10/23 Ashtanga Yoga

     This was my first time doing Ashtanga Yoga. We did it with Andrew over Zoom and the class was a little over an hour long. I knew going into this practice that it was going to be challenging since we looked at the different series in class. I've been practicing yoga for a couple years now and I've seen other people do the more challenging poses like headstand and I've attempted to do these poses but I don't try to do them often. If I want to explore a bit more or push myself I'll try more challenging poses but for the most part I'm not attempting these Ashtanga poses in my everyday practice. 

    I liked that this practice was a lot of repetition. I find that when yoga classes have repetition it's easier for me to get into a flow like state. The sequence almost becomes like second nature. Although it was a really challenging practice and I couldn't do most of the postures, it felt like a good way to start off my day. After the class I felt energized and I felt a bit of what Ashtanga yogis call internal heat. While I don't think I will commit myself to the extensive and lengthy ashtanga yoga practice, it is something I would turn to for more of a physical workout that energizes my body. I also think being more informed of the Ashtanga cues and the counting of breath would have helped me comprehend the Ashtanga yoga practice better. 

    This practice promoted healing because it helped build heat in the body. In class we've mentioned that the more heat is brought to our bodies and the more our blood is flowing, the easier it is for tension to be released. I think it also promoted mental healing because I had to keep telling myself to push through the practice and not give up. I can see how this type of practice would transfer off the mat and help with tackling everyday challenges.