And it struck me in that moment just how important Ashtanga has become to me over the last 10 months. So important in fact that I place it above my career in my list of priorities, even though I’m struggling to make ends meet. I also realised recently how important it’s become to practice not only 5 days a week, but 6. When Sunday self-practice sessions were suggested a few months ago, my first reaction was there’s no way I’d want to commit to that every week. Surely 5 days a week are enough and wouldn’t I miss having 2 lie-ins at the weekend? But a few months of Sunday practice later, I find I’m very disappointed that the sessions have ended and am even offering to undertake the administration of setting up a new group elsewhere.

So….. am I addicted? Such an interesting question and such a powerful word. No, I don’t think I am. I simply think that I’ve found something which brings more meaning, awareness and peace into my life than anything else I know, and naturally I want it to continue. So I find myself dedicating more and more time, thought and energy to it and have changed my entire lifestyle because of it. But at the same time I don’t give myself a hard time if I miss practice one morning, or even a whole week for that matter. I feel like the practice has taken hold of me, not in an aggressive, demanding way, but in a gently supportive and encouraging way. And to me that’s a very positive thing.

Hannah

thanks for the comment. Sorry to hear about your back pain. As you know I suffered quite severe back pain for around 6 months. My first instinct was to stop the thing that was “causing” my pain, but instead I modified my practice and kept it steady with Sarah’s help. That taught me a great deal about how I want (quite naturally) to avoid any pain in life. It also taught me to be gentle yet persistant.

Transformation and healing doesn’t come free of discomfort and upheaval. But it’s hard to remember that sometimes and it’s also not easy to explain either. Although you could compare the quite intense pain caused by learning to play the guitar or making a barre chord as quite similar. In yoga the body is the instrument with which we make the mind sing!
(Sorry it’s Friday afternoon.)

Great thoughts…thanks! Very relevant to me at the moment as I’ve just been trying to explain to my very confused partner why I still practise every day even though I have back pain at the moment…
I don’t think sticking to daily practice necessarily means being ‘attached’ or striving – I think it’s just about maintaining the flow of the practice in life. So just as each practice in itself is flowing and continuous, so the practice over time should be…

Obviously taking a break while ill makes total sense! But otherwise, practising each day seems right – just gently giving your body and soul a reminder to connect, whether or not you’re going to get very ‘far’ – whatever that means!

This issue of ‘going far’ and ‘getting somewhere’ with yoga is also interesting. In a sense, we’re moving backwards on our journeys as much as going forward – going back to a kind of source that’s in us all the time, but learning to be tend it and become more aware of it. That’s kind of a nice thought for me at the moment – going backwards into myself, rather than reaching forwards somewhere ‘out there’ (cos that hurts too much!).

Louise

Always good to hear from practitioners especially from other cities! Mind you London isn’t that far.
I love the idea of going to another city pretty much anywhere in the world and finding Ashtangis to practice with.

I’d not heard of Yoga Place so I’ll add it to the links section of the site. Good to see that there’s Mysore style Ashtanga there too!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Namaste,

Guy