mysore style ashtanga self-practice
introductory offer + free poster
Do you want to take your Ashtanga practice to the next level and learn Ashtanga in the traditional way? Then take advantage of our special new 'Introduction to Self-Practice' offer:
– 3 classes for £20* for anyone new to Self-Practice
– a free poster of the Ashtanga Primary Series pose by pose to help you remember the sequence
There's no need to book ahead – just decide when you want to attend and come along. Remember to tell reception it's your first time at self-practice in order to receive your poster and introductory offer.
about mysore-style ashtanga self-practice
This is the traditional form of teaching the Ashtanga yoga method as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Rather than following the instructions of a teacher, you practise at your own pace whilst the teacher gives individual guidance and adjustments to each student where necessary.
The Ashtanga sequences are learned pose by pose (so you may start with a relatively short practice). When the student is ready, the next pose is added. Typically a class will have students of many different abilities and levels with beginners practising next to accomplished practitioners. Focused, inspiring as well as fun, these classes have a real sense of community. To find out more about Ashtanga yoga, go to www.kpjayi.org
what is ashtanga yoga?
Ashtanga yoga is a powerful practice that creates a calm, healthy mind and body. Ashtanga means Eight Limbs. Through dedicated practice of a precise sequence of flowing poses, the body becomes flexible, strong, light and clean. With time (as body and mind purify, becoming stronger and more open), the other 7 limbs of Ashtanga yoga transpire organically.
why is self-practice so special?
Practising in the early morning hours (combined with the powerful individual focus of all the students), creates a unique atmosphere that is very conducive to yoga and meditation, which in turn sets you up to meet your day with clarity and composure.
who can attend?
Ideally, you will have completed an Ashtanga beginners course or have been to some led Ashtanga classes before attending self-practice – you don't need to have memorised the order of the postures. Self-Practice is also open to complete beginners who think they may be interested in attending regularly. The best way to start is little and often – attending 3 times in your first week will allow you to really get a feel for the practice.
when + where?
Primrose Hill Weekdays from 6.00 – 9.15am with Eileen Gauthier
Chelsea Weekdays from 6.00 – 9.00am with Ryan Spielman
Soho Weekdays from 6.05 – 10.30am with Sarai Harvey-Smith
Start whenever you like between these times allowing sufficient time for your practice.
about the teachers
Primrose Hill
Eileen Gauthier's yoga practice comes from both a traditional and an
experimental background. On the traditional side, she's been practising
Mysore style Ashtanga daily for many years and completed the Advanced A
(or 3rd) series with certified teachers, John Scott and Hamish Hendry.
In parallel and on the experimental side, she's been studying with the
Tripsichore Yoga Dance Theatre company since 1999 and has toured and
performed internationally as a member of the company since 2002. She's
one of the yogis featured in the Tripsichore Yoga DVD released in 2006.
The Tripsichore practice consists of asana sequences with a strong
emphasis on hand balances, handstands and handstands variations. Eileen
founded and ran Sukha Yoga Studio in London from 2002 until 2006 when
she left the UK to further her own yoga studies both in Mysore and with
inspirational teacher Rolf Naujokat. www.eileengauthier.com
Ryan Spielman has been practising and teaching yoga for the past three lifetimes. Almost entirely self-taught, he has become an advanced practitioner, completing the Advanced A and B series in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. A meditation teacher, a lay scholar and total geek for authentic spiritual teachings, Ryan has devoted his life to discovering and pushing the boundaries of human potential. As well as teaching yoga, he also leads and organises various groups in London and abroad dedicated to the exploration of consciousness and personal growth. www.trueryan.com
Soho
Sarai Harvey-Smith is Authorised (Level 2) to teach Ashtanga by the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute of Mysore, India (KPJAYI). Sarai’s first experience of yoga was as a child, taught to her by her father, and, after practising sporadically throughout her teens, she discovered Ashtanga and the beauty of a daily practice in 1999. She began teaching in 2002, assisting at Ashtanga Yoga London for the following two years, and, since 2009, running the late morning Mysore program there. She has practised under the guidance of Hamish Hendry for nine years. In 2003 Sarai travelled to Mysore, India, for the first time to study with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji). This trip was pivotal, and amongst other things, cemented her dedication to Guruji and the parampara, the practice, method of teaching, and above all, the journey of self-discovery. She returns to Mysore annually to continue her studies under the guidance of R. Sharath. Sarai continues to be inspired by the multifarious, transformational and heart centred power of the practice, and it is her joy to share this with others. She has a BA (hons) Humanities from The University of London. www.saraiharveysmith.com
*Classes to be taken within one week. Offer applies only to those who have not attended self-practice at triyoga before.
