Morning Mysore Guest blog---Priya Rao

Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga entered my life at the perfect time. About a year ago, when I first walked into the Mysore room, I was at the peak of battling an eating disorder. I had struggled with mild depression and body image issues for years. The eating disorder was a coping mechanism that was empty and lonely, but surrendering to Ashtanga slowly taught me to change my relationship to food, change my relationship to my body, and practice genuine self-love that had never existed in me. Ashtanga helped and continues to help me reflect, grow, and find a deep sense of self acceptance. Before I started Mysore, I would take the occasional Hot Flow or Hatha class, but somehow I felt like there was a competitive edge lining the room. I first came to Mysore, hoping to form a yoga sequence that I could always turn to, even if I just had a few minutes to practice before a busy day. I ended up getting way more than I bargained for because having individualized instruction and the focus from a silent room gave me strength in my practice and life. The transition from dropping in a couple times a week to committing to a daily practice was no easy feat. Initially, I felt the social pressures of college consuming me. I felt like I was always bailing on my friends for an early morning sweat fest, and I was constantly doubting if the practice had any tangible benefits. It was difficult to switch from the college mentality of sleeping at 2am and waking up at 10am, to sleeping at 9pm and waking up at 4:30am. Gradually, I realized that Mysore was fulfilling in ways I couldn’t even have imagined and my self-created barriers disappeared. I started to care less about what others thought, and focused my energy on a practice that made me feel like the best version of myself. Now, on the rare occasion that my commitment to the practice waivers, I ask myself if I am better off than I was a month ago and the answer is always yes. Ashtanga grounded me mentally and physically, but it also helped me reconnect spiritually. Growing up in an Indian household with slightly religious parents, I was introduced to elements of Hindu philosophy and Sanskrit chanting, but I never really connected with these traditions. Combining the physical practice of yoga with the philosophy and chanting gave me new perspective and respect for a culture that I dismissed as a kid. Ashtanga is a practice of contrasts. It requires discipline but it is also forgiving. It is empowering yet completely humbling, invigorating yet grounding, strong but soft. The practice has helped me cultivate some authenticity that leaves me less guarded and more open to life and love. I leave each morning with a clear head and heart, with the space to be a better student, sister, daughter, and friend. Working through my struggles on the mat helps me live in a graceful and compassionate way off the mat. I leave class feeling like I can conquer fifty eating disorders and anything else thrown my way. In the constant turmoil of life, morning mysore is like a stable sanctuary where anger, sadness, joy, confusion, hope, and faith all have a place. I have come to Mysore in the darkest and brightest of times and always find just what I need in the 90 minute practice. My journey into Ashtanga yoga was messy and my progression has been slow and steady, but it has helped me transform into the person I wanted to be yet never knew how to become. Something amazing happens in that small, very hot room each morning, and I am truly grateful for the practice, my teacher, and the community that has supported my growth. One year down, the rest of my life to go.

My First Yoga Class- Part Two

I walked into my first yoga class and immediately compared myself to everyone else in the room. I was the only guy, the tallest, the least flexible, and I simply didn't know how to move like that. I had played sports in high school and was becoming competitive again since getting sober. We started with Sun Salutations where the second position is a forward bend and I couldn't even get close to my toes. My toes felt like they were a mile away and it felt like we did 100 sun salutations. Joanie later told me that we only did 5 sun salutation A and 5 sun salutation B. When we got done, I was bright red, sweating profusely and panting like a dog. I was so sweaty that I couldn't stay on my mat. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. The worst part was that I was getting my ass kicked by something that I thought was for girls. We moved through the standing poses of the primary series and it finally gave me a little time to catch my breath. I kept thinking, How much longer is this class? What have I gotten myself into! Out of the 20 standing poses only two of them weren't excruciatingly painful. Everything in my body was tight and all the poses hurt. This was also my state of mind at the time. I was uptight and uncomfortable about everything. I got done with the class and I never wanted to do it again. I hated it! It literally brought me face to face with all my Insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. I didn't know if I could handle that at this point in my life. I was beat down and in tears.

