Ashtanga Yoga: Mysore-Style Sessions (Mon-Thu)
Enter from Walker Bridge, 3rd floor entrance at the back of the building not the front. All other doors will be locked until the building opens at 8:00AM.
Beginners who have not learned the sequence, please join at 6:00AM or at 8:00AM to receive instruction. Your first class will be about 30-40 minutes.
This class is open to anyone (students, faculty, staff, community).
In Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga classes, participants work through a fixed sequence of poses at their own pace and ability level while the teacher provides one-on-one guidance and instruction as needed. In this format, students memorize the sequence of postures and transitions bit by bit over time, learning to cultivate a meditative practice focused on their own breath. Once participants have memorized the first six postures or more, they may come and go as they wish during the scheduled class period and practice for as long as desired.
Mysore-style classes provide students the opportunity to expand their experience and knowledge through individualized instruction and allow for traditional Ashtanga Yoga sequences to be modified to suit individual needs with the help of an instructor. This is a great yoga class for beginners all the way up to long-term, daily practitioners. As there is memorization involved, it is best suited for those interested in establishing a regular, personalized, and sustainable practice. This is not so much a drop-in offering as something to start the day and build over time with regularity.
Here are a few guidelines for when you come in:
- Please arrive at 6:00AM or 8:00AM sharp if you do not have the first six postures of the sequence memorized.
- Here we practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as I learned it from my teachers.
- Limit distractions (e.g. keep cell phones silent and away).
- Keep conversation outside the room so other practitioners may focus on their practice and have the opportunity to hear their breath.
- Leave shoes, liquids, phones, and belongings in lockers or on the tile floor.
- Limit odors/scents (body, perfume, etc).
- Remember rule #1 (not harming). Practice what you can, be kind to yourself and others. If you have an injury, listen to your breath and modify accordingly.
- Start finishing postures by 8:30AM.
- Want a regular, sustainable practice? Then please commit to 3-6 times a week. (See Yoga Sūtras, 1.14.) This class works best as a regular practice rather than an occasional drop-in.
Instructor: John Bultman
Find more Ashtanga yoga classes.
Contemplative Commons 303 (Studio 3C)
403 Emmet St South
Charlottesville, VA 22903
United States