Growth through Astanga

[Guest guest]

>From

lara<br>eheywood<br>I'm interested in hearing any stories that

you may

have about changes to you and in your lives since

starting Astanga. The practice has certainly changed my

life and I like who I am alot more these days. Let me

know what you think or if you want more details on my

experiences. Cheers,

[Guest guest]

Lara<br><br>Regarding your comments about

moon days, commitment and the kind of people who do

astanga ...<br><br>One teacher I did a workshop with a

couple of years ago said "lots of people start this kind

of yoga. The ones who stick with it have to be

either mad or desperate". I think I fell into the second

category. When I started astanga my marriage had just ended

and it felt like my whole life was collapsing. Yoga

was somewhere to go and hide from it all and find a

bit of peace and stability.<br><br>I posted a long

message about changes in my life through yoga a few weeks

abck - message #809<br><br>Yoga certainly does makes

one a lot more sensitive to what one's energy level

and abilities are on a given day. And there do seem

to be days - sometimes moon days, sometimes not -

when things are consistently wierd for several people

at the same time. After my astanga class a couple of

evenings ago, a number of people including me had had a

really difficult, strenuous practice. Then our teacher

said that she had had a hard practice that morning

too. We declared a local "Munich moon day". I wonder

if high level competitive athletes develop the same

kind of sensitivity, because they are operating

consistently so close to their bodies' limits and have to

learn that they can't possibly reach 100% every day. I

don't know, I've never been one.<br><br>Alan

[Guest guest]

Hi ,<br><br>I'm quite new to Astanga (since

September 99), but I can say that even in it's infancy, my

practice has greatly affected the way I live my life. What

I love most about yoga is the lesson in humbleness

and acceptance (I have never experienced this with

running ~ it's always push, push...). I noticed that once

I learned to accept my own limitations, I was able

to accept others' limitations as well. This allowed

me to find peace with those in my life who were

previously "thorns in my side." <br><br>I have also found

that the "wife" and "mother" in me has changed. I

won't bore anyone with the details, but the effect is

positive here as well.<br><br>Peace. )

[Guest guest]

The big thing is it made me a

vegetarian!<br><br>This aspect of yoga practice was never mentioned in my

"Power Yoga" classes, but after reading up on it, I

started to think. I guess the watershed moment was after

a really good class, coming home feeling very

peaceful, and feeling I just could not eat meat that night.

I went back to meat a few times after that, but now

I'm meat, egg, and dairy-free, and I think honey's

going to go soon too. And I'm done buying leather

shoes, although i'm probably going to wear out the ones

I have.<br>This makes me look really strange to my

family and friends, but oh well. I feel good about it.

My practice has gotten better- lighter and more

flexible- since I quit with meat and dairy; I'm really

noticing improvements particularly in virasana and ardha

baddha padmasana. My singing is more joyful, and the

music in my head is more beautiful.<br><br>I'm told by

people who knew me a few years ago that I've really

grown since they knew me last, and I look back on who I

was in Sept 99, when I started practice (on a whim,

to distract me from the end of a 5-year

relationship), and realize I've grown a lot even since that

time. I think my vegetarianism and eventual veganism

are part of that natural process.<br><br>I used to be

very skeptical of yoga and meditation and anything

else that wasn't strictly mainstream. I used to think

veganism was extremist, and activism was annoying. I think

that as my body slowly opens up (we're talking years

before I think i'll be able to move on to second series)

my mind and heart are opening too.<br><br>I think I

came to yoga, although i didn't know it at the time,

as a result of this opening, which now that I think

about it was starting to happen through last summer.

What's that saying about "When you are ready for a

teacher, they will appear in your life"?<br><br>Anyway I'm

being long-winded, so I'll stop now.<br>I wish you

joy!<br><br>lm