I talked to a few friends about these feelings and how the class went. They all urged me to go back and try it a second time. When I talked to my sponsor about it he said "keep going until the miracle happens, your higher power wants you there".  I had a whole week to think about it and it seemed highly unlikely that I was going to put myself under that microscope again. Saturday rolled around and it seemed to just be in the cards that day. I woke up with this feeling like, "let's do yoga." I was blown away.  Where did that come from? I remember telling a friend about this time in my life and that it was like my soul was just a flicker of a flame that was begging to get bigger. It needed an outlet to heal. 

I went to class at 1pm that Saturday and I remember it like it was yesterday. I got there early, laid out my mat and got warmed up slightly. We went through half of the primary series of Ashtanga yoga and I felt like I was surfing on the waves, my mind and heart felt open. It was amazing and it was the first time in my life that I can remember when I wanted to be exactly who I was. I had never had that feeling before. Usually for me, the grass was always greener on the other side. I laid down after practice and I fell right into this deep space in my mind. It was like watching a movie in my head, unattached. It was what I call a "coming home moment." It was like someone whispered into my ear and said "you're perfect just the way you are".  I had never had that thought and I had never felt comfortable in my own skin like I did after that yoga class.  The first time I had a bunch of inner conflict but the second class gave me clarity. I saw those same insecurities that I saw the first class but I was different and unattached to the outcome. How did I get there? The only word I can think of is Grace. That second day of class I practiced yoga with total acceptance of myself and of where I was on and off the mat. My life was not good at this point. I was struggling to stay sober and struggling to find my path. That day I think my soul had found its path. For the longest time I was using drugs to fill this emptiness inside but for some reason after doing the practice I felt like the emptiness was filled. I was connected to something much greater than myself and I could feel it reverberating in my body. After that class I felt the value of what yoga had added, I had had this profound shift. I looked at Joanie and said I’ll see you next week and gave her a hug. I think I am going to start doing this more often!

To be continued.......

My story, Addiction and Ashtanga yoga - Part 1

These days, so many people ask me about my story and what led me to yoga that I feel compelled to share. Most of the time I share some feel-good story about how yoga found me and the truth is much deeper and darker than that.

I came to my first yoga class when I was six months sober all because my sponsor told me to. I wasn't open to it and I was definitely skeptical. I didn't really know what yoga was, but I knew it would require me to be outside of this hard shell I had created and I didn't like that. I actually thought it was for girls and that, in order for me to be in a yoga class, I had to give up my masculinity.

I was broken to the core when I started. I was sick from the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction, and by this time in my life, everyone that I ever loved didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I didn't blame them for that; I had earned it.  If you asked me what my mind state was at this point, I would tell you that I was blank and totally numb. I didn't know what life was supposed to look like. I had just beaten a fatal illness and everything was new, but it was so raw and so uncomfortable. Without drugs, I felt like all those old behaviors of using were sitting right there, but I was in a new space (sobriety) without a playbook.  It was scary and I didn't know if I was going to stay sober. It seemed too hard, but using again would take me to the grave, just like it did to countless of my friends.  Living on the streets had left me wondering about everything and trusting nothing. I was rough around the edges in those days. I had no job, no family and no money but that wasn't the worst of it. I felt spiritually bankrupt, mentally unstable and emotionally like it would all be better with out me.

I was in a dark place and the only thing I could do about it was LISTEN to what other people told me to do. My sponsor at that time was my first guru. I loved him. He always told me the truth even when it hurt a bit. I put full faith and devotion into him and the 12 steps of recovery.  He is the one who saved me by putting me to work. We met every week and talked about everything from low self esteem to all the relationships I destroyed when I was a tornado ripping through peoples lives. I started to work on cleaning up my life.

At six months of sobriety, I was working on the 11th step. The 11th step states: "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for the knowledge of his will and the power to carry it out." Pretty deep, right? This is when stuff in my life started to change. 

