It was five years ago when I walked into a yoga studio in Austin, Texas for the first time. At that point, I had no idea what to expect and was somewhat hesitant about taking a course. I had been given several class passes as a gift from a friend and was only slightly told of what to expect. The woman teaching the class was thought to be one of the best instructors in town, and my friend felt certain she would be right for me. After several weeks of procrastination, I finally decided to attend a class. Up to this time, I had associated yoga with people sitting in the lotus position chanting unintelligible phrases and attaining trance-like states. I simply did not understand what yoga was all about.
As I walked into the studio I immediately felt anxious. There were so many people already there and going into various rooms. Each room had a sign on the door with words that were as foreign to me as Greek. There was Kundalini, Hatha, and Ashtanga listed on various doorways. My pass indicated that I would be taking an Ashtanga class. My friend had picked this course because I was very active and Ashtanga was known for its active style. Still, my friend was only beginning her practice as well and had little more idea than I did about which course to take. As I walked into the room, I passed by the sign and noticed another word printed underneath Ashtanga. It read ‘Mysore.’ Now, since ‘Ashtanga’ had no more meaning to me than any of the rest, neither did Mysore. I simply passed through the door and hoped for the best. I could tell the moment I entered there were some very serious students in the room. People were sitting very quietly with their legs crossed in either lotus or half lotus and many had rugs, straps, and blocks within reach. Again, I had no idea what these props were for and there was no way I could even get into half lotus let alone full lotus. To say the least, I felt completely out of place.
As the class began my worst fears were realized. The instructor came in and immediately directed the class to begin their practice. As I sat motionlessly, everyone began chanting “OM.” It was amazing how this very simple word made me feel uneasy. I did not know what it meant, and no explanation was given. Then, it got even worse. The instructor led the class in the opening prayer. She began chanting in some language I could not make out. As the instructor would chant, the class would respond. I had no idea what to do. What was happening now was not at all what I expected but at the same time what I feared the most.
Now, the Instructor moved to the front of the class and asked everyone to stand and begin their asana practice. Again, not knowing what asanas meant, I simply stood with everyone else at what seemed like attention and waiting for further instructions. I stood frozen and horrified as everyone in the class began to move except for me. I simply looked around the class to find out what I was expected to do. The instructor noticed I was standing quietly and came over to find out what was wrong. To be fair, the instructor had asked if there were any news students in class and I had did not raise my hand. I was a little intimidated by the thought of being singled out. Now, the truth was out there, and it was somewhat worse than if I had simply been honest at the beginning of class. Still, to the instructor’s credit, she came over and asked if it was my first time and after a reluctant ‘Yes’ she began very slowly to introduce me to Ashtanga yoga.
As I later found out, this was a Mysore class. By coming to this class, it was assumed that I had a regular practice. I was supposed to be able to make it through the asanas with little help as far as the order of things. The instructor was there to help with postures, advances postures, and nuisances. After the class was over, the instructor again came to me and offered several pieces of advice. Most importantly, I needed to come to a beginning Ashtanga class before ever attempting a Mysore class. She also gave me a great deal of encouragement to come again and wanted me to feel more at ease. I must admit, at the time there was really nothing she could say. I had waddled my way through each of the postures and was unable to complete most of the asanas. It was very apparent that yoga was not for me. At least that is how I felt then.
It was many months later before I ever thought about looking into yoga again. By chance, I picked up health magazine and found an article about yoga and the health benefits one could attain from a regular practice. As I read the article, I noticed that the author talked a great deal about the spiritual as well as physical benefits yoga can provide. This was the first time I started to think about how yoga could help me become more balanced.
I then picked up a book called, the Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnu-devananada. As I flipped through its pages, I noticed many of the same postures I had attempted during my one and only class and read more about their benefits. Slowly, I started attempting various asanas to see if I could get any benefit. What I noticed most was how inflexible I really was. As I attempted some of the asanas, I began to realize how important they could be to my physical well-being.
Still, I was very unsure of a yoga studio. I did not know if I was ready for that type of commitment. It was at this same time that the health club where I had a membership started offering yoga classes. This was perfect. I could attend a yoga class and not feel so out of place. There were no strange words associated with the classes. It was simply Yoga I and Yoga II. Somehow this made more sense to me, so I began attending a regular Yoga I class. This class was more like an aerobics class than the Ashtanga class I had attended. People came in and sat down on the floor. There was no incense and no chanting. The instructor was too busy working on their own asanas to come around the room to work with the participants, so I felt more at ease about looking foolish. In fact, as I would look around the room, I noticed others having as much difficulty as I. Somehow, this made me feel much better about the class.
Over the next year, I worked my way up to the Yoga II classes. These classes were much the same except they were longer in duration and there were additional postures added. Some were very complex but after a while, I felt I was able to master them. During this time, I listened as the instructor would talk about various yoga studios in town, and to her suggestions regarding the additional benefits, I could get attain from attending one of their classes. At this point, I decided to give it another try. Yoga in Austin had become popular and there were studios popping up all over town. Still, what style was right for me?
Yoga at a health club, at least in Austin, did not really follow any style. Instead, it was more like power yoga. It simply borrowed techniques from many different styles. So, after discussing it with my yoga teacher, I decided to attend a Hatha Yoga beginner’s class.
To date, it had been 3 years since I began a regular yoga practice. I stayed with Hatha yoga for about a year before attempting Ashtanga yoga again. During this time, I learned that it is not about mastering the poses or looking foolish. Yoga has a very personal philosophy. It is about each of us and our decision to become more familiar with ourselves and the world around us. Practicing yoga is a way to become more in tune with our own bodies while at the same time radiating energy to help the person next to us. Yoga is a philosophy not just an exercise.
During the past 2 years, as I have kept a regular Ashtanga practice, I knew that one day I would become an Ashtanga teacher, but it was only recently that I really began to consider the choice. The more our lives become cluttered with our daily existence, the more peace of mind that is needed. I have found that yoga cannot only help me maintain peace of mind; it can guide me through all of life’s hardships. So, by becoming an Ashtanga teacher, I hope to pass along what I have learned during my own yoga journey. I know that I will continually learn and that my journey will never end. I feel that it is important to allow others to see that their fears and anxieties are not so different from others, including my own.
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