Best kept secret: Mysore Ashtanga yoga

I keep coming back to Mysore Ashtanga yoga and can’t imagine not. It’s like a secret people don’t know about because they are scared to try it, or once they do, they quit when it brings up anything strange inside them, often pain of the body or ego.

Ashtanga forces you to face your weakness

I have found that the secret blessings arise after you get over the challenging hump, one which is not easy to get over. I often had fantasies of quitting Ashtanga or my current teacher so that I could take up my practice with a new Mysore teacher (as if that would conceal my weakness).

I read of various stories and reasons why ex-Ashtangis couldn’t handle it (along with harsh remarks); I've heard stories from my own teacher too. From my perception, it would appear that when darkness or psychological patterns and controls arise, it’s human nature to halt the process and to justify why with the utmost of intensity.

Perseverance and consistency tames the ego

I feel very personally powerful that my physical and mental strengths ensue so that I get the unbelievable chance to invite this type of daily practice and energy healing into my life, the key to its depth and benefit being consistency! If I gave up, I'd never have evolved past where I'd been and I'd never be writing this. It's easy to never get to this challenging spot in other yoga classes, especially fast-paced vinyasa, because I stick with what I'm good at, giving my body the chance to keep performing where it's used to being the best.

The benefits of this practice are beyond working hard, resting well and feeling great; it forces me to look at my whole Self, not just physical abilities. The main pressure I experience is that which I put on myself. It’s mainly to tame my ego!