Merchant City Yoga

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Threads of Practice: Reflections on an Ashtanga Journey in 2024

The Seeds of Connection

I recorded my first Chai Session podcast on the 21 January 2021. We were still deep in the midst of the covid pandemic and my idea was to try and capture some of the magic of catching up over a mug of my freshly brewed chai and share it, even though we couldn’t get together in person.

I felt these Sunday chai sessions really brought everyone together. A true celebration of friendship, community and connection.

Fast forward to 2024 and unbelievably I’m still recording and sharing conversations.

But the world has changed. The yoga landscape has changed.

I’m feeling that Ashtanga Yoga, the yoga that I love, I practise and teach, the one I keep coming back to, is less popular than before. It’s fallen a bit out of fashion.

Despite the sheer volume of information out there, more than there ever was when I started practising, people are choosing different styles and to practise yoga in different ways. Back in the day I pretty much had no idea what I was getting in to!

So I decided to talk it over with my friends. And I found out that we still all value this practice and where it’s brought us to so far. I thought it’d be lovely to share this love we all have with you too and the idea of the Ashtanga Love Notes series of podcasts was born.

I have just loved having these conversations. I mean, I love talking about yoga anyway, but to get to chat with some of my favourite people about the magic of Ashtanga is simply the best!

One of the things that has surprised me most is discovering how many common threads of experience we all share.

The Heartbeat of Practice: Key Themes Unveiled

Transformation Beyond the Mat

I’ve been practising Ashtanga now for just short of 20 years and I can say without a doubt it has changed me. Probably in more ways than I even know!

Apart from reading books and brushing my teeth, there aren’t many things I’ve stuck with for longer. And what keeps me coming back, I think, is simply that I feel better afterwards - most of the time I can’t put my finger on exactly why or how, but I just know that I do.

Looking in the rear view mirror though I can see some patterns. I think I’m braver than I used to be. I think I’m willing to make more courageous decisions, even if they make me feel uncomfortable. And I think that’s because of the Ashtanga practice.

I wasn’t sporty and I didn’t come to Ashtanga from any physical discipline. And I can tell you I thought a lot of the yoga postures, and the people doing them, were crazy!

But it’s interesting what happens if you give things a go anyway. And even if you can’t do it, stay curious as to what might happen if you keep trying. I don’t just mean whether or not you end up being able to do the crazy posture. What else might happen, what might you learn about yourself, your body or the posture? About the other people, those who can do it and those who can’t? What might you discover if you simply keep showing up, for yourself and for others?

This theme came up again and again during my conversations.

Emma talks about the value of facing challenges and learning from them, the importance of resilience and the courage to confront difficult situations, both in yoga and in life.

Allison says “But you know, it’s so interesting what we learn about ourselves in the process. How do we deal with that? And how do we modify, and how do we change? And then, when we can finally do that posture that we thought was impossible you're like, well, if I can do that, then maybe I can do this thing over here that I think is impossible too.”

Really what we’re all talking about is the fullness of yoga as a wholehearted practice and how it can help us navigate the modern lives we live today.

Breaking Down Misconceptions

Often Ashtanga Yoga is perceived as difficult, rigid, boring and available only to the most physically able and gifted bodies.

But these conversations revealed deeper layers of practice and experience, and show the importance of context and more shaded understanding - everyone starts where they are with what they have, the importance of repetition and consistency, understanding changes over time, progress is rarely linear and it’s a long game we’re playing.

In fact, Emma and I both spoke about how important the foundational postures are, and the longer we practise and teach the more we appreciate them!

Lucy emphasised the importance of understanding the connection between body and mind for unified movement. She talked about the breath as a tool for connecting different parts of the body, and how it can help us in remembering the wholeness of the body.

Cathy talks about the practice being about understanding your own body and making progress at a steady pace rather than achieving what we might think is the “perfect posture”. She also stressed the importance of consistency and quality in practice, rather than quantity or trying to do too much in one go.

Community and Shared Journey

Another common thread that came up time and again was connection and community. Although our practice is an individual endeavour it’s often done in connection with others. These relationships sustain and challenge us through the power of shared experiences.

Emma tells us a story about the impact of a bond formed with a fellow practitioner and the energy practising with other people brings.

My conversation with Allison is actually all about the importance of support and community. Without her I’m not sure I’d still be practising and teaching.

My Ashtanga Love Notes themselves are all about connecting, my relationship with those teachers and practitioners and my relationship with myself and my practice. And sharing conversations in the Chai Sessions is all about fostering connection with you. I’m hoping they help you feel that you’re part of our community too and you’re sharing our journey.

Remembering Sharath Jois and Rolf Raujokat

This year we lost two important teachers in the world of Ashtanga Yoga.

