#stateofyoga

OK Denver Swifties. . . I know you’ve lost your chill now that Taylor Swift has come with her 1989 tour. You can find your chill here at Ashtanga Yoga Denver with Joan. She’s super experienced and will help you so you “can even” no matter what chaos or state of mind you are in. . . go here.

State of Yoga in America! Denver, Colorado

Denver Ashtanga Yoga Shala Ashtanga Yoga Shala

All power flow yoga classes are derivatives of the Ashtanga practice developed by Krishnamacharia and popularized by Sri Pattabhi Jois in Mysore India. Since Pattabhi died, his son Sharath has taken over the shala in India to teach this challenging practice to students from around the world. Dedicated practitioners are supposed to practice every day before the sun comes up except for Saturday, new moon, and full moon days. The practice takes an hour and a half and it is timed by your breath. Each posture is typically held for 5 breaths. Since everyone breathes at a different pace, the practice will last longer or shorter for you than people you practice with.

Having traveled 2/3 of the way across the country, my body was ready for the primary series. Power flow classes are great and fun, but it is nice to know exactly what the practice is going to be from time to time. Doing the primary series is challenging but it feels like coming home in my body. It is the barometer from which I judge the state of my personal practice. Sometimes I'm a little frustrated, sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. Either way, the Ashtanga series will illuminate what is happening in my body in the present moment.

Joan owns the studio in Denver and has been to Mysore to practice with the Jois' 6 times. She is an official ashatanga teacher recognized by the Mysore studio. There isn't an official program or title, it is an honor bestowed to people who have demonstrated the dedication to the Ashtanga series. I knew I was going to get great instruction at the studio when I arrived early in the morning.

Mysore style classes in an Ashtanga shala are not what you normally think about when you think of a group exercise class. It is essentially a time set aside early in the morning for people to come in and do their own practice. While we may start at 5 or 6 am, some people may not arrive to start their practice until around 8 or so. People practice at different paces and the teacher goes around to assist and instruct as needed once she or he gets their practice in for the day. Again, ashtangis are expected to practice every day to get the most benefits.

I got there almost the same time as Joan. We were both there before anyone else. She pulled up in a beautiful environmentally friendly Tesla and asked me if I was there for the yoga. She saw that I looked lost but had my mat and water and towels. She let me into the studio and I explained my project to her. Being so humble she was worried that she wasn't as famous as some of the other people in my project, but I assured her that she would be perfect for the project. I knew that Richard Freeman was just down the road in Boulder, and I felt a little bad coming all this way without practicing with him. But he doesn't really know me, and there will be plenty of time to absorb his knowledge when I get an opportunity to practice with him properly rather than haphazardly when I get into town doing some crazy project of mine.

The studio was nicely decorated. The main practice area was up a flight of stairs. But there was a place downstairs where they obviously did some kirtan and other entertaining things at the Denver Ashtanga Shala. She told me of her experience, and then we went up stairs to get into the primary series. As I practiced, she corrected my postures and bad habits. She gave tips and assists when she saw I needed it. Other people filtered into the room and started on their sun salutations to begin their practices. There was no talking and no music. Everyone was focused on their own practice. Fortunately they had "cheat sheets" for me to use when I got lost in the practice. While the cheat sheets give the sequence in order, there are lots of things they leave out that you just have to know. Knowing when to jump through and back is one thing. Where to look and when to breathe is another. There are small nuances to the postures that a skilled teacher like Joan can correct if you aren't doing them properly. The Ashtanga system is not just a series of poses. Each pose has an alignment, breath, and gazing point. Once all of these issues are perfected, then the physically and mentally challenging practice becomes a moving meditation. What is important is not the outside world, but what is going on inside the body that God gave you and you are caring for.