r/ashtanga
Should I go back after 1 year?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
I was practicing Ashtanga 3 to 4 times a week for 1y and ultimately decided to participate in an Ashtanga retreat in Bali for 1 week. That was 1 year ago. After I came back, I was so tired that I stopped Ashtanga completely. I felt like I had tried to do the full primary series in the retreat, which I hasn’t done before, and I was never going to be able to fully do it. A few months later the Shala I used to go to next to my house closed. Bottom line – after 1 year, I am craving Ashtanga. But I h…
— via r/ashtanga
Our Response
Okay. First — retreats burn people out all the time. You're not broken.
You went from your sustainable practice to full primary in Bali. Of course you crashed. That wasn't the next logical step. That was someone else's idea of progress.
Here's what you do: Start exactly where you are right now. Not where you were. Not where Bali told you to be.
Do half primary. Do standing poses and three seated poses. Do what leaves you wanting more, not limping.
The shala closing doesn't matter. You practice at home now. That's actually better. No one watching. No one pushing.
And drop this "fully do it" thing. Primary series isn't a destination. It's a template. Some days you do more. Some days less. That's the practice.
You've been gone a year. You're craving it. That craving is the signal. Go small. Go sustainable. Ignore Bali.
If you need help building it back, check the study guide on home practice. It'll walk you through how to structure this without the drama.
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