When can I join a Mysore class?
You can join a Mysore class after you have been attending a few led classes, and feel like you can begin and finish your practice independently, and preferably you are able to practice the standing sequence on your own (with or without the paper sheet).
What usually can create some confusion for ashtanga beginners is the Mysore style classes, so I wanted to take some time and write something about what happens in a Mysore class.
Scary?
Joining a Mysore class can feel scary at first.
-Am I supposed to be able to practice the whole Primary Series by myself???
Scary? -Yes. The truth is, it IS scary coming to your very first Mysore class! You need to go beyond your comfort zone of being verbally guided through the whole practice.
ALL LEVELS
Need to know the whole practice? -No.
The Mysore classes are for all levels of practitioners, and are especially good for beginners – as long as you have memorised parts of the practice already! The bare minimum requirement to join a Mysore class is to be able to practice sun salutations on your own, and the finishing sequence (bridge and shoulderstand). I recommend however to learn practicing the standing sequence on your own (with or without the paper sheet).
As you practice in the Mysore classes, you will start developing your own ashtanga yoga practice, and everyone in the Mysore room has a different length of the practice. Some students practice half of the primary series, while someone else is practice the second series. Some people practice with easier asanas, and some people practice the full asanas. There is no one-system-fit-for-all in yoga, and this is where the Mysore classes become important, where you get more individual attention in your practice.
This will become your personal tailored yoga practice that stays with you for the rest of your life. Even if you have 10 year break from yoga, the practice is still there for you to resume.
What happens in a Mysore class?
ENTERING THE YOGA SHALA
You enter the yoga shala some time around the starting time and pick a spot your yoga mat. You can enter 15 minutes before class start, of 15 minutes after the class starting time. You don’t need be there exactly at 18.00 when the class starts. If your practice is very long, you are encouraged to join a bit earlier and start your practice to be able to finish on time.
RELAX AND ACTIVATE YOUR YOGIC CONCENTRATION – SUN SALUTATIONS
You can relax for a few minutes, you can do some own warm up if you like, and then you start your practice, starting with the sun salutations (or some easier warm up that the teacher has shown to you).
STANDING SEQUENCE
After the sun salutations you continue, starting with the standing sequence. You can have a paper sheet of the asanas if you don’t remember the order of the asanas, but the sooner you memorize the sequence, the better for your practice, concentration and meditation during practice.
THE TEACHER IS HELPING AND ASSISTING HANDS ON OR VERBALLY
During the practice, the teacher walks around helping everyone individually, giving hands on assisting and verbal assistance, helping you forward in the practice.
HOW MUCH TO PRACTICE?
When you start out in the Mysore classes, you try to keep the same practice every time. The teacher will help you choosing an appropriate length of your practice. Learning the full Primary Series takes everything from about 3 – 24 months in the Mysore classes. It just takes a lot of repetition and practice for your body to get used to the practice. Building up the stamina, strength and flexibility just takes time – there is no shortcut around this.
CONSISTENCY – YOU BECOME WHAT YOU PRACTICE
This is relating to the previous point. When keeping the practice at appropriate length, you learn not to rush. Rushing and pushing too much is what often leads to some type of pain – which on the other hand is an opportunity for you to listen to the signals of your body, which is a great skill to develop for more self awareness.
CAN I TAKE NEW POSES INTO THE PRACTICE MYSELF?
The idea in the beginning (first few years) is that the teacher is the one giving you new asanas to your practice when he/she sees it fit. When you can memorise your practice and can practice the previous asanas with more ease, you are ready to progress further into the practice. This a way for the teacher to make sure that the practice is SAFE for the student.
As you get more experience and have been practicing for a few years, then you have more experience to modify your own practice and experiment with new asanas.
FINISHING SEQUENCE
When you are finished with your main practice, you go the finishing sequence, and do what you remember from the led classes. This is the bridge pose and shoulder stand sequence, and then you take rest and lie down in shavasana for a while.
WHEN CAN I LEAVE?
Since everybodys practice is different, people also finish at different times. If you are not finished yet when the time is up, you can stay and practice the finishing sequence on your own, even if the next class is starting. There is no need to rush the practice because of time. It can actually be good for the people joining the led class afterwards to see people practicing peacefully on their own in the yoga shala.
If you some day only have 30 minutes for your practice, you do a shorter practice (sun salutations, standing, finishing).