You need both sides of a BBQ tong in order to complete the job.
Bob was looking at the BBQ tongs that he was using to cook with. The two sides of the tongs brought to mind the two styles of teaching Ashtanga yoga and how they work together and complement each other.
When Bob first went to a level II led Ashtanga class, his teacher told him to stop half way through and watch the class. He could join back in when they got to the finishing sequence. This was unusual for Bob. He had been going to led level I classes for a while and his teacher never stopped him before.
Did he do something wrong? Is the teacher upset with him? What is going on?
His teacher told him he should attend a Mysore class so he could learn about the rest of the poses and be ready to take part in all of a Level II class the next time that he came.
Ashtanga Yoga is taught in two styles that complement each other. Like the BBQ tongs you need both tongs to get the job done and you need both teaching styles to complete your learning. The first tong is Led style classes and the second tong is Mysore style classes. Within the Led tong there are Level I and Level II classes.
Let’s have a look at these two tongs of teaching Ashtanga yoga: Led and Mysore style classes, but first we will review what Ashtanga yoga is and how it is different from most styles of yoga.
What is Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is a style of Yoga developed by Pattabhi Jois in Mysore India. It is a very vigorous style of yoga that teaches a set sequence of postures. The sequence consists of Sun Salutes, Standing postures, Seated postures and Finishing postures. There are connecting movements called Vinyasas between each of the different postures in the sequence.
The Ashtanga yoga practice is done to the breath. Each movement is done to the breath. Breathe in, do one thing. Breathe out and do the next thing. You keep moving to the breath through out the entire practice. Your breath provides the pacing for you as you complete your practice.
Once you learn the sequence of postures you can start working on the pace of the practice. It is from this flow and pacing of Ashtanga yoga that you get most of your benefit.
Bob learned that there are the two styles of teaching Ashtanga yoga and like the two tongs of his BBQ tongs they both have there benefits and complement each other.
The two tongs are
- Led class
- Mysore class
We will look first at the Led class and then move on to the Mysore class.
Tong #1 – Led class
A led Ashtanga class is very similar to most other yoga classes that Bob has attended. The teacher is at the front of the room telling everyone which pose to do next and demonstrating the pose so everyone knows what it looks like and how to do it. Everyone does the same pose and then everyone moves on to the next pose.
There are two levels to a led class in the Ashtanga system.
Level I
In a level I class you are learning the first half of the Primary Series which is the first set of seated poses.
The pace of a Level I class is slower than a Level II class. You are spending time learning how to do the various poses and how to do a vinyasa, the connecting movements between postures.
Level II
In a level II class you are focusing more on the pace of the practice and your breath. You do the entire set of seated poses that make up the Primary series and the vinyasas that connect the postures together. You still move as group through the series of poses.
You learn in a led class by following the teacher and doing the poses to the best of your ability. You move forward as a group from one pose to the next. This approach is very different from the other teaching style of Ashtanga yoga. The Mysore class.
Tong #2 – Mysore class
The Mysore style of teaching Ashtanga yoga is unique to Ashtanga yoga. You are being taught at an individual level by your teacher in a group setting. This is possible because in Ashtanga yoga you work on a set sequence of postures and it is not necessary for the teacher to tell you which pose to do next.
In a Mysore class each person moves at their own pace. They follow the natural rhythm of their own breath. They are not following the teacher’s pacing nor are they moving at the same pace as the person beside them. They are moving at their own pace to their own breath.
When you need help from the teacher they are available to help you. You will not be holding the class up while you and the teacher work together to learn and develop your ability to do a particular posture. Everyone else in the room continues on with their practice.
This is the most significant benefits of this style of teaching Ashtanga Yoga. You get individual attention and the chance to learn directly from your teacher in a one on one setting without holding up the rest of the class.
The other major benefit of this style is your ability to move through the practice following the natural rhythm of your own breath.
Because the Mysore class is so different from all the other styles of teaching yoga everyone is reluctant to try it. They have many objections to trying it.
I don’t know the sequence well enough to go to a Mysore style class
A lot of people feel this way. They want to know the sequence before they go to a Mysore class. They do not want to look stupid in front of everyone else.
Mysore style classes are where you are should be to learn the sequence of poses. It is expected that you do not know the sequence. Most teachers will provide you with a practice sheet that shows which posture is next. You can use the sheet to guide you or if you get lost you can ask the teacher which pose is next.
It is only through repetition and working on your own that you will learn the sequence. It will take you longer to learn the sequence of poses if you stay in a led class and let the teacher tell you which pose to do next.
I am so stiff, I won’t be able to do all of the poses
This also is a common objection. A Mysore class will help you to develop the flexibility that you want. The teacher will assist you in the pose and help you to move further into the pose than you have ever gone before. They will suggest alterations and modifications that you can work with based on your current ability and flexibility.
As your flexibility improves your teacher will help you to move on to the next modification for that particular pose until you are doing the full pose with ease. The individual attention that you get from the teacher in a Mysore class makes this possible.
I don’t want to monopolize the teacher’s time
This is another concern of a person new to the Mysore style of teaching it. They are worried that the teacher will have to spend all of their time with them.
You will quickly discover that the teacher moves rapidly around the room, giving tips, adjustments and guidance as needed. They will spend a few minutes with a person, then move on to help another person while the first person continues to work on their current pose. When the first person needs more guidance the teacher will be there with some more instruction and then they will be gone again.
Which Style should You use
The two styles of teaching Ashtanga yoga like the two tongs of the BBQ tongs compliment each other. They are both needed and should be used.
Bob needs both tongs of the BBQ tongs. If there was only one tong instead of two it would be very difficult to cook on the BBQ.
Similarly if you go to one style of Ashtanga yoga, you will be learning at a slower pace. Go to the led class to learn the pacing of the practice and go to the Mysore class to learn new poses and how to do the poses that you already know a little better.
Next Steps
The next chance you get try a Mysore style class. You will discover that a Mysore class is not that scary and you will learn a lot even during one class. Take this new learning to your led class and enjoy the additional benefits of your improved practice.
