Ashtanga Yoga Paris
The first yoga teachers in Paris to offer a full program of traditional ashtanga
yoga since 2002.
Photo Credit:
Gleb Kosorukovi
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
– Style Mysore
What does Mysore Style mean?
Mysore is the name of the city
in India where Krishnamacharya started to teach in the Mysore Palace. You
could call him the ‘grandfather’ of modern day hatha yoga. He
was the teacher of BKS Iyengar, TKV Desikachar, Indra Devi, AG Mohan and Sri
K Pattabhi Jois, among others. Now you can call Pattabhi Jois the ‘father’
of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. He took over the teaching from Krishnamacharya in
Mysore and continued to teach up until his passing at age 92 in 2009.
Gérald studied with Pattabhi Jois from 1991- 1998 where he was taught
up to third series and was authorized to teach personally by Guruji. Linda
studied with Guruji in 2003 in Mysore and twice during his visits to New York
City.
In Mysore, India all the yoga students were taught ‘individually’
within the group. You may ask yourself: How can each person be taught individually
when there are only one or two teachers and several students? Each person
practices the portion of the Ashtanga Vinyasa series which has been advised
to them by their teacher. The teacher will observe the practices of the yoga
students and give hands on adjustments, verbal advice and explanation of the
poses and practice as needed. It is great because then the teacher can focus
on giving you personal attention for the postures you need improvement on.
How to embark on the Mysore practice?
We ask that each new student memorize the order of the standing sequence (including
sun salutations). If you take a couple beginner 2 classes, watch the Podcasts
(http://www.ashtangayogaparis.fr/videos.html)
and use the practice sheets (http://www.ashtangayogaparis.fr/pdfs/AsanaPhotosMinis.pdf
) you should feel comfortable enough to come to Mysore practice. In addition,
four times a week we have specific times for those who haven’t completely
memorized the practice where they are welcome to immerse themselves (Mondays
7h30, Tuesdays 20h00, Wednesdays 9h30 and Fridays 9h30).
The full hours of Mysore are Mondays to Fridays from 6h45 to 11h15 and Sundays
10h30 to 12h15. Each person can come and go as needed so long as they are
finished at the time indicated and there is no need to reserve your place.
Just come!
Traditionally the practice is done in the morning before you start your day,
as the sun rises. When you start the day doing something to nourish the body,
mind and soul you will notice that throughout the day you will tend to make
choices that also nourish.
Why bother memorizing the practice?
The main benefit of this is that you start to bring the senses and the mind
inwards. When taking led yoga classes the mind needs to stay outward, concentrating
on the instructions of the teacher. Once you know the asanas you can bring
the mind inwards concentrating on the inner workings of the body and the breath
more deeply and observing the quality of the mind. What’s happening
there? Are we judging? Are we letting our ego push us? Are we letting the
mind be negative or lazy? Are we calm and quiet inside or restless and impatient?
Is the mind clear and concentrated on the task at hand or is it drifting?
Is the breath laborious or serene and smooth? Is the body moving fluidly,
finding balance between strength, stability and release or is it trembling,
tense and blocked?
The next main benefit we see is that it gives the opportunity to have each
individual work where each individual is; following his/her own breathing
rhythm rather than following a guided class which has to take into consideration
the needs of the entire group.
Another of the many benefits is bringing the mind directly into your practice.
Yoga technically means Union; some of the things we are aiming to unite are
the body, breath and mind. Memorizing is a healthy activity for the mind and
connecting the mind to the inner workings of the breath and body lead to awareness
and mindfulness in all aspects of your life.
Tailoring Your Yoga Practice
Think of the difference between buying a suit off the rack at the shop or
having a tailor design you a suit according to your body measurements and
needs. With years of teaching experience Gerald and Linda will guide your
ashtanga practice and give extra ‘projects’ to help you understand
the posture before attempting something that may injure you. Pattabhi Jois
gave Gerald some of these over 20 years ago when he was first learning the
ashtanga practice to help him open his hips and lengthen the hamstrings.
Pranayama
Both Gérald and Linda are authorized to teach by their pranayama teacher,
Sri OP Tiwari from Kaivalyadham in Lonavla, India. After a consistent, long
time practice in the asanas they advise that the yoga students bring their
practice to the subtler level of pranayama and will teach it to those who
are ready either before or after their ashtanga asana practice in the Mysore
room. The breath is the link to the mind; therefore if you can calm and control
the flow of the breath this is next step to refining the mind.
Why are we personally so committed to the sharing of this Mysore Style Ashtanga
Practice?
Simply this is what we both feel changed our lives for the better and we are
inspired to spread the benefits to anyone willing to put in the effort.
The other reason, is when Linda moved to Paris in 2000 she had been practicing
with Eddie Stern in New York. At Eddie’s she found friends, support,
security, peace, love and compassion. She was eager to find the similar environment
in Paris but surprisingly there wasn’t one. There were a couple of Mysore
classes available but nothing in the morning and nothing to support her 6
day a week practice. So, for a couple of years she mostly practiced on her
own and tried to get to a group mysore practice when she could but when she
decided to stay in Paris she was determined to build a community here. She
was the first one in Paris to organize a regular morning mysore program (at
her friend’s yoga studio in the Marais in 2002).
Then when Gérald moved here from Auroville, India, they continued to
teach together at Ashtanga Yoga Paris. It has been a slow progress and of
course, led ashtanga classes will always be more ‘popular’ but
they are still steadfast in their devotion to this practice and are dedicated
to sharing it with as many people as possible. Guaranteeing that if you put
your heart and mind into it it will make major positive changes in your life!
