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Can ashtanga drive you nuts?

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After class I overheard some guy saying that if

you have any mental problems yoga can make them

worse. Reading some of the messages here makes me worry.

Can doing ashtanga make you mentaly

unstable?<br><br>I'm not saying everyone here is nuts. Some people

here are very cool and definitely have their heads on

straight. But there are some serious psychos here

too.<br><br>Thanks,<br>S

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If you are really into the practice, then in the

early months you can go through lots of changes. Some

folks do report that lots of old forgotten feelings are

brought to conscious awareness again. I experienced a bit

of that and liked it. On the other hand if scary,

un-dealth-with stuff comes up, then there may be trouble. More

than one reliable yoga friend has told me that it's

good to have some guidance at this stage.<br><br>On

the other hand ashtanga may simply attract nuts

instead of producing them. Any practice or community that

emphasizes radical commitment tends to attract more than its

share of marginal, disturbed personalities. Folks at

the margin of society often see through the

deceptiveness and false priorities of mainstream

business-as-usual life, and seek alternatives. So maybe the

presence amoong us of so many nuts signifies that we (nuts

included) are on to something real.<br><br>Peace and

Good,<br>Homer

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Yes, Asthanga does change us and this is why we

do it. We hope that the changes are positive, but if

one is full of s..t, said s..t may come to the

surface before it is cleared. If its get cleared. This

seems to apply to a lot with an effect on the psyche,

be it Yoga or anything else. Just think of the guys

who became "enlightened" by drugs. Some of us may

prefer to stay dull. Or think of falling in love. It is

not guaranteed that one becomes happy from it.

<br><br>To me, the effects of Ashtanga are, so far,

positive: I am calmer, I get along better in life and so

on. But I agree: I have seen Yoga practitioners that

seemed weird as well. Maybe the Yoga medicine was too

strong for them. Maybe it was because they are younger

and easier to be influenced, maybe it was because

they do not get along very well in the Western world

anyway, or maybe it was because they are loaded with

something from their childhood, and so on. Perhaps Ashtanga

is something that simply enforces what is happening

inside us anyway, I don´t know. <br><br>Perhaps it is a

good idea to practise Ashtanga with a friend

monitoring not only the progress in the Asanas but also its

effects on the personality. And why not watch oneself,

too? For example, I myself make efforts to understand

the philosophy behind Yoga from the theoretical point

of view, too. But after two days of reading about

the subtle body, the nadis etc., I give myself a

break. Why not stay a regular Western person with an

interest in many things, including but not limited to

Yoga? Why try to become a pseudo Hindu Saint? Which I

would never achieve anyway. <br><br>(I am tempted to

say: "Ich bin normal, und das ist gut so!")

<br><br>Regards<br><br>Thomas

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I don't know that the practice of ashtanga can

drive you nuts (although I have heard rumors that some

of the early practioners are a little out there),

but I think you could find support for the notion

that ashtanga message boards can drive you nuts.

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>Can doing ashtanga make you mentaly unstable?

<br><br>Yes. It can also have a negative affect on yor

speling.<br><br>If it really sends you over the edge, move to Hawaii

where you will find many kindred

souls.<br><br>Cheers,<br>DMcG

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BRAVO! I just saw Ammachi. Seeing her reinforced

my belief that the more enlightened you become the

more difficult it will be to function in mainstream

society. So yes i do agree that yoga attracts more than

its share of oddballs. And i'm so glad i'm one. But

who reallly defines normality in society --

unenlightened beings. We are all a part of some "cult"ure and

it brainwashes us all in some way. I recently read a

book called THE EXPERIENCE OF NO SELF. This Christian

woman had a samadhi experience and said that after that

experience she felt that all she needed was a bare cell --

everything in the outer world just ceased to matter. THis

topic continues to be nothing less than fascinating. Om

Shantih

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