The week I started consciously trying to figure my next "step" in life, an old friend walked into my life. Her name was Joanie Delph and she would become my yoga mom!  She asked me if I wanted to try yoga. I kindly said no and ended the conversation. Funny thing: I saw her again the next day and she asked again. Now to be real, it kind of freaked me out to see her again so soon. What is totally crazy is that I saw her six more times and usually I would only see her once every couple of months. Each time she asked me again to try yoga. The last time I saw her, I looked her in the eyes and asked her, "What day was the class? What time?"  Saturday at 1pm. In the meantime, I asked my sponsor what he thought. Should I do this yoga class or should I not? I was hoping he would cosign me not doing it. What he said to me changed the course of my life.

He told me that in order to change my life and to live better,  I had to do different things, things that I was not used to and things that made me consciously step out of my comfort zone. He also said I had to step outside and live in the space of change, curiosity and action. So I should do yoga? "Yes," he said, "you should. It seems as if your higher power thinks that it is the next thing on your path, plus isn't yoga meditation? And isn't it like the 11th step you are working on?" I was humbled and that Saturday I went to my first yoga class.

To be continued......

My video!!!!

Morning Mysore Guest Blog - Jesse Cook

About 6 years ago I found myself in a place of self hate, feelings of low self worth, and my confidence was in the shitter. Coming from a background of disordered eating, disordered body image, and constantly overexerting myself with exercise, I was searching for a place to realign and focus to liberate myself from internal demons. I was lost and I could not be found. That is until I found yoga (I know it sounds cliche but hey, its true). I started off my yoga journey trying out all the wide variety of classes, ranging from hot flow vinyasa to a hatha flow class and occasionally an Ashtanga 1-2 level class. With a busy schedule of finishing graduate school, working 3 jobs and balancing family/friends, I found myself coming back to the structure, flow, breath and focus of the Ashtanga practice. As the years progressed, my on again/off again relationship with yoga began to transform. Initially alternating my practice with training for various half marathons, my mind would constantly crave the calmness, focus and release I achieved with my Ashtanga practice. I was slowly developing an ability to leave the constant turning of wheels in my brain and come to a place where mind, body and spirit connect as one. I had started Crossfit at Fit Club in German Village and met one of the girls there, Kandi, who I bonded with almost immediately over yoga. She told me about this style of practice called Mysore where they practiced in the mornings anywhere between 5-8 am. She explained to me how the class was a self-led style of Ashtanga where you progressed through the various series as you practiced developed. At this time I was practicing 1-2 times a week in between my busy work and Crossfit schedule. She gave me 2 free class passes and said “just give it a shot”. I held onto those class passes until about 3 month ago. I was rummaging through my wallet and found the free Mysore class passes. I had decided in January to start my journey of yoga teacher training and said to myself, nows the time to give this Mysore a go. The first day I walked into the Mysore room, I felt the rush of energy flowing from the bodies in the room. The close mats, the low lighting, the incense burning, the harmonious breath coming from all directions; I knew right away I had found a place where it just felt right. I had heard stories of Taylor Hunt, most recently about his travel to Mysore, India and his Ashtanga practice. I was most definitely intimidated...... however my fears were quickly put to ease. Taylor immediately came over and asked if I had practiced Ashtanga before and I gave him a quick snippet of my practice. He stated what he wanted me to do and I started my flow. In the room, I felt the calming I had once experienced in my previous practice, however this time it was overabundant. I now crave my practice in the mornings from 5-7am (even though I can only make it 3 days/week due to work). Over the last 3 months, I have been able to cultivate a self led practice that allowed me to transcend into places I had never been before. With the help, motivation, push and support of my instructor Taylor, my practice and overall self worth has grown exponentially. So far I’ve laughed, fallen, tripped, cried, pouted, and glared at Taylor during my practice, all while progressing, focusing, and smiling with my breath. Ashtanga yoga and Ashtanga vinyasa practice has taught me to love myself again, to value my abilities, to use my breath to calm myself, to appreciate my thoughts and let me pass by as needed, and to get away from the negative self talk that clouded my mind for so many years. Taylor has been truly tested me in ways I never thought possible during my practice and I’m every thankful for every minute of it. My confidence in myself if ever growing and yoga has made that possible. As my journey into the world of yoga teacher training begins (leaving for Norway in 10 days for three extensive weeks of training!!!!), I will constantly channel the Mysore room, the community of yogis and the energy I receive during class. Ashtanga is my best friend. It listens to me. Its always there for me. It knows what I need. I cannot picture myself without it.

