Ashtanga 6 Days a Week - too much?

March 30, 2005

i do practice (usually) six days a week and have no injuries to speak of.

although i do find that my energy varies from day to day. i once read somewhere

that some people practice ashtanga as a runner would train for a marathon. the

six days on one day off are already so similar. at any rate, the idea is to go

sort of easy the first few days, then pick up the pace through slightly quicker

breathing the middle few and slow it down again on the day before you rest.

most weeks, this is what i do. if it doesn't help prevent injury, it does make

me more aware of the breath and how faster and slower breathing have different

advantages and disadvantages in my body.

-

stranded711

ashtanga yoga

Monday, March 28, 2005 10:26 PM

ashtanga yoga Ashtanga 6 Days a Week - too much?

I hear what you mean by alignments. Actually, my injury occured

while doing the inverted push up out of downward dog in the opening

sun salutation. I wasn't warmed up and I pulled a muscle. It

stayed bad, went to my shoulder, and then he pain returned to my

bicep.

Being careful, I went to my Doctor, and he said it was okay to go

back, just to warm up good before doing anything too strenuous.

But since I lifted weights for years, I kind of got it ingrained

into my thinking to work out, then take off a day. Of course, that

is with weights. With a body weight, gymnastic exercise, I am

thinking 6 days may be okay.

The problem is, once I get into the Ashtanga for a while, I start

feeling so good after the workouts that I don't want to miss one.

So I was wondering if there are a lot of you out there in practice

successfully and without injury doing a six day a week, 1 1/2 hour a

day schedule?

The Ashtanga sequence is so diverse and brilliantly composed I found

I could do the same workout everyday without it becoming in the

least rote. What do you think? Thanks.

March 30, 2005

Traditionally the practice is intended for six days a week. Taking off for moon

days & ladies holiday. I have been practicing ashtanga for over 7 years. in the

last 4 years, I almost always practice six day a week and find that i have not

had any injuries from my practice. i do not find doing the same thing "rote".

There are always things to learn from the practice and controlling the breath

has been the most rewarding in finding a truly meditative practice. If you are

new to the practice, you may start out with 2-3days and add on as your body is

ready or practice to Navasana the finishing postures.

namaste

debbie

March 31, 2005

Debbie, when you say you are doing Ashtanga yoga 6 days a week, does

that mean the full primary series, or one of the other complete

series? Thanks!

ashtanga yoga, Debbskis@c... wrote:

>

> Traditionally the practice is intended for six days a week. Taking

off for moon days & ladies holiday. I have been practicing ashtanga

for over 7 years. in the last 4 years, I almost always practice six

day a week and find that i have not had any injuries from my practice.

i do not find doing the same thing "rote". There are always things to

learn from the practice and controlling the breath has been the most

rewarding in finding a truly meditative practice. If you are new to

the practice, you may start out with 2-3days and add on as your body

is ready or practice to Navasana the finishing postures.

>

> namaste

> debbie

April 5, 2005

That means full primary series. I practice second series once a week and I would

have to say it is a modifies version because i am working in a modified version

of several postures after ustrasana (camel).

namaste

Debbie

>

> Debbie, when you say you are doing Ashtanga yoga 6 days a week, does

> that mean the full primary series, or one of the other complete

> series? Thanks!

> ashtanga yoga, Debbskis@c... wrote:

> >

> > Traditionally the practice is intended for six days a week. Taking

> off for moon days & ladies holiday. I have been practicing ashtanga

> for over 7 years. in the last 4 years, I almost always practice six

> day a week and find that i have not had any injuries from my practice.

> i do not find doing the same thing "rote". There are always things to

> learn from the practice and controlling the breath has been the most

> rewarding in finding a truly meditative practice. If you are new to

> the practice, you may start out with 2-3days and add on as your body

> is ready or practice to Navasana the finishing postures.

> >

> > namaste

> > debbie

>

Links

>

April 7, 2005

That is awesome you must be in terrific state. What I have found when I do the

complete first series, is that it is such an incredible workout, and unparelled

IMO, for several reasons. First, it seems like it works the chakras in a

progressive way. The early poses seem to emphasize the Moola Bandha (also

contracted during the entire workout), then it progressives to the abdominals,

then chest with the seated twists, then neck, and finally headstand. And I

guess the three lotuses brings it all together. So there is a fascinatin sense

of progression as I do it, and this keeps me going.

Also, I think the first series is ingenious because whenever I seem to get tired

or bored with one position, there is a progression or counterstretch that comes

next that takes me to a different place.

And there is so much variety, I do not seem to struggle repeating the same

workout everyday. The only time I really am tempted to quit is after the

standing sequence. For some reason I look at the clock and think that only 30

minutes has gone by, how can I go another hour. But once I actually start the

sequence, then it all just synchronizes and suddenly I am done.

Playing a yoga cd also helps.

Ashtanga primary series is the most fascinating workout I have ever encountered.

I am going to start resting on Wednesday to break up the weak, and see if I can

stay with 5 days a week, for the full workout.

Curt

Debbskis wrote: