Newbie question

June 10, 2004

Hi everyone

My first post here, and as you can see from the caption, I'm very new

to ashtanga yoga and would like to seek some advice regarding when is

the right time to start ashtanga yoga.

I've been practising hatha yoga for about a year or so, and (I think)

am reasonably fit (I run about 5km in the gym 3 times a week). Just

finished an ashtanga introductory course but am wondering whether to

continue. To be honest, I like it a lot because it's more dynamic

than the usual hatha yoga but am wondering if it's a bad idea

(possible injury alert?) for someone with only a year of hatha yoga

experience to continue with this. I spoke with my hatha teacher and

she advised against it because of possible injuries from not knowing

the correct alignment of certain poses. I do agree with her that I

can't do all the poses with the correct alignment at this point in

time. I also have a lot of problems with chatarunga (sp?) and the

vinyasas (particularly the jump backs) - basically I was a runner in

school and have never done any sports that trains the arms

(therefore, pathetic arm strength).

Any thoughts on this? I bought David Swenson's book, where he's so

terribly encouraging and offers so many modifications to the poses.

He's obviously a believer that ashtanga yoga can be done by anyone

safely with modifications - but just wondering how you all realized

that you were ready to try ashtanga/decide that ashtanga was the only

form of yoga for you?

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere - did try shifting

through the old posts but couldn't locate any question like this. Let

me know if this has been discussed in another post. Many thanks!

June 10, 2004

Hi,

I started ashtanga thee month ago. I had never practiced any other

type of yoga before. If you have a good teache he/she will guide

through the asanas wisely. I have very thin and weak arms too, but

they're getting stronger every day. A lot of postures I wasn't able

to do a month ago now I can.

You should not give up and keep practicing. I t will all come in time.

Namaste

Ana

ashtanga yoga, gintonic3103 <no_reply>

wrote:

> Hi everyone

>

> My first post here, and as you can see from the caption, I'm very

new

> to ashtanga yoga and would like to seek some advice regarding when

is

> the right time to start ashtanga yoga.

>

> I've been practising hatha yoga for about a year or so, and (I

think)

> am reasonably fit (I run about 5km in the gym 3 times a week).

Just

> finished an ashtanga introductory course but am wondering whether

to

> continue. To be honest, I like it a lot because it's more dynamic

> than the usual hatha yoga but am wondering if it's a bad idea

> (possible injury alert?) for someone with only a year of hatha yoga

> experience to continue with this. I spoke with my hatha teacher and

> she advised against it because of possible injuries from not

knowing

> the correct alignment of certain poses. I do agree with her that I

> can't do all the poses with the correct alignment at this point in

> time. I also have a lot of problems with chatarunga (sp?) and the

> vinyasas (particularly the jump backs) - basically I was a runner

in

> school and have never done any sports that trains the arms

> (therefore, pathetic arm strength).

>

> Any thoughts on this? I bought David Swenson's book, where he's so

> terribly encouraging and offers so many modifications to the poses.

> He's obviously a believer that ashtanga yoga can be done by anyone

> safely with modifications - but just wondering how you all realized

> that you were ready to try ashtanga/decide that ashtanga was the

only

> form of yoga for you?

>

> Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere - did try shifting

> through the old posts but couldn't locate any question like this.

Let

> me know if this has been discussed in another post. Many thanks!

June 11, 2004

Yes, you can safely do ashtanga yoga at any level of fitness. Listen to

Swenson, he is very good with modifications. I learned with hard-core teachers

that did not support modifications and yet I have never been injured from

ashtanga. There are plenty of asanas that I still cannot do, not even close.

The value of the practice (I'm sure you've heard this ad nauseam) comes from the

breath and the focus, not from being able to do all the asanas exactly right.

Don't worry about that at all. Develop a regular practice, focus on the breath,

and the poses will gradually come.

I never did any yoga before ashtanga. I read about it & was drawn to it because

it was dynamic - more vigourous, more of a work-out. I took an introductory

course and never looked back. That was 6 years ago & I still have problems with

flexibility in my hips and strength in my upper body. The hardest part is being

patient and waiting for your body to change, but there is no reason to prepare

for ashtanga by doing another type of yoga or other form of exercise first.

Just start at the level of fitness at which you are now, practice regularly, and

your strength and flexibility will slowly improve. If you have a regular local

yoga studio that you can frequent, the instructors there will get to know you

and your body. They will help you challenge yourself to get deeper into poses

as you are able to, without injury. The way people get injured in ashtanga is

when they really force something, using strength to, say, push their knee down

to get into lotus when their hips are not ready to open. My current instrutor

always says, "if it didn't hurt when you walked in, it shouldn't hurt when you

leave."

Good luck & let us know how your practice is developing,

Rowena