Green Yoga

In yoga, green applications are by no stretch of the imagination difficult, especially in a tropical country like the Philippines. When practicing, simply concentrate on breath control techniques--traditionally known as pranayama, and engage your bandhas or root locks to perform the asanas properly. In no to time you should build up intense body heat internally, naturally and through non-artificial methods.

Take inspiration from some of these man-made marvels aimed at minimising greenhouse gas emissions and cooling our overheating planet:


The Dynamic Tower from Italian architect David Fisher. The world's first rotating, self-powered skyscraper will change the landscape of Dubai and is pushing the limits of modern architecture. The 80-storey building generates electricity from wind turbines located in between each floor. The wind turbines are extremely quiet and practically invisible due to their unique design and carbon fibre material. Photovoltaic cells on rooftops will produce solar energy while insulated glass and insulating panels will improve energy efficiency. Natural and recyclable materials such as stone, marble, glass and wood will adorn the interiors and will contribute to the building's environmental vibe.


The Prius by Japanese car giant Toyota provides a solution to the tailpipe emissions problems of automobiles. The Prius is fitted with a powertrain which combines a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor and thus delivers, along with other advanced features, higher fuel economy and lower C02 emissions.

The Green flagship E/S Orcelle from Norway's Wilhelmsen Marine. The concept vessel does not release any emissions into the atmosphere or the ocean. It uses renewable energy sources and fuel cells to generate the energy required to power the vessel. Its highly-advanced design provides optimum cargo capacity to transport cars and other goods around the world more efficiently. The E/S Orcelle is named after the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, or Orcelle in French. The abbreviation, E/S, stands for Environmentally-sound Ship and represents the company's vision of a zero-emission cargo carrier by 2025.

As responsible yoga practitioners, let's evaluate the impact of our environmental footprint and try to reduce it. Namaste.

Yoga in the rain, anyone?

Yogini friend Lyn was eager to hear about my evening Mysore practice. It went well, I texted back. Truth is, it was horrible! It was an off day for me right from the beginning: the rain was pouring, I couldn’t parallel park and the only available spot was quite a distance from the shala, I forgot my umbrella in the car and was too far away to run back for it, the instructor was late so I got all cold inside the air conditioned studio.

The six of us were prompted to start our Suryas while waiting for the teacher. Fair enough. When she finally showed she divided us into 3 groups. My partner, Clara, looked like she had been doing yoga for some time already. I’m in good hands, I thought, someone to follow the series from. Nope, we were both taking cues from each other: she would look at me from over her T-arms and I would peer at her from between my legs in Prasarita. It was a complete mess, that didn’t escape the teacher’s eye. So she “punished” us by making us do the series from the TOP every single time we broke the sequence (which was often). Sure there was a flow of energy between me and Clara--we were feeding off each other’s negative energies. But we had a good laugh anyway, and we both knew what to do by the time we reached Shavasana.

“Kayong dalawa, you must repeat the postures every time you lose track of them. This is the only way, you can learn the flow.” Yes, teacher. LYN, don’t be absent ha!

Yoga: Striking a balance between mind and body

Part of my yoga practice is a daily ritual of perusing the blogs of fellow practitioners. It keeps me in the loop and aware of what’s going on in the local yoga community.

An interesting read is the blog of Jon Cagas who discusses a full-spectrum of topics from durians in Davao to his yogic adventures with pals Chona, Jane, Trin and Crissy. His yoga studies have taken him around the globe and have made him a credible resource for the theory and practice of Ashtanga , Hatha Yoga and Pranayama as well as something of a culinary expert in Middle Eastern vegetarian cuisine.

His post today caught my eye and I hope to draw others attention to it. Yoga Sutras Q&A, sheds light on how to approach the yoga philosophy with an open mind. He deconstructs the opening chant, which if translated literally would provoke but in Sanskrit is beautiful and poetic. In class, Jon's voice is deep, booming and heartfelt, as he goes through the prayer line by line so that students may respond and connect with the chant.

