The White Rabbit is late for his yoga class.
Alice is sitting stuck in traffic thinking of her favorite character from the story “Alice in Wonderland” The white rabbit was frantic. He was going to be late for a very important date.
Unlike the white rabbit, Alice is not worried about being late for her yoga class. In fact she was planning on getting to class after the start time all along.
Alice is going to an Ashtanga Mysore style class today. Arriving when you want is one of the many benefits of this type of class.
What is an Ashtanga Mysore style class
In this type of class, the students are doing a self directed practice in a group setting.
Unlike a regular class, where the teacher provides the pose and everyone does the same pose at the same time, in a Mysore class the students work at their own pace and the teacher provides guidance and assistance on an individual basis.
How is a Mysore class different from a regular class
There are many differences between a regular class and a Mysore class.
You can
- Arrive late
- Practice at your pace
- Get individual attention
Let’s have a closer look at each of these in turn.
Arrive late
Alice is taking advantage of one of the benefits of a Mysore class, she is arriving shortly after it starts. This is a normal practice for this type of class. Students can arrive after the class starts as long as they have enough time to finish their practice before the class ends.
Being able to arrive late takes the stress out of getting stuck in traffic when you are heading to class.
Arriving after the start of class is not the only difference.
Practice at your own pace
Alice really likes a Mysore class because she can move at her own pace. In a regular class everyone moves at the pace that the teacher sets.
In a Mysore class everyone moves at their own pace. This means that you will be able to move at the natural rhythm of your own breath. If you want to move at a faster or slower pace then you can do so. There is no need to match the pace of everyone else in the class.
Once you practice at the pace of your own breath, you will find that your yoga practice will become more intense and more focused. You will be moving further into poses than you ever did in a regular class and your mind will be completely focused on the pose.
Because you are moving with your breath, your practice will get hotter as well. You are able to bring in lots of oxygen to fuel the furnace within as you move to your breath.
Arriving late and being able to practice at your pace are important as is working with your teacher to improve your practice.
Individual attention
In today’s class Alice is planning on spending some extra time focusing on Triang Muka Eka Pada Pashimottanasana, one legged forward fold. She has been having a particular challenge with it lately. She is planning on working with the teacher at that point in her practice to find out what changes she should make to the pose.
Alice is not concerned about monopolizing the teacher’s attention during class. This is expected in a Mysore class. The teacher is not leading the class, they are providing individual attention to the students where and when they need. While the teacher is busy with one student everyone else carries on with their own practice. They are not waiting for the teacher before they move on to the next pose.
What can you do if you forget the next pose
There is a set sequence of poses that you perform in an Ashtanga class. In a regular class the teacher will tell you the next pose. In a Mysore class you need to remember the next pose on your own.
If you have been practicing the sequence for a while you will be surprised at how many poses you will be able to remember once you start moving through the sequence. If you should get stuck there are a few ways you can figure out the next pose.
- Ask the teacher. Tell the teacher which pose you just completed and they will tell you the next pose to do.
- Look around the room. If the teacher is not available, you can look around the room to find someone else that is just finishing the pose that you just completed. Watch to see which pose they do next and you will be ready to move on.
- Use a practice sheet. This is a printed sheet with the sequence of poses on it. Find the pose that you just completed on it and you will see the picture and name of the next pose.
What to do if you cannot do the poses very well
If you are finding some of the poses challenging to do, then a Mysore class is the best place to be. In this class you will be able to get help from the teacher when you need it for as long as you need it and you will not be holding up the rest of the class.
Next steps
Join Alice in the next Mysore class and let that frantic White Rabbit worry about getting to his yoga class on time.
