Approach matters

I fell in love with Ashtanga in 2007
Right after the shootings at VT
My teacher was a white bearded hippie in Floyd, VA
He was kind, knowledgeable, and steady
He knew what happened and always erred on the side of kindness
He taught slowly and trusted the practice would lead me where I was ready to go
He taught me how to work with my energy
How to manage the terror and rage that lived inside me
And how to sit with myself in silence
The focus was always on the present moment and I was never forced into any pose against my will
He was taught by Manju Jois, Pattabhi’s son

After a year of daily practice,
I sought out Manju and learned all of second series from him
He taught me sanskrit, chanting, adjustments, and how to establish the endurance for twice daily practices if I wanted

In 2012 I tried out Authorized rooms
The approach was vastly different
The focus was on accomplishing external coordinates at the expense of the internal experience
This was also true for me in Mysore, India
I received a back injury during a shitty adjustment that left me fcked up for 1.5 years

I was really confused
This was not the practice I was taught nor had fallen in love with
I took time off from teaching and trained in other modalities that felt stabilizing, informative, and useful (GST, mobility, weightlifting, rock climbing, 10,000 steps a day, etc).
The quality of my life improved.
I re-assessed my approach and relationship to my body
And returned to an Ashtanga practice
And teaching mysore.

I know i have something to offer

I love holding space for our community and helping students cultivate a personal practice
I consciously teach a heart based approach that uses critical thinking and acknowledges where this practice comes from
Its beauty and
All of the messiness that comes with it.

It’s an interesting line to walk, using a mixed methods approach to what people understand as a rigid practice

I’m still navigating all of it and doing the best I can.
Approach matters.
Understanding Ashtanga as a template rather than a rigid sequence is useful.
It’s a work in progress and I’m always interested to see where it goes as I broaden the lens beyond all the indoctrination.