“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.”    
Thich Nhat Hanh

The first time I read this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, it made me think about Ashtanga—the moment when I’m practicing and it feels like I truly am there, not absorbed by anything else but just aware. That’s the magic of the Mysore practice; that’s what enchanted me the first time I entered a Mysore room. Everyone was there, deeply present—the look on everyone’s faces, the sweat, the discipline, the sound of one gigantic collective breath, growing, amplifying. There isn’t one time that I left a Mysore room without feeling incredibly inspired. Every time, I am born again.

“So whenever we practice yoga we take another look. We look again for the first time at our breath, and we feel it flow through the nostrils. We examine our thumbs, our fingers and hands, our arms, feet, and our legs. We feel the mouth, we sense that skin is all over the body. We look once again at each other, at the world, and at the mind — all anew and fresh, without the preconceptions that come from past experience. Looking into the mirror of yoga we see there is something deep, completely mysterious, extraordinarily joyous, and most of all very familiar.” 

The mirror of Yoga, Richard Freeman

Ashtanga is now an integral part of my life; it keeps me grounded. Even if most of the time I practice alone, there’s something authentic in this style, something that brings me back home even when I’m miles away. I feel truly blessed to have it in my life, as it is such an incredible tool for the mind and body. It is curious because I always felt like I was looking for something and didn’t know what in particular, and then I just ran across a YouTube video of a group of students practicing the first series. I knew that was it.

On Ashtanga Vinyasa and Mysore Style

“[…] there is no body-mind distinction, body-mind is a continuous whole, because practicing asanas confers benefits on body, nervous system and mind all at the same time.” 

One simple thing, Eddie Stern

For those new to Ashtanga, I will briefly explain this style and how it differs from other forms of yoga. The word "ashtanga" means "eight limbs," which are enumerated in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This text, written around 200 CE, is one of the most important in yoga philosophy as it lays out many fundamental concepts.

Ashtanga Vinyasa is a method created by Pattabhi Jois, a former student of Krishnamacharya (most modern yoga practices are derived from his teachings). It consists of six series, each with a fixed number of asanas. Each series begins with sun salutations, followed by fundamental positions, the asanas of the series the one is practicing and ends with closing postures. The series are numbered in growing intensity, and as for the asanas, they are given to the student once the precedent one is mastered. The first series, Yoga Chikitsa aims at the purification of the body, through sweating the toxins out, building internal heat with the aid of the breath.

The various asanas are linked together through vinyasas, which create a fluid succession of postures and link the movement to the breath. Breath is an essential component, allowing us to move into and out of positions while keeping us grounded in the present moment. During the practice, we allow the gaze to rest on specific points to enhance focus and mental steadiness. Once a student has memorised the sequence, they practice Mysore Style, at their own pace, with the teacher observing and providing adjustments when necessary. This practice requires deep concentration and discipline, helping to build a strong and flexible body that reflects a resilient and steady mind.

The most beautiful aspect of the practice is its ability to deeply change us; it is an incredibly transformative journey. In Gregor Maehle’s book on Pranayama, I loved an expression he used to describe yogis performing pranayama as astronauts of inner space. I suddenly thought, "That’s what I want to be." Yoga transforms you into an astronaut of the incredibly vast inner galaxies. That’s also why I added pranayama and meditation practices to the end of my Ashtanga ritual—because it makes a huge difference. For all the wanderers and seekers out there, I can only recommend giving this journey a try. You will discover an entire new universe that was just waiting for you. Embrace the practice, and let it guide you to depths within yourself that you never knew existed. As you journey inward, you will find not only peace and clarity but also a profound connection to the world around you. This path is one of continuous growth and discovery, offering endless possibilities for transformation. So step onto your mat with an open heart and mind, explore the galaxies within.