Guest Blog- Ryan McGuire-Therapy for a Therapist, Mysore Style!

When I began my journey of earning a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology, I was repeatedly advised by my teachers and mentors that self-care is a crucial component for being a “healthy” therapist. Because let’s face it, being a therapist demands that I show up and be authentically present for each and every one of the people that walk through my door. I must hold a safe, sacred, and compassionate space where people aren’t afraid to open up and explore the multiple layers of their being in front of a, well, stranger. At times, it can be draining; in fact, the therapy field is somewhat known for its “burnout” potential. But my love for the work that I do, and to support my own growth and expansion into becoming the best that I can be, I made a commitment to “get my shit together” so that I could truly help others. That commitment came in the form of Ashtanga yoga, taught Mysore style by my incredible teacher, Taylor Hunt.

            Spoiler Alert! Ashtanga yoga is life changing. If you were to tell younger Ryan that he needed to set an alarm for 4:20 am in order to make it to the studio by 5 for nearly a 1.5 hour of intense yoga practice with a room full of other dedicated spirits, he would have laughed hysterically. But 30s Ryan goes to bed between 9:30 and 10 pm (I noticed yesterday that the sun was actually still up) in order to get enough rest so I can get out of bed and get to the studio. And 30s Ryan better think twice before eating that M&M Blizzard at 9 pm because he knows he’ll pay for it on the mat in the morning. Not to mention that I talk about yoga ALL THE TIME, and find myself inviting everyone to practice with our community. It’s all encompassing, and I can’t stop.

            But what it comes down to for me is this,,,Ashtanga yoga is my therapy. When I began to really dedicate my time to the practice, I began to transform. I’m not just talking about a physical transformation, but a transformation of body, of mind, and of spirit. One morning I had a moment of insight. As a therapist, I work from a client-centered perspective. This means that I have faith in my client’s ability to heal themselves, and my job is to simply meet them where they are in their journey and walk their path with them, not for them. They have to be willing to do the work; I’ll help them to overcome their barriers. Similarly, in the Mysore room, our individual practice is self-led. Therefore, it is completely up to me to show up and do my own practice. Taylor will be there to offer assistance, adjustments, and encouragement when needed, but for the most part I am on my own. It’s up to me to overcome my challenges on the mat, which gives me the confidence and competence to conquer the many challenges that I will inevitably face during my day. I walk out of the studio every morning with my head held high and a grin across my face, without fail.

            My practice has taught me to be patient with myself, to accept myself for who I am, and to love myself. It has allowed me to experience my relationship with myself in a much more intimate way, which has also allowed me to experience others on a deeper lever. It is now hard for me to imagine a life without Ashtanga yoga. I am forever grateful to my dedicated teacher and the Ashtanga community for the unlimited amount of support and compassion that they have given to me. I am honored to share that sacred space every morning with my fellow Ashtangis, to laugh, to cry, to fall, to overcome obstacles, and to offer fist bumps after 5 grueling backbends. I’m passionate about this practice because I believe in it. I believe in its potential to heal and transform, and to be a catalyst for self-awareness. That is the essence of therapy, in my opinion, and I will always draw on the knowledge that I get from Ashtanga to guide me as a therapist, as a husband, as a friend, as a brother, as a son, and as a divine spirit. With that, I bid you goodnight. It’s 9:34 pm, after all, and I need to “bring my ass to class” bright and early.  Namaste ~ Ryan McGuire, June 2014. 

