Rules of Ashtanga from someone who will break them

[@plushannah]

I’m 43. Not long in Ashtanga world, but solid hatha background. I flew through primary /no dropbacks / and without knowing much of what’s coming was encouraged to learn second series. Them backbends are so helpful as you say and not that difficult. Well Kapotasana took me two years to catch my heels! For now learning third series and I’m all excited and feel it like combination of little thrill and great focus and body control. I don’t know how long my window will stay open - who knows but until I agree for those simple agreeable rules I’m happy to practice just to be a better person off the mat. Practice is to serve us not us to serve the method ✌️ much appreciate yr constant work Adam an you bring great knowledge of ashtanga to us!

[@keenonyoga]

you’ve done incredibly from a late start! keep your mind open and who knows how far you’ll get.. glad you’ve appreciated some of my content. keep in touch 😊😊🙏

[@yogathyself5857]

That has made me feel so much better! I really needed to hear this. Thank you 🙏

[@keenonyoga]

yes. i’ve done it for 25 years and so can say with some conviction that the rules are simply there for a further appreciation of your own being and not the other way around. therefore, use them as you need! 🙏❤️

[@RoyBatty08707]

You spoke my mind Adam, you're very supportive. I'm 50 and maybe just over half way through primary after a year or so. The thing I struggle with is recovery, so around every second or third day I do a light practice, sometimes just salutes. Somedays I push up into back bend, somedays I just stay on my shoulders. I feel its important to even just stand on the mat and breathe for a bit if thats all you have. On the subject of perfecting repetition, I feel this is helpful and that accepting whatever ones own series might be, it becomes like a path of many gates that the body knows the way to pass through all by itself, however imperfectly, and steady breathing can then lead to flow in the mind as it observes the passing scenery without having to be constantly looking at a map. Without the embodied repetition, I think I'd get lost. Thanks Adam, and keep on being opinionated ; ) 🙏

[@keenonyoga]

thanks for listening and this sharing of your experience. i also feel having set series helps a great deal with ‘knowing what to do’ as well as the benefit and beauty of repetition… but, the thing is treating them with a certain lightness of touch - otherwise what can help cure is only to further our problems! best of luck with your practice and hope to work with you some day. 🙏

[@KrisDidriksson]

I have been enjoying your interview videos and this one too. I'm 61 and up to Supta Kurmasana in Primary Series. It's been three years and was pushing really hard to master poses. Some days really wiped me out so decided to go full on for 2 days a week and then ease off the other days. Doing just half primary or less if I have a busy day ahead. This seems to be better and helps me stay on a 5 day a week schedule at a local Mysore studio. On my off days I began to focus much more on my breathing and bandas. I figured that since I am stuck on a posture, I can work on other aspects of the practice, and this has opened me up more in earlier postures. I'd like to get through whole Primary before my body really goes south. I really like the repetition and sameness. It really helps with mental exploration, IMO.

[@keenonyoga]

i think you’re totally right with your approach at this age. i would suggest further ; focus on the technique behind the shape and not the shapes themselves - this is *the point* for instance, what it really meant by bandhas.. because it’s a lot more than simply squeezing the lower abdomen. well done and keep going . but, don’t worry about the shapes , rather , the meaning behind the shapes …

[@KrisDidriksson]

Thanks. Interesting concept. I will think about that and see where it takes me.@@keenonyoga

[@marcorustignoli6524]

Good afternoon Adam, thanks a lot for your talk. It's very interesting and encouraging. Yes, the rules are difficult to follow. I agree on what you say day practice. I always try to practice six or five days a week but many time I don't manage mainly because of lack of time (or maybe I find something else to do not to practice...). I think the rule is necessary because it gives me a benchmark. I've tend to the rule that's enough for me. Usually I practice 4 times a week but without the rule for daily practice I probably would practice even less than that. My teacher has a shala where he teach Mysore style 3 times. Some other times I practice by myself. Practicing in a yoga class is more motivating even if concentration is not always 100%. Same for vinyasa. When I practice the 2nd series expecially from ekapadashirsasana I feel I need longer pauses. But it depends on our features. For example I warm up easily (lot of fire) and sometimes I need to stop a little. Thank you again, always useful inspiring and bring me to a better analysis. Best Regards!

