FitSugar

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Ashtanga Class

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:42:55 PDT

Ashtanga is one of my favorite forms of yoga because it's fast-paced, fluid, and each class follows the same sequence, so you always know what to expect once you have a few classes under your capris. It's also really intense, and some aspects of it can be a real turn-off to people. Before you head to your first ashtanga class, here are some things you'll be glad you know.

1. You'll Probably Be Touched by Strangers
Adjustments are pretty common in the ashtanga world, so expect to be touched - a lot. Instructors (or the assistants in class) use adjustments to correct your alignment or to help you get deeper into a posture. The touch-feely aspect of ashtanga can either make you say "yay," or "yikes." If you're not into being touched, politely ask not to be assisted. If you are OK with it and an assist hurts you, make sure you speak up.

Keep reading to hear four other things you'll want to know before your first ashtanga class.

What to Expect From an Ashtanga Yoga Class

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:34:53 PDT

If you're a runner, cyclist, skier, rider, climber, swimmer, or have a Type A, high-energy, can't-sit-still kind of personality, sign yourself up for Ashtanga yoga. This type of yoga is challenging, quick-paced, and just the thing to open your tight hamstrings, hips, and shoulders. Before heading to your first class, here are some things you should know.

It's Hot
I'm not talking Bikram-yoga hot, but it's pretty darn hot. Most studios turn on the heat, so expect to be in a room that's about 80 to 90 degrees. This means you'll probably get pretty sweaty, so it's best to wear long pants to absorb your sweat and to prevent drips of sweat from puddling on your mat, making it dangerously slick. Pants will also add traction for poses where you're touching your legs, as in Crow, so you don't slip out of the pose and hurt yourself. A rug or yoga towel placed on your regular sticky mat is also a must. You might want to bring a hand towel to class as well to wipe the perspiration off your face and arms.

Depending on how strict the instructor is, they might encourage you not to drink water during the practice, since you're working so hard to build the fire inside you, and the water will "put the fire out." So make sure you drink throughout the day before you practice to prevent dehydration.

It's Repetitive
Ashtanga yoga has been taught by the late Pattabhi Jois since 1948, and it involves a set sequence of poses that a practitioner follows in the exact same order every time. Most studios offer Primary Series or Intermediate Series classes. Most ashtanga yogis are practicing Primary Series, which follows this sequence: Five Sun Salutation As, Five Sun Salutation Bs, the Standing Sequence, the Primary Series (Seated Postures), and the Closing Sequence. The beauty of the repetition is that since each class is the same, you can visit any studio in the world, and you'll be able to do the exact same class you do at home. Or once you memorize the sequence, you can practice on your own at home. Some people love the repetition since it can act as a form of moving meditation, while others may see it as boring.

I'm just getting started, so keep reading to hear more about what to expect from your first Ashtanga class.

Choose a Yoga Class That Fits Your Personality

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:00:05 PDT

When I tell people I teach yoga, I hear things like, "I always wanted to take yoga but it's way too hot," or, "I could never do yoga because it's way too slow." The thing is, there are so many different types of yoga that whatever your personality, one style will be right for you. If you've always wanted to try a yoga class, check out the chart below to see which kind of class you should attend.

Type of Yoga	Personality
Ashtanga	Type A, competitive with yourself, high energy, can't sit still, strict, rigid, likes order, likes knowing the right and wrong way to do things, needs to move in order to de-stress
Anusara	Scientific, interested in body alignment and how your body moves internally, introspective, creative, likes to use props, in touch with your emotions

If those two don't seem to fit your personality,

Strike a Yoga Pose: Noose

FitSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:50:38 PDT

This majestic and stable looking pose is a great way to open your shoulders, work the muscles in your feet and lower legs, and also challenges your sense of balance.

Sanskrit Name: Pasasana
English Translation: Noose Pose
Also Called: Twisting Bound Squat

This is a tough pose so to learn an easier modification

Darth Vader and Yoga: A Connection Through Breath

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 07:05:52 PST

Yoga is all about connecting your breath with your movements.