Sharath Jois is considered the lineage holder or steward of Ashtanga Yoga. He’s the grandson of K Pattabhi Jois who is widely credited with developing the Ashtanga Yoga sequences with his teacher and sharing them around the world.

I travelled to Mysore in Southern India to practise with him for three months in 2011. For the first month I came and went every day with no attention, just the occasional instruction from Sharath “you stand up” or assist from one of his assistants in the shala. If I’m really honest about these assists, I felt most of them were too strong and I often tried to avoid being assisted by anyone except Sharath. On the rare occasion when Sharath did assist me I really felt he understood my body even though he didn’t know me personally.

By my second month I started to realise there was definitely a quality about practising in the shala that I didn’t find practising at home. I still can’t put my finger on it but it’s something about simply turning up every day and doing my practice with very little interference and no expectation of input. It’s something close to constancy or steadiness and offered me a taste of the enduring nature of a yoga practice.

By the third month, I had grown to really appreciate the space to practice on my own. While I didn’t look forward to the early alarm, to queueing to get in even earlier due to “shala time” I did grow to love simply turning up, doing my stuff and leaving again.

And wouldn’t you know that was when Sharath “gave me” the first couple of postures of Intermediate. Exactly when I wasn’t looking. So much so that I had no idea he was talking to me and one of the assistants had to get my attention!

So even though I don’t consider Sharath my teacher, he certainly influenced my Ashtanga practice. Despite the fact he’s often seen as rigid, practising with him gave me the space and confidence to discover I can practise on my own and it’s something I carry with me to this day.

Rolf Naujokat is quite simply a legend in the the world of Ashtanga Yoga. In many ways he was the complete antithesis of Sharath. He was completely unattached to any notions of himself as a teacher, public figure or “personality”. He lived the most non-material life I’ve ever seen, he lived so simply and selflessly.

He was teaching with his wife Marci in Goa when Allison and I had the privilege of practising with them on a rooftop terrace for two months in 2009. It was my first time practising in India, it was the first time I’d practised in the heat (I actually thought I was going to combust during my practice the first few days!) and it was the first time I’d practised with such intensity for an extended period of time.

The best way I can describe Rolf’s teaching is, he was lit from within and this beautiful light shone on everyone who practised with him. He didn’t speak much at all but his presence, devotion and the space he held (I’m not keen on that phrase but it’s the only one that comes anywhere near what I’m trying to say here) were powerful teachers. It was probably this simplicity that made him such a great teacher.

So for me, like my experience with Sharath, what’s stayed with me isn’t to do with techniques it’s more about simply being.

I am so grateful to have had time with these two inspiring Ashtanga practitioners, and for how they shaped my yoga experience so profoundly.

The Living Practice: Lessons and Learnings

These conversations and reflecting on my time with Sharath and Rolf revive my faith in the Ashtanga method of practice, even in the face of a changing world.

As Lucy says, the practice of yoga, specifically Ashtanga Yoga, provides structure and support during challenging times. Its traditional roots and systematic approach provide a clear path and framework - for yoga practice and for life.

When we talk about what keeps Emma coming back she says:

“…there’s this moment that is just pure gold for me, and it strikes me every single time when I step on the front of the mat. There's always something that illuminates and cuts through and gives me some hope.”

Looking Forward: Intentions and Inspirations

I’ve got one more Ashtanga Love Note conversation to share with you early in the new year, and I’m really excited because it’s with our very own Rose Ann McKean!

Having these conversations has really given me heart that the Ashtanga practise is just as relevant and effective today as it’s always been. What people think of as yoga might be changing but Ashtanga Yoga offers us the opportunity to rediscover ourselves, to feel the ground beneath our feet, to take a breath and simply arrive where we are.

I also want to take the yoga conversation beyond how we see yoga represented on our social media feeds. In 2025 I’ll be talking to teachers who are “yoga revolutionaries” - they’re taking yoga out into their worlds and at the same time teaching all of us more about what it means to practise and share yoga.

I’m inviting you to reflect on your experiences with your yoga practice, and I’d love to hear from you in the comments:

How did yoga find you?

How has your relationship with it evolved?

What have you learned on the way?

And finally, what keeps you coming back?

As I move into the new year I have a renewed sense of hope and possibility in practice - if you trust the yoga, the process, it inevitably has an impact.

Closing Thoughts

I am so grateful for these conversations and for everyone giving of their time and themselves so generously. I’m excited that we have such amazing teachers continuing to practise and teach Ashtanga Yoga, even when other styles and practices might seem more fashionable just now.

Lucy sums it all up so well when she says “I mean, it's all beautiful.”

You’ll find my Ashtanga Love Notes here and I’d love for you to listen and share your thoughts. I share them with love, from my heart to yours 💛

Judi x


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