Leaping into Ashtanga
July 16, 2008 by Susan Watiker
Filed under Fitness
Well, sort of. To all of my fellow yoga-loving devotees, I’ll admit it, I found this practice to be daunting at first. Like all practices, you can pace yourself and it does take time, but the precision and devotion required for Ashtanga can be challenging for many. Filled with scores of poses as you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced, there is much to learn, but moving through will most certainly lead you to the state of bliss we all pursue in our daily practice.
Like all practices, it’s ultimate goal is to place you in a meditative state of bliss. But as I have progressed further into it, I have enjoyed it more and more. In fact, I am hooked! Yes, it is rigorous. Yes, it is physically demanding. But I am finding that it, too, is a pathway to improved mental well-being, and on a more personal note, a direct route to knowing my own heart.
If you prefer a more structured approach that builds on your appreciation for a sense of order, progression, and independence in your daily practice, then there is no better path for you, at least in my very humble opinion. With a measure of devotion and commitment from you, Ashtanga can easily take you from the more therapeutic all the way through to purification and into the divine. I do hope you will give it a try and see what it can do for you. I am sincerely impressed with what I have experienced thus far in my practice. The benefits have been enormous. I have grown in so many ways. If you are considering it, please just do it. You’ll never turn back.