It's called ujjayi pranayama (pronounced oo-jai pra-na-ya-ma). Some instructors call it "ocean breath," "victorious breath," or "Darth Vader breath." It is said that Yogis performing this breath alone can create enough heat to melt snow around them. If you walk into an Ashtanga yoga class, you will be overwhelmed with an amazing and powerful sound - it feels like the walls themselves are pulsing.

Basically you are turning your ordinary breath into an audible one. When you can hear your breath, it's easier to follow and concentrate on. You can focus on letting your inhalations and exhalations guide your movements - then it's kind of like a moving meditation.

Want to know how to have that audible breath? Then

Say out loud - "I love Yoga."
Now whisper the same words, "I love Yoga."
Keeping your mouth closed, slowly exhale out through your nose and whisper "I love Yoga," again. Now inhale and whisper the same phrase.
The breath is moving to the back of your throat and nose.
Now slowly inhale and whisper one syllable,"Love." Exhale and whisper out "Love."
When you're ready, practice breathing this way, through your nose, keeping the breath deep in the back of your throat.

This breath creates the rhythm you use to guide your yoga practice. Take long and deep breaths, and you'll feel its relaxing effects instantly.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Counting

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:30:00 PDT

The thing I love about Ashtanga yoga classes is that they are the same every time you go. Same poses, same order, same amount of breaths in each pose, and the class is always an hour and a half. There are no surprises, so you always know what to expect.

The teacher keeps everyone at the same pace by counting out loud. Many Ashtanga yoga instructors count in Sanskrit, the original language of yoga. Here are the numbers 1-10 written out, and what kind of breath you do for each one.

1: ekam (yekum) - Inhale
2: dve (dway) - Exhale
3: trini (treeny) - Inhale
4: catvari (chatwary) - Exhale
5: panca (pancha) - Inhale
6: sat (sut) - Exhale
7: sapta (supta) - Inhale
8: astau (ashtow) - Exhale
9: nava (nawa) - Inhale
10: dasa (dasha) - Exhale

Here is Pattabhi Jois (the father of Ashtanga Yoga) teaching Second Series with 6 students following. You can here him count in Sanskrit to get in and out of poses, but he counts the 5 breaths in English during the pose. Check it out.

Fit's Tips: Second Series is very challenging, and traditionally taught after mastering Primary Series, so don't be turned off by these difficult poses. If you've never tried an Ashtanga yoga class, take Primary Series first. You'll start off slow and build your way up when your body is ready.

Are You Slipping on Your Mat? Try a Rug

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:30:00 PDT

Saying that Ashtanga, Bikram, and Vinyasa yoga classes are sweaty is a bit of an understatement. The room is heated (in Bikram can be over 100°F), and you're moving vigorously, so your body sweats profusely to cool you down. In the first 15 minutes, my entire outfit is soaking wet and little beads of sweat start dripping from my chin. The worst part is that my palms get really sweaty too.

That's great for your body, but not for your practice. There's nothing I hate more than trying to do Down Dog, while my hands and feet are slowly slipping away from each other. You can spend all your time trying not to end up lying flat on your belly, that you can't concentrate on following your breath. I have a solution.

You should try a cotton rug. You can continue using your regular sticky mat, you just lay the rug right over it. It makes a wonderful cushioned surface, which is awesome for poses where your bones are pressing into your mat. Rugs are 100% cotton, which means they are washable and biodegradable. Plus they come in tons of colors. Here are my favorites from Barefoot Yoga Company.

Cotton Rug	Cotton Practice Rug
Cotton Practice Rug	Cotton Practice Rug
Cotton Practice Rug	Cotton Rug
Coton Rug	Cotton Practice Rug
Cotton Rug	Pink and Brown Rug

Fit's Tips: After a sweaty practice, be sure to let your rug completely dry out. Hang it over a door, because if it remains wet, it can start to grow mold which is really disgusting. Pop your rug in the washing machine at least every 3 practices, if not more.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Animal Names

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:45:00 PDT

When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some animals in Sanskrit and the poses they're named after. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.

