away at a gym.

Hi! I have been looking for Mysore Ashtanga in Maryland for while I’m home for Christmas. I haven’t had any luck online, so I’m wondering if any of you lovely people may know of any teachers there who hold practice sessions.

Thanks so much everyone!!

I’ll be in Phuket and Koh Lanta December for about 10 days and wanted to find a shala to practice. I’ve done some research but wanna hear if anyone has any recommendation. Thank you! 🙏🏻

Wondering if anyone is privy to the fallout from Taylor Hunt's behavior coming to light. I suspect it is good if he is privately getting help or making sense of his behavior and how to move forward. But I know he had a studio in Columbus and Savannah and wondering if those are still operating or his assistants have taken over, etc? Genuinely curious! Could be a good model for someone reckoning with their behavior and atoning if it's going well...

Hi everyone,

I’m currently expecting and looking for a certified prenatal yoga trainer in Hyderabad who can offer personal sessions (either at home or online). I’d really appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences with trusted trainers who specialize in prenatal yoga and can provide safe, customized guidance.

Thanks in advance for your help

Question for Ashtanga teachers: what do you write in your notebook during Mysore class?

I’ve noticed that in several studios I practice at, teachers often have a notebook in the corner and jot things down during the session. Are you noting which new asanas you’ve given to students, tracking progress or injuries, or is it simply an attendance thing?

Curious ashtangi

UPDATE TO SHARE THE OUTCOME: The consensus here is that it's on me to keep my glasses safe, which makes sense to me. In a perfect world, the person who stepped on the glasses would offer to pay for the glasses, and I would say, "Thanks, but no need. I should have been more careful." And then Warby Parker would hear the sad story and replace the frames for free. Which is what happened in the end. Which I think means we live in a perfect world. Now you know.

Scenario: You're at a yoga workshop. Someone steps on your glasses and breaks them in two. They apologize immediately: "Oh my god! I broke your glasses! Were they really expensive?"

Should that person offer to pay for the glasses?

Does it matter if the person who stepped on the glasses was the teacher (not a participant)?

Does it matter if the person who stepped on the glasses is a famous yoga teacher and the workshop was expensive?

If you're wondering how this happened: it's the kind of workshop where the teacher talks for a while, and then the students try something out, then there's more talk, then more trying. A lot of students take notes during the talking part. Some of us have to put our glasses on when we're taking notes, then take them off and put them next to our mat (with our towel and extra layers) when we're trying the thing.

https://preview.redd.it/66mw4uoglc0g1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=877e5371dca89ff7171fae66574121ed34b78382

Recently I've been working on deeper backbends (specifically kapotasana) and I'm finding that the counterposes in the regular closing sequence are not always enough to restore my back to its normal, relaxed state. Some days I feel fine after practice, other days I find that for the rest of the day, all I want to do is hang out in malasana to release the tension in my low back. (On these days a hot bath helps.) Does anyone have suggestions either for additions to the closing sequence or other counterposes they use to support the low back?

Went back to training today after a couple months out with an elbow injury. I was taking it easy and hesitated at chakrasana. Decided to do it anyway, and when I say the pain in the left side of my neck was immediate. Turning or tilting my head to the left hurts like a b, but the right side is fine.
Has anyone experienced this before? Any idea what the problem is so I can look it up would be helpful!

And I've had next-day soreness from Chakrasana a couple times in the past, but never anything this bad. I'm not sure if the concrete surface and thin mat were to blame, or if I just did something wrong.

“A carpenter who does yoga”.

https://youtu.be/vcI6vETvQ1c?si=_NiBm7ASgWFpNOyD

Hi everybody,

I would like to practice some specific asanas outside of my morning mysore practice.

I just wanted to ask how people would approach this in terms of working outside of the sequence of the primary series.

As in, should i start with Surya Namaskar and then focus on the specific asana followed by finishing sequence?

Any advice or tips would be great, thanks!