[@keenonyoga]

thanks Marco for your generosity in sharing !Absolutely! we need both the ideal (expressed in the rule) but then also the knowledge that this is of course an ideal and not ‘the law’ - that realism always looks (and should look) different for an organic living body that is not a god like machine!

[@yeager913]

Great stuff, thank you Adam. I’m one of those people who’ve been practising pretty solidly for nearly 20 years but have never ‘progressed’ beyond primary series. To be honest I don’t find that demoralising or boring at all - it still challenges me and gives me so much. But after hearing this, I’m thinking I might dust off the old David Swenson manual and take a look at those intermediate poses (or at least the early ones). I’ve done a few in the past in classes but now practise 100% from home due to time constraints. Will be interesting to see if those additional backbends help with the wheel in primary! Although to be honest I get a lot of juice out of my updogs in primary so wheel feels good to me (mostly!) even without any intermediate. Thank you for all of these posts - they are such a wonderful resource.

[@keenonyoga]

hi there, it’s been a pleasure being of use and providing points of interest. I would say though that the primary is lacking in terms of offering a full range of movements. Nevertheless, if you’ve enjoyed it all that time , then why not? But, by now, if I were you I would certainly be dusting off that old Swenson - at least up to ustrasana…

[@yeager913]

Thank you Adam. I actually dusted off an old intermediate series video of Richard Freeman on KZbin this morning. It was surprisingly enjoyable…but might need a teacher/someone to spot me for these weird and wonderful headstands towards the end 😊 Thanks again

[@keenonyoga]

I would say that having a real life person to help is definitely useful! if you’re in a convenient timezone I run an online mysore class you can drop into whenever you fancy (6-8.30uk time). All details on our website if you’re interested.

[@yeager913]

Thank you Adam - I will definitely try to join one of those

[@kloeyoga]

Thanks. Honestly happy to hear someone who practiced for so long and agreed upon the reasonably break rules rule. 🙏

[@1986marloes]

Very helpfull, thank you 🙏🏻

[@beverlyjamieson7887]

Good Morning Adam.! Your thoughts and insights on yoga are helpful and reassuring.! Thank you.🥰👌

[@keenonyoga]

thanks! and thanks for listening! 🙏🙏

[@smitasathe3561]

Well put!

[@francescadirosso6844]

Bravo Adam!!! thank you

[@keenonyoga]

Thanks Francesca, hope all is well with you.

[@Cormoran7]

We’ll said. I find great value in the Intermediate Series even though I am not remotely close to doing drop backs.

[@anaisricco2895]

You said you’re not a big fan of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Do you have any video/podcast you’ve made about that subject ? I would be happy to listen :) thanks !

[@keenonyoga]

i’ve spoken about it with Guy Donahaye in a podcast, but, the best one mentioning it will be coming out soon with Christopher Wallis (p1).

[@veroniquewake1852]

Hi Adam, In my opinion, if I may, if you are practicing Ashtanga the vinyasas are not optional. It’s best to do a short practice of 10, 15mn keep the vinyasas and skip asanas. Asanas are more optional than vinyasas, I think. Just doing the Sun salutation is ok as well if short on time or lazy 😅. But keep practicing at any length and at any time of the day 🙏xx

[@keenonyoga]

Thanks for sharing, the main thing is if it works for you. 🙏

[@MichaelDynieYoga]

See if your view on the vinyasas changes ten years from now 😂 The practice has to be adapted to the individual. The longer we live, the greater the need for adaptation or people will quit.

[@dimitrisskoulariotis9923]

Just that,to the point.... Please put subtitles...

[@keenonyoga]

Good point! I think I have managed it. 🙏