Baka - crow, crane or wading bird, as in Bakasana (Crow pose)
Bheka - frog, as in Bhekasana (Frog pose)
Bhujanga - snake or serpent, as in Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Gomukha - face resembling a cow, as in Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose)
Kapota - dove or pigeon, as in Salamba Kapotasana (Supported Pigeon pose)
Kukkuta - rooster or cock, as in Kukkutasana (Cock pose)
Kurma - tortoise, as in Kurmasana
Matsya - fish, as in Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Mayura - peacock, as in Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock pose, also called Forearm Stand)
Nakra - crocodile, as in Nakrasana (Crocodile pose)
Svana - dog, as in Adho Mukkha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Simha lion, as in Simhasana (Lion pose)
Vatayana - horse, as in Vatayanasana (Horse pose)
Vrschika - scorpion, as in Vrschikasana (Scorpion pose)

Humans were not the first to do yoga. Way back in India, animals were observed in nature, and noted for their particular abilities and accomplishments. To imitate these qualities was considered a high sign of spiritual enlightenment, that's why so many yoga poses are named after animals. Check out this post to see animals doing yoga.

Move it at Home: Beryl Bender Birch Power Yoga - The Practice

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:30:00 PDT

Sometimes you have to stick with a winner, and even though Beryl Bender BIrch's Power Yoga: The Practice DVD came out in 2002, it illustrates Ashtanga Yoga's Primary Series beautifully. Since this series of poses never changes, this DVD is timeless.

It illustrates the poses of Primary Series just like David Swenson's Primary Series DVD, but what I love about this video is that the instructor is a woman. You won't just see her on a mat perfectly demonstrating the poses on some pristine mountainside or meadow either. The video is filmed as she instructs a class of students with all different body types and levels of flexibility and strength. That way you can see modifications for all the poses.

I had the honor of taking her Power Yoga Workshop many years ago, and Beryl's personality is so warm, kind, and supportive. She realizes that Primary Series is difficult, so she encourages you to listen to your own body and not push yourself too hard. I love that she realizes that practicing yoga is all about becoming aware and open, and not so much about how deeply you can forward bend. I'd recommend this DVD to beginner's and advanced Ashtanga yogis.

The entire practice is 90 minutes long, but you can do as much as you want. I like to pop it in when I can't make it to a class, or if I need to stretch after a run. I also like to bring it along with my laptop when I go on trips. Now I have no excuse to forgo exercise while I'm away from home. Order it from Amazon for $13.99.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Basics

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:30:00 PDT

When I go to certain yoga classes (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructors don't demonstrate the postures. They walk around assisting students, and call out the names of the poses - in SANSKRIT! Here's a little lesson so the next time you go to a yoga class like this, you can have more of an idea of what poses you're supposed to be doing.

Asana - "pose," as in Tadasana (Mountain pose)
Urdvha - "upward," as in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog pose)
Adho - "downward," as in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Utthita - "extended," as in Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose)
Baddha - "bound," as in Ardha Bada Padmottanasana (Standing Half Bound Lotus pose)
Kona - "angle," as in Supta Konasana (Sleeping Angle pose)
Upavistha - "seated," as in Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle pose)
Parivritta - "revolved," as in Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle pose)
Supta - "sleeping," as in Supta Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise pose)
Namaste - A sweet gesture meaning "The light (or spirit) in me greets the light in you." "Namaste" is also a greeting than means hello or goodbye.

So now you'll recognize some Sanskrit words when you take your next yoga class. With a little practice, these words will flow right off your tongue. It's fun to learn the Sanskrit names of poses, but you can still call them by their English names - You won't get in trouble with the Yoga Police.

Source

Type of Yoga	Personality
Bikram	Type A, extreme, over the top, needs discipline, loves heat, loves to sweat, craves order and strictness
Iyengar	Strict, rigid, interested in body alignment, likes to be told the right and wrong way to do things, likes to use props
Kripalu	Easy-going, slow-moving, meditative, spiritual, introspective
Kundalini	Meditative, slow-moving, spiritual, likes to be physically and mentally challenged, likes to focus on breath and chant, interested in the chakras and awakening the energy (kundalini) that resides in the base of the spine
Jivamukti	Spiritual, meditative, creative, likes to move, needs to de-stress, likes to be physically and mentally challenged, likes to chant
Vinyasa	Creative, spontaneous, up for a challenge, likes to move quickly, likes to sweat