r/ashtanga
How to stop performing?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
I used to go to ashtanga classes about 10 years back, loved it in the beginning. I went to classes for about a year but at some point noticed that I just hate the practise, it made me feel exhausted and distressed and just the thought of ashtanga made me feel like I am a pathetic looser, will never get more flexible, thought it is a stupid sport anyway and quit. Now years later it is a lot easier to see how it wasnt yoga itself that was making me feel so bad but my need to succeed and perform well at everything I do. Took me years to understand how that made many aspects of my live difficult. After that it took me some more years to develop a different kind of thinking and still a few more years to really develop it and not just perform not performing. Probably still a lifelong journey ahead of getting to knowing myself. Anyway, after ten years I am feeling like I would like to give it a new try! I like the idea of astanga yoga. I enjoy the feeling that after you begin, there is a clear ”path”, no need to think what to do next and just do the familiar movements one after another. The problem I feel with ashtanga yoga is that at least as a beginner you are really far from what you want the asanas to look like, it is too easy to compare yourself to others in your class or pictures you see on social media or when you google the different asanas. The feeling of ”i should be able to have process already”, at least for me, is a hard one to let go of. How do you guys let go of the pressure and the need to try too much, to stretch the movement a bit too far from your comfort zone? I know there isnt one correct answer to this question but thought I would like to hear your opinions/experiences! Or am I the only one struggling with this? 😀 also if someone has advice for someone starting again after a long time, let me know!
— via r/ashtanga
Our Response
You already did the hard part.
Most people never figure out what you figured out. They just blame the yoga and move on.
Here's what you do: Don't practice in a room with mirrors. Don't practice in crowded classes where you're watching everyone else. Find a Mysore room if you can. Early morning. Small group. Everyone doing their own thing.
And here's the big one: Stop at every single vinyasa. Don't rush. The jump back, the jump through — that's where you notice if you're forcing. That's your built-in reset button.
You don't need to perform the vinyasas perfectly. You just need to pause and check in. Am I holding my breath? Am I clenching my jaw? That's the feedback.
The asanas will look however they look. You're not trying to make them look like anything.
You're just moving. Breathing. Noticing when you start to grip.
That's the practice. That's it.
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