           

Guest blog- Brandi Braun- My Morning Mysore Love Story

After taking various yoga classes over several years, I built up the courage to attend an “ashtanga beginner’s drop in” class. The work was hard, but the passion of the teacher and the energy I felt from the practice touched me.  I knew deep down inside that I loved this practice.  I continued to attend classes as I could and as they were offered – around two nights per week.    As much as I enjoyed the practice, I didn’t love practicing at night – I left class energized and uplifted and then had to quickly calm down so I could sleep.  I knew this was meant to be a morning practice and was asking around for morning class options to no avail, so I kept up with my evening practice.

I will never forgot the day in May 2012 when I received the Facebook group invite to join the “Morning Mysore Club” – an early morning Ashtanga practice group, taught by Taylor Hunt from 5:00 – 8:00 am.  Joining the club required a commitment of attending three classes a week for one year.  I didn’t even have to THINK about it.  I knew in my heart that this program was for me and that the dedication needed would be good for me.  I signed up and came to Yoga on High for my first morning class on June 1, 2012. 

I was so nervous parking in the dark lot and walking up to the studio.  As a 31 year old woman, I felt like a teenager on the first day of school.  “Who will be here?;  Will they know me?; Will they like me?;  Will I be the most inexperienced student?;  Will Taylor like me?; Who the hell is Taylor?”.  I took a few deep breaths, walked into the studio and unrolled my mat in the second row.  I still remember who I was by…..Teresa…… who has a beautiful practice and one that can look intimidating to a newbie.   I remember her being so nice and smiling at me several times, which made me feel welcome.  I still get to practice next to Teresa now…we are both teachers and friends.

I won’t lie.  Waking up at 4:00 am for yoga was not an easy transition.  First of all, it required a HUGE lifestyle change for me: no more late dinners and drinks, no more closing down bars, no more last minute evening social plans.  I had to establish a firm bed time and, even harder, I had to inform my group of very fun and very social friends. Also, for the first few weeks, I was TIRED during the day – I wasn’t sure waking up at 4 was sustainable.  But, it got easier….much easier as I fell in love with the practice of Ashtanga.  In fact, three days a week of practice turned into 4, then 5, then 6 days a week as traditionally prescribed.  I reached a point where practicing made me feel better; it grounded me for the day to come.  I wasn’t the same person without it and “skipping” was no longer an option.  I have practiced sick, injured, sad, heartbroken, mad, stressed, tired and hung-over  (I don’t recommend that last one – it is never fun).  It’s not always easy to “bring my ass to class”, but I do and I NEVER regret it.  In fact, I leave feeling better than when I arrived 100% of the time. 

I leave practice knowing that I have just done 60 – 120 minutes of the hardest work I will do all day; work that challenges me on a physical, mental and spiritual level.  I have fallen, cried, cursed, smiled and laughed.  But when I’m done, I roll up my mat and drive home with a fresh perspective on my day.     

I leave class every morning believing in myself. 

I didn’t always believe so greatly in myself though.  In fact, I was very unsure of who I was.  Not to mention, nothing about the practice came easy to me.  I see some people come to class who were gymnasts, dancers, athletes and the physical part of the practice seems to come naturally.  This wasn’t me.  I have worked incredibly hard for every pose and every “yoga breakthrough”.   Although my practice hasn’t advanced as quickly as some, I am glad.  The hard work, focus and dedication that I have been forced to cultivate has changed me…changed me for the better.

I couldn’t have done this alone, though.  I owe my practice and its benefits to the person who has believed in me more than I believed in myself – my teacher, Taylor Hunt.  Honestly, the simple act of writing this fills my heart with gratitude and brings tears to my eyes.   Taylor, like any gifted teacher, gives the student what they need even if the student doesn’t know they need it or want it– compassion, love, encouragement and sometimes a big swift kick in the ass. 

Ashtanga yoga has taught me about love; how to truly love myself, those around me and life in general.  I can’t imagine my life without it.