Ashtanga Yoga Austin, Texas

Registration is live for my morning Ashtanga Yoga Mysore-style classes. Click on the link. Choose November 1st on the calendar and then you will see the option to register as well as information about the classes. The class size is limited to 10. I will not be accepting more than 10 students. There is a monthly unlimited pass. There are also 3 and 5 day passes that expire after 7 days. The monthly unlimited pass is the only monthly pass.

In-Person Class Schedule - Castle Hill Fitness Gym & Spa - Austin, TX Our in-person classes feature the safety measures we're known for, in a small group setting. View the schedule here.

Ashtanga Yoga Austin, Texas updated their information in their About section.

The Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga program is returning to Castle Hill Fitness downtown on November 1st, 2021. Classes wil be from 6:30am-8am. I’ll post more information later this week. Join me for morning yoga!

Moonday Sunday.

Something that really bugs the hell out of me as Mysore-style teacher is that when someone has difficulty in a more advanced posture say something from second, third, or fourth series a lot of people will beat themselves up with the posture on a daily basis and waste a lot of time, energy and effort doing the same thing poorly day-in-and-day-out hoping for the best, for some sort of magic to happen, or for the right words/adjustment to be conveyed by the teacher. If you are having trouble with something advanced you have to stop and explore where in the most basic of postures or the previous series you are lacking form and technique. You need to dissect and study every bit of the posture down to its most basic components. This is where the real study and ownership of the practice begins. Some students just want to fly and do 'advanced' things without becoming proficient in the basics. If you can't find the seat of an asana where you are comfortable, stable and the breath is free then you are missing the point. Some people see the seat of the asana as the pinnacle of the posture. This is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG. The seat (foundation) is found in the simplest of things like how you sit or stand before you have moved in the direction of the posture. The seat is in every small step leading up to the completion of the asana. The completion of the asana and correct breathing demonstrate that you are able to connect the seat of every preparatory movement in a way that coalesces into something more physically complex.

Tomorrow, Monday, is Free Day of Yoga in Austin. I'll be teaching a free one hour introduction to the system of yoga that I teach, Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga. The session starts at 8 am at Castle Hill Fitness on 12th and Lamar. If tomorrow is an active recovery day come and join me and get that body moving early. I'll also be teaching a free regular Mysore-style class at 6:30 am. That session is for students experienced with the method. I usually accept beginners to the 6:30 am class but not tomorrow.

To find the depth of buhapidasana one can place the thighs on the arms a little lower than usual if he/she typically can't land on the arms and have to enter the posture with the feet on the ground before balancing on the arms. The higher position forces the spine into excessive flexion which causes the larger angle between the waist and thighs as seen in the picture with the red X. The lower position of the arms decreases the amount of flexion and allows greater control of extension of the spine. Greater extension will allow the chin to be placed on the floor instead of the top of the head. To take advantage of the ability to extend more, without placing too much stress on the neck, the extension must originate from the direction of the pelvis. This is accomplished with greater flexion/closing of the angle between the waist and top of the thighs. For easier understanding one can refer back to its archetype, the posture on the right, Prasarita Padottanasana A. As one learns to place the head on the floor more directly under the pelvis the angle between the waist and the top of the thighs will become smaller (red triangle). It is easier to work on flexing to close this angle in Prasarita Padottanasana A than it is while in the the more advanced Bhujapidasana.

Eileen Garcia please show Alper this post when you get a chance.

This teacher got to be a student in Mysore-style yoga practice today at the Eugene School of Yoga with Kevin Kimple. What a treat! I hadn't seen him since Mysore 2004. Highly recommend it. It was a fun, happy atmosphere.

(Posted with permission from student) Helping one of my students refine his Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series posture Ardha Matsyendrasana. We are currently focusing on the seat of the spine in relation to the femur. The arm isn't exactly where it should but that'll come with more improvement in spine position. Notice how the hand has already moved closer to the top of the opposite thigh in the after pic. The ease of the posture will also come as the seat of the spine becomes more precise.

Epiphany regarding the effect of laghu vajrasana on the shoulder capsule, why the hand placement on the ankles is important and why the asana is done before kapotasana to help with it's demanding degree of shoulder flexion. I would not have realized this had it not been for my training in sports medicine and exposure to Muscle Energy Technique (MET). MET can be used to treat muscle imbalances and can also be used to reposition the bones of the body through muscle activation by transmitting the tension to the joint structures. So cool! More details coming soon.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama Yoga..... at Home : Pattabhi Jois' READING LIST from from the 'original'... Formally titled: Krishnamacharya's 'Original' Ashtanga Yoga at home and Ashtanga Jump back... at Home. - Based on Pattabhi Jois' Yoga Mala, Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934) and Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1941) and later teaching as presented by Srivatsa Ramaswami's as Vinyasa Krama.

Recent Yelp review about the Mysore program and Castle Hill. "I am in love with Castle Hill (specifically for yoga). After moving to Austin and trying out a majority of the yoga studios in the downtown Austin & UT campus area, I finally found the Mysore Ashtanga program at CHF. Though I don't have a gym membership, I have a Mysore Ashtanga monthly membership here. Besides the fact that starting an Ashtanga practice has completely changed the way I view yoga, I am so glad to have found the professional and clean space that is CHF.

Pros -
- The Ashtanga instructor (Juan) is one of the best yoga teachers I have ever come across. He is attentive, knowledgeable, and understands each student's unique needs/abilities. For anyone considering starting an Ashtanga practice, I would highly recommend Juan. I had little to no experience with Ashtanga before I began and I immediately felt at ease.
- The facility is clean and well-kept.
- Locker and towel rentals are provided free of charge.
- The showers and bathrooms are fully stocked with cleaning supplies and toiletries.
- There is plenty of parking available (at least when I go in the mornings).
- Yoga mats are available for use free of charge. The studios are stocked with plenty of high-quality props, as well.
- The front desk staff is warm and friendly.
- If you don't have a yoga membership (outside of Ashtanga), you can also attend their community classes (there are a few every week and they are $10 for a drop in). I took a Restorative Yoga community class and while it was pretty crowded, it was worth it.
- The Ashtanga classes are pretty small and there is a lot of personal attention. It almost feels like a hybrid between a personal yoga session and a small group session. Especially after taking many yoga classes in New York City (where I'm originally from), it is so refreshing to be in a smaller setting.

Cons -
- You cannot use the same membership for Ashtanga as you would for other yoga classes. You have to pick which you want to commit to. This makes sense, however, as taking on a Mysore Ashtanga practice is expected to be done with a consistent level of commitment.
- Class prices are on the higher end but comparable to other high-quality yoga studios in the area."

Was engrossed in a book called Yoga: The Art of Transformation and I came across this image of kukkutasana. This is by far the best image of kukkutasana that I have seen. The position of the pelvis is exactly how I teach students to find the depth of the posture.