Guest guest Posted November 19, 2002 Report Share Posted November 19, 2002 Guys, I would very much like to practice hatha yoga. I am drawn to Ashtanga- vinyasa, among other styles, but Yogasite.com doesn't recommend it to beginners or those "who have taken a leisurely approach to fitness". I fall under both categories. I have also checked out Richard Freeman's website and found out that there are classes for absolute newbies. What do you recommend? Should I first study other styles or could I plunge right into Level One of Ashtanga-vinyasa? I need your input on this matter. Thanks! Yours, Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Eric, I would recommend that you get into a Mysore Style Ashtanga class. This traditional approach is the way it should be taught to everyone, instead of the "Gym Ashtanga" or "Power Yoga" method which simply takes one to the point of exhaustion at the expense of good form and proper breath utilizing a sequence of asanas which is often not appropriate. If you tell us where you live I am sure someone can recommend a Mysore class to you. Namaste ashtangayoga, "ej2780" <ej2780> wrote: > Guys, > > I would very much like to practice hatha yoga. I am drawn to Ashtanga- > vinyasa, among other styles, but Yogasite.com doesn't recommend it to > beginners or those "who have taken a leisurely approach to fitness". > > I fall under both categories. I have also checked out Richard > Freeman's website and found out that there are classes for absolute > newbies. > > What do you recommend? Should I first study other styles or could I > plunge right into Level One of Ashtanga-vinyasa? I need your input on > this matter. > > Thanks! > > > Yours, > Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Certainly you _could_ start with Ashtanga, you just need to find the right class. Yes, that would be an intro class or a class designed for begineers. Not all studios may offer such a class and I certainly wouldn't recommend jumping in a full Primary Series Ashtanga class if that's all that's available where you are. Go to a couple local studios and talk to thier people about what thier studio offers. There may be "intro" classes suitable to your level. I'll point out that without some good deal of expereince you'd probably be totally lost in _most_ Ashtanga classes which in general assume you've learned the asanas by name and how to properly get from one asana to the next. The instructor just being there to guide the sequence and provide adjustments. It is troublesome and I see it a lot where new students want to jump into a level 2 or 3 class because they want a "better workout" and assume level 1 classes are "too easy". The problem is that they don't know what they're doing and the classes are not structured such that the instructor has time to explain how to get from Adho Mukha Svanasana to Virabhadrasana I, let alone that that means Downward dog and Warrior I. They would serve themselves much better to take Level 1 classes at least for few weeks until they can make it though a class without losing thier Ujjayi breath. I must ask however, why you don't try a couple classes of all styles? You won't determine what fits you just by surfing the net or reading books. Also you should know that the "style" differences between intructors can be almost as dramatic as the "style" of the class itself. This can be true even in Ashtanga which in general follows a more rigid and traditional method than most Vini and Hatha style classes. I hope whatever practice you choose serves you well, Jon ashtangayoga, "ej2780" <ej2780> wrote: > Guys, > > I would very much like to practice hatha yoga. I am drawn to Ashtanga- > vinyasa, among other styles, but Yogasite.com doesn't recommend it to > beginners or those "who have taken a leisurely approach to fitness". > > I fall under both categories. I have also checked out Richard > Freeman's website and found out that there are classes for absolute > newbies. > > What do you recommend? Should I first study other styles or could I > plunge right into Level One of Ashtanga-vinyasa? I need your input on > this matter. > > Thanks! > > > Yours, > Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2002 Report Share Posted November 24, 2002 beantownyogi, Thanks for the advice. Yes, I'm interested in the original Mysore style, not in the spin- offs of the practice taught by Yoga master Jois. Unfortunately or fortunately, I am from the Philippines. Thankfully, I have found a studio which offers classes for absolute beginners. Thanks again! Eric ashtangayoga, beantownyogi <no_reply> wrote: > Eric, > > I would recommend that you get into a Mysore Style Ashtanga class. > This traditional approach is the way it should be taught to > everyone, instead of the "Gym Ashtanga" or "Power Yoga" method which > simply takes one to the point of exhaustion at the expense of good > form and proper breath utilizing a sequence of asanas which is often > not appropriate. > > If you tell us where you live I am sure someone can recommend a > Mysore class to you. > > Namaste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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