(This is part 1 in a three-part series of blog entries on this subject.)

"Is this really for me?"  or "I just don't feel like practicing today" or “I’m too old to be doing this.” Whatever thoughts you've had about whether or not you should roll out your mat and start your Ashtanga practice, I guarantee that I have probably had them as well. Patanjali outlined the obstacles to practice (and, apparently, there are nine of them, including illness/injury, laziness, discouragement, and uncertainty) in his Yoga Sutras at least 2,200 years ago, so you are not alone in your experience - even the ancient yogis had a hard time making the effort to practice yoga.

I'd like to offer folks who are experiencing obstacles to practice some gentle advice that may help you roll out your mat when you least want to.

1. Breath. Like other forms of asana practice,  Ashtanga is a breathing exercise, more than anything. All you have to do is breath mindfully, really. When you move upwards, you inhale, when you move downwards, you exhale. That's Ashtanga at it's most basic. You breath ujayi breath, freely and deeply through your nose. Each breath is accompanied by a specific movement. Your breath guides you in and out of postures. Don't think about time limits or set a time goal. Just roll out your mat, start breathing mindfully and moving with the breath, and see how far that takes you. You'll soon discover, you are practicing.

In practice, if you forget to breathe, you lose life force, lightness and joy in the practice. Practice becomes stilted, hard, and doesn’t flow without the breath. It becomes a chore or task to be gotten through, and you’ll get tired quickly, and you be less inclined to practice the next time. So, listen to your breath and let it guide you. If you are having trouble breathing, then stop or slow down, take rest. Do what you need to get your breath back, and don’t feel bad when you do. No one will judge you. If they do, that’s their problem. Let go of competition and treat yourself with ahimsa, compassion, the first and foremost of the Yamas.

2. Be playful. Ashtanga is best when enjoyed playfully, like when you were trying something new as a kid. Remember your first leap from a high dive? Exhilaration arose in you - and perhaps fear, too. Thoughts will arise - for new and seasoned students alike - such as, “I want to try this. It looks like fun, but I think I’m not be able to do this. This is scary. I might get hurt.”  That’s understandable - fear, or abinivesha,  is one of the kleshas or afflictions that cloud our knowledge of the True Self. Patanjali said even the wise suffer from this klesha - which is really  fear of death or annihilation.

How do you get past fear? By facing the challenge using focus on ujayi breath, a good dose of equanimity, and a healthy curiosity about the potential of your mind and body. Transform the practice or the challenging asana into a form of play. Take joy in dropping into you body and just practicing, and find joy in whatever you accomplish, even if you tried and it didn’t quite work. Follow Krishna’s advice in the Gita - don’t get attached to results and just act! Breath, stay calm, and do your best. If you can’t do a posture, don’t get discouraged. Try it again the next time you practice, and don’t give up. Working with a teacher you can trust is vitally important when fear arises, too - so find a good Ashtanga teacher you can trust who can help you move safely through and past fear to a place of discovery and fun.

3. Practice regularly and consistently, daily if possible. This doesn’t mean that every day you treat yourself to a kick-ass, 90+ minute, hard core sweat bath of a practice, where you go all out and end up exhausted.  Ashtanga was developed by householders (people with families, jobs and lives in the real world) for householders. If all you have is 15-30 minutes to practice because of the business of given day, then do as much of the practice that you can do in that time - and always take a few minutes rest.  You will not regret it - it’s better than a coffee break. Shorter practice is especially good when you are a beginner and building strength and stamina, and great when you are coming back from injury, too.

At first, do as much of the practice that you have time for, at a regular and consistent time, at least a few days of your week. Work up to a daily practice. Always take at least one day off a week, especially if you practice daily. (And it’s not truly an “every day” practice: in the Ashtanga system, women get a monthly “holiday” when they menstruate, and all practitioners get new and full moon days off, too. This works out sometimes to just 4 days a week.) If you are lucky enough to have a good Ashtanga teacher in your community, work regularly with them and develop trust and confidence in each other. Consistency and regularity are your friends with Ashtanga.

4. Don’t give in to the dark side. Don’t judge yourself, compare yourself with others or compete. No matter how proficient, how flexible or how strong you become, even if you devote your entire existence to this practice, there will eventually be a posture that will be impossible for you.  There will always be someone who is stronger, more flexible, who has practiced longer and more often, and who is more proficient in the practice. This does not mean you are a failure, or that they are necessarily a “better” practitioner. When you compare, you judge yourself.  So let go of comparison. When you judge yourself, you’ll get discouraged - and you’ll eventually quit.

To defeat the dark side in practice, use breath and your drishti - your focus or gaze. Keep your eyes on your own practice and off fellow students. (This is much easier to do in the Mysore style classes). Listen to your breath and let your mind become quiet. Pattabhi Jois said, “When the mind is quiet, the asana is correct.” He didn’t say, “When the body is perfectly aligned and you are demonstrating the posture accurately, the asana is correct.” The intention is to quiet the mind and develop the ability to concentrate on a point of focus for longer and longer periods of time. Don’t give in to or nurture negative, unhelpful, random thought processes.  That’s your mind trying to distract you - because your ego, or the small self, doesn’t want to be quieted and controlled. Notice negative thoughts as they arise, let them go with compassion and a gentle laugh of recognition (“There goes my mind, trying to distract me again!”) and bring your attention to your gaze and your breath and how good it feels just to breath and be present. Repeat as needed, and your mind will go to the “dark side” less and less.

(Part 2 coming soon....)