Ashtanga has a ton of ways that you can over-do it. It's so easy, whether it be youthful enthusiasm, or a lack of judicious application of periodization. Take, for example, your average Crossfit athlete. They're going to be doing a lot burpees, snatches, deadlifts, and more. If they've had a particularly intense week of burpees and bench pressing, the demands of the shoulders may have gone up. This change in volume necessitates that the practitioner be conditioned well enough to absorb the overage without negative consequence. That's not always feasible, for a variety of reasons.

Common ways to lower intensity:

• Do less asana with the same intensity.
• Do all of the asana with a lower intensity.
• Scale the transitions between sides-- alternating between sides, categories, variation, or skip entirely.
• Choose asana variations that avoid adding additional stressors on the worked-out areas (arms by the sides in triangle instead of up, etc).

"Getting Split"- Intentional Bifurcation of Practice

Full Primary to Half Intermediate A (up to Pincha Mayurasana)

This approach involves completing the entire Primary Series and then proceeding to practice up to Pincha Mayurasana in the Intermediate Series. It’s a balanced approach that allows practitioners to ground themselves in the foundational aspects of the Primary Series while gradually introducing the more demanding postures of the Intermediate Series.

Full Intermediate to Half Third A (up to Viparita Dandasana)

For those who are more advanced, completing the entire Intermediate Series and then tackling up to Viparita Dandasana in the Third Series can be a challenging yet rewarding strategy. This progression helps in building strength, flexibility, and endurance required for the advanced asanas.

Half Splits