Ashtanga Yoga is a traditional and meditative system of hatha yoga, originating from India, where you learn a set sequence of hatha yoga postures that are linked together with slow movements, breath, and internal energy control.
How to join
Regardless if you have experience from other methods of yoga, we recommend starting from the beginning in our Ashtanga Yoga – Beginner Group (Mysore) classes where you learn step by step from the foundations.
If you want join a full course, you can find beginner-friendly ashtanga courses and workshops here.
After finishing a full course, people typically buy a class pass and join according to their own schedule as drop-in (multi-class pass or monthly or seasonal membership).
Ashtanga yoga is taught in two different ways:
1. Led Classes
Led classes is what most people are used to when going to a yoga class. The teacher leads the group in unison, and everybody does the same thing simultaneously. In the ashtanga classes you will however get personalized variations of the practice when needed.
PROS:
- You don’t need to remember the sequence
- Easy to get started, and we recommend starting from the led classes and/or beginners courses
- You don’t get bored
CONS:
- Your focus is more outwards, listening (hearing) and following (sight) the teacher
- Finding your own breathing rhythm can be challenging
- The practice will be averaged for the group
- The teacher typically cannot help everybody every time in the led group class
For how long is it recommended to go to led classes?
This is individual. Many people practice years in led classes before they feel like they want to make it their own in the Mysore classes, and many people never want to come to Mysore classes.
You practice the way it feels best and comfortable for you… until you want to step out of your comfort zone 😏.
2. Mysore style classes
Mysore classes are the traditional way of learning the Ashtanga Yoga method. In the Mysore classes everyone practices individually, in a group setting, with individual one on one help from the teacher. In this style you will slowly get a more personalized practice, and learn more stuff that we don’t have time doing in the led classes.
You practice at your own pace as far as you have learned in the sequence. This is a no-pressure, no-pressure to perform kind of setting.
PROS:
- You will learn the sequence and remember it
- You follow your own breath
- You shift your focus more inward, blocking out external and internal disturbances of the mind by the use of focus (dharana) and sight (drishti)
- The class is very calm and quiet
- You will get a yoga practice for life
- The practice will be tailored for you
- The teacher always has time to help you and can give assistance in your practice
- Beginners get more help in the beginning until they can stand on their own feet in the practice
CONS:
- Learning threshold is higher, because you need to memorize things before you can dive into the meditative phase
Your first Mysore class
In the Mysore classes everybody practice together, beginners and more experienced yogis, and beginners always get more help from the teacher. The Mysore classes ideally feels like a warm cozy community setting.