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us!
Podcasts
If you’d like to take the
feel of the studio with you on the road, our yoga podcasts allow you to recreate
the bubble of peace wherever life may take you. We are continuing to add to
our library of podcasts to keep your practice fresh and inspiring even at
times when you are not able to make it to the yoga studio!
Podcasts
Class Descriptions
Beginners 1, 2 or 3
Beg 1: This is a one hour class that highlights the key concepts of the ashtanga
practice. The sun salutations
are done doing modifications so that the yoga student understands the movements
to do them safely.
It is recommended that if you have no yoga experience, you first take this
class until you feel
comfortable with the positions.
Beg 2: This is also one hour but
we start to do the traditional sun salutations and the student is expected
to have a little understanding of safe alignment of the body in the positions.
If in doubt as to whether or
not you are ready for this class or starting into the one and a half hour
classes, just ask the teacher.
Beg 3 Vinyasa: This is one hour class that keeps the base principles of Ashtanga
while adding some creativity to the standing sequence. You will have the opportunity
to experiment with different postures other than the traditional Ashtanga
standing poses in a fun and flowing way.
Beg 3 & Mysore: This is an ideal way to prepare yourself for self-practice.
The teacher will help you to learn to memorize the standing positions. The
room is divided so that those students who are already doing their self practice
are practicing alongside the beginners, giving them a better sense of the
Ashtanga Yoga practice.
Mysore Class
Mysore refers to the traditional
way of learning ashtanga yoga as taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois in Mysore,
India.
In a Mysore class students do their own practice while given individual instructions
and hands on adjustments from the teacher. The student is required to memorize
the sequence and over time poses will be added according to your ability,
pace and body. You work closely with the teacher to develop your own practice.
How far you go in the sequence is adapted to your own body, and the pace of
the practice is decided by your breathing pattern.
It is only by self practice that you progress deeper into the system of Ashtanga Yoga. By learning to listen to, and move in synchronicity with your own breath, you begin to draw in the senses and bring about a deeper sense of awareness. In this way your yoga practice will in time become like a moving meditation.
Having your own practice is an invaluable tool that you will always be able to use whether you practice in a Mysore class, at home or when traveling.
Primary Series
Niveau 1, 2 or 3
In these classes the teacher leads the students through the primary series
at a steady count. It is a class that is challenging, as the students are
asked to respect the flow of the class. It is not a class for complete beginners
however, if the student is familiar with part of the primary series they are
welcome to join. Modifications will be offered in certain positions if it
is unsafe for the student to attempt them. Therefore, it can be a good class
to get the "feel" of doing the entire series if the student is not
already doing it. However, when the students or teacher feels it is appropriate,
the student will start the finishing positions individually. It is also a
good class to refine and help memorize the vinyasa between positions and the
techniques for getting in and out of the positions.
Vinyasa / Ashtanga Re-mix Niveau 1,
2 or 3
This is an invigorating, dynamic vinyasa style class which is lead by the
teacher who mixes a practice that can change every week. It is based on the
Ashtanga system, incorporating positions from primary, second, third series
and beyond. Modifications are offered therefore, it is open to all levels
of practioners except complete beginners. It's a great opportunity to try
new and exciting postures!
Ashtanga Pulse
This class is inspired by Diane Bruni’s Ujjayi Pulse at Downward Dog
in Toronto Canada. The class is moving at a steady flow through the primary
series (or a portion of) with the soothing sound of a drum; creating a deep
synchronized breath with the asana positions. The constant pulse tends to
regulate the breath as the mind relaxes. Because it is moving in a flowing
manner it is a class for those who have a previous familiarity with the Ashtanga
primary series. Not a class for beginners!
Community Class
Level 1-2
5 Euros (plus 2 euro mat rental
if you need one) for Ashtanga Yoga Paris members.
8 Euros (plus 2 euro mat rental if you need one) for non-members.
This class is given by our teacher trainees as an opportunity for them to
practice their teaching skills.
And, at the same time can give someone who may not otherwise be able to afford
yoga classes to learn
this life changing gift. Yoga should be available to everyone so this is an
attempt to offer that.
Thank you to the trainees to volunteer their time and thank you to the yoga
students who come to
support their growth as yoga teachers.
Sanskrit Counted Primary
Series
This class is traditional primary led class
with Sanskrit count as Sri K Pattabhi Jois taught in Mysore in India. The
focus is on the series as a whole and more emphasis is given to the Vinyasa
(movement with breath), the fluidity of movement and connection of breath
within the various postures.
Great for those students who have experience of Ashtanga yoga and know the
postures.
Those students with some experience in other dynamic flowing asana styles
are welcome as an exploratory and may participate up to their comfort level
and can modify where necessary.
Also recommended for those who practice in Mysore style - as the students are asked to respect the flow of the class, we can practice to control our ego.
Yin Yoga
Based on the daoist philosophy of yin and yang, yin yoga is a perfect compliment
and balance to our more active, yang practices. The practice consists in sequences
of simple, passive postures held for long time (between one and five minutes,
depending on the posture), and the goal is to release blockages in the connective
tissues, especially in the hip joints and lower back. *All levels.
One
on One or Small Group Private Sessions
- Set your own yoga schedule & have a session formatted to your needs
~ learn the basics or explore deeper.
- Or gather a small group of friends (3 -4) & discover ashtanga together.
More info
Ashtanga Yoga Paris
5 rue Morand, 75011 Paris
01 45 80 19 96 or 06 20 38 25 72 or 06 22 32 52 16
info@ashtangayogaparis.fr
www.ashtangayogaparis.fr