Being chiefly a teacher, he spares readers a visit to Indian websites that attempt to explain the sage’s eight-fold path of yoga which yes, can be confounding, perhaps too metaphysical for other denominations. He answers 7 basic questions for the layman in this 2-part series.

Having only started my practice, I’m still at a level which many may consider superficial: I’m doing yoga for self-gratification, to de-stress and escape the demands of my job, to forget about the difficulties of parenthood, to restore the flexibility I once had as a ballet dancer, to perspire and a host of other narcissistic reasons. I’m at a stage where I’m enjoying the physical benefits more than the spiritual. This could be the reason why I can’t memorize the primary series. “Dance with it!” Jon says during vinyasas. Now that, I understand.

If you’re like me—beginning to feel guilty about not being diligent enough—go to this link and post questions. On the surface, I think (and this is my pedestrian interpretation only, ok?) the goal of yoga is to achieve a balance between mind and body. One must be fully-focused and concentrated, stilling the mind and controlling it with a long-term and earnest practice of yoga. Success in yoga comes to the keen and intent practitioner.

Namaste. Practice with integrity!

OM the Road

“You’re a Yoga butterfly!” said Lyn, a new friend I made at Yoga Manila. She recognised the “symptoms” of my yoga affliction easily: fluttering about from one shala to another and trying out different classes and teachers was something she herself was guilty of since she began her yoga journey two years ago. She was among the first students of Pio Baquiran when VYC opened in Ortigas and now combines a restorative hatha routine with a brisk Ashtanga practice.

Thanks to Lyn, who has given me inspiration for my new task: to get off my sit-bones more often and go Om the Road to tour Manila’s yoga studios. I suggested to her that we re-visit Pulse Yoga after Tesa Celdran returns from Mysore, India (can’t wait for that!). Lyn, let’s make sure we time this carefully so we can both do the inversions, ok?

This weekend I was at Yoga Manila’s new home in Good Qi Circle, an elegant and tastefully-designed holistic wellness centre on the 5th floor of the Greenbelt Mansion. The Good Qi Circle website claims that the 100 square metre studio can fit up to 30 people per class but the Led Ashtanga session I attended seemed already cramped with just 10 practitioners. The changing rooms could also accommodate only three people at a time. Nevertheless, what the studio ostensibly lacks in floor space it overcompensates for in the quality of teaching. After all, this is the mecca of Ashtanga Yoga in the country and is home to an elite breed of certified yoga instructors some of whom trained under Paul Dallaghan in Thailand as well as from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy.

To my surprise, Peachie Kilayco was conducting a Kid’s Yoga class when I arrived twenty minutes early. I was so sure she would have little energy left for the Led class after teaching the munchkins. One little girl was repeatedly asking why the A/Cs were not swtiched on seeing as there were 3 units inside the shala. Her brother, in the meantime, would flick li'l sister's shoulder everytime Peachie was looking away. But throughout their shenanigans, Peachie would always reign them in patiently and contain their energies. According to Peachie, it's important to relate to them in their language. Hence, Urdvha Dhanurasana--or the bridge--is called "Yabadabadoo" (a trademark Yoga Manila term she says) and Shalabha-asana is more commonly referred to as the Grasshopper.

Her teaching style for the Led Ashtanga class was the complete opposite. As it turns out this was not a beginner's class, so she had high expectations for all students to perform the postures on their own with little assistance. In cases like this, I urge students to raise their hands for help as this is a service that you are paying for as much as it is the duty of a teacher to recognise and respond to an SOS. Peachie was at my side with a wave of my hand to carefully, and clinically, coach and explain the procedures in executing the pose. This blend of personalised training and military-style instruction helps in completing the entire primary series in under 2 hours and should attract classic Type-A personalities and serious practitioners looking for a challenging yoga discipline.

In terms of the facilities, the studio does not provide towels nor offer hot tea but it is equipped with props like blocks, straps, and even spritzers to lubricate your arms during Garbha Pindasana and Kukkutasana--a clear sign that Yoga Manila focuses more on a student's practice than his or her comfort which is fine by my standards. So from a customer's point of view, Yoga Manila is the place to