Here is my reflection on my first trip to practicing yoga at Sharath’s yoga center.
The Ashtanga scene in Gokulam can be quite overwhelming, with bustling streets and noisy tuk-tuks. Students engage in discussions about various topics related to the Jois family, Ashtanga yoga, Sharath’s successor, the future of the Shala, authorization processes, study fees, “catching” and getting new postures, etc. This all led me to question my place in this community.
Why am I blindly following a seemingly commercial system? Why pay fees to replicate the same practice I did at home? Where is the magic everyone speaks of? How can Sharath be my teacher when I repeat the practice which I learned at home? Where is the spirituality, and why wait for Sharath’s approval/permission to get a new posture, which I was already given by my teacher ? I didn’t know what to think or to whom I could ask these questions.
Therefore, I decided to spend more time in self-reflection and started going earlier to the shala (luckily, I had the choice since the babies were with me), to form my own opinion based on my experience of practicing at Sharath Yoga Center.
Practicing in the early morning hours felt so meditative. I started feeling the powerful energy in the Shala when everyone was practicing together. I found myself grounded in a space of inner peace, which was truly magical. Towards the end of the month, I had a heartfelt conversation with a friend where I shared my mixed feelings about this experience, after which I found clarity to my questions.
Why am I blindly following a seemingly commercial system? Why pay fees to replicate the same practice I did at home?
My passion for this practice is so profound that I journeyed to Mysore with my 5-month-old twin baby girls. I am heartedly committed to this yoga system, appreciating its positive impact on my body, mind, and breath. The determination, discipline, devotion, and patience it instills in me are aspects I genuinely love, so for what it's worth, I am more than happy to pay what I think is fair to study at the source of Ashtanga yoga.
Where is the magic everyone speaks of?
Reflecting on my one-month journey, I realized that the magic wasn’t tied to Mysore; in fact it is an internal reflection of the practice, which is possible anywhere in the world. Being present, focused, and grounded in the practice is the magic itself.
How can Sharath be my teacher when I repeat the practice which I learned at home?
My Teacher is Nathalie Daou; she guided me through my ups and downs and my various life stages. However, she has received the blessings from R. Sharath Jois to teach Ashtanga Yoga. She consequently passed on her teachings to me, including the practice, assisting and teaching the Ashtanga method. Even though I may not have gained new learnings during my first trip to Mysore, the practice and knowledge I acquired from my teacher were influenced by Sharath Jois himself. In the end, what matters is the parampara, the passing down of knowledge directly from teacher to student, the family wisdom, and the lineage – from Krishnamacharya to Pattabhi Jois to Sharath Jois and consequently to my teacher.
Where is the spirituality, and why wait for Sharath’s approval/permission to get a new posture, which I was already given by my teacher ?
Figuring out the spiritual side was a bit tricky for me. I went to the shala and mainly did yoga asanas, and I wondered, "Where's the spiritual part? Isn't yoga more than just physical postures?" The aha moment came to me during Sharath's last conference. He pointed out how yoga postures are sculpted on the walls of the temples and reminded us that Ashtanga yoga has been around for ages; he didn't invent it. He sees himself as a guide passing on this ancient practice. Hearing this from Sharath was truly humbling, and it made me realise that the spiritual side is already within us. It comes from sticking to the practice, being mindful, and feeling the connection between breath, body, and mind. Sharathji is simply carrying on the tradition by keeping this practice rooted and clean.
This journey has taught me a lot about the community, myself, and dealing with the ego. It's not easy to break old habits, especially when it comes to changing my regular practice. In addition, putting our practice in the hands of a new teacher can be incredibly frightening and we risk losing our definition.
The main lesson I learned is to calm the mind and be sure about this path, even when in doubt. If I weren't meant to be on this journey, then I wouldn't be here. Every moment, whether good or bad, is part of the experience. Trust the process, even if everything isn't clear right now; things will eventually fall into place. Most importantly, this special experience was made even more meaningful by the presence of my baby twins. I feel grateful to practice this magical Ashtanga Yoga practice at its source, surrounded by like-minded people from around the world sharing their intense energy!
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