This has induced a certain amount of introspection. My experience of my practice has always been one of integration. There is normally a union of breath and body. Vinyasa seems to strengthen the bond. My body moves to the rhythm of the breath. I have never felt such a strong separation of the two.

The sense itself was not uncomfortable or alarming and 19 years of Ashtanga practice has shown me that all is as it should be. I know it will all be sorted out in the Practice. I will observe with interest what develops….

I was fortunate enough to travel to Mysore 6 times and to do 3 of Sri K Pattabhi Jois international workshops. In all that time Guruji never left me in any doubt that the practice was not just about asana. He always emphasised that asana was only one limb of Ashtanga and a tool I needed to practice and master to realise the other 7 limbs. He stressed the need to practice Yama and Niyama, but said that this was very, very difficult and that the discipline, courage and strength of mind developed in the asana practice is essential to achieve this. In my experience you cannot stay in the Ashtanga Vinyasa practice for the extended period of time required to fully benefit from it, without losing any obsession with asana you may have. Just as Guruji said, the more I have practiced the more my understanding of the whole of what yoga is has developed. Also as Guruji said, this process has been organic, and inevitable. I also believe that in the right environment with the right teacher, an obsession with asana is a very normal and beneficial thing to have. It is almost everyone’s starting point. The job of a teacher is to temper that enthusiasm and lead each student, in their own time, to a deeper understanding of what yoga really is.

Many of my students come to my classes to practice asana because it is good for their bodies and makes them feel good. That is all they want from the practice, and that is fine by me. Some of my students are interested in more than that, and for some a deeper interest develops over time. It is my privilege to offer a path to these students that was given to me by Guruji, and that continues to work for me.

So, why am I not worried about an asana obsession in the West? Firstly, where are all these yoga teachers who teach that asana and body beautiful is all it is about? I have yet to meet a yoga teacher who does not understand on some level that there is more to Yoga than asana. Secondly, there are more people doing some sort of yoga based practice now than there has ever been. Ever. In these modern times with these numbers practicing there will be some who go deeper and further and it is these few that will keep the Yoga tradition alive and carry it into the future. That can only be a good thing. Meantime, in my experience you cannot practice asana for an extended period of time without a deeper understanding of Yoga developing. Whatever your initial motivation. Like Guruji always said, “practice, practice, practice, and all is coming.”

There will be no classes on Sunday 6th or Monday 7th June in celebration of Queen’s Birthday. Classes resume as normal on Tuesday 8th. Enjoy the long weekend.

(Hey Mike. Type stuff in here and do whatever you like – you can’t really break anything).

Mike at Te Aro Astanga Yoga is very excited about getting started on WordPress.  He can’t wait to get a new modern looking site up and running.  There are so many possibilities!  Thank you Dan for your outstanding assistance with all this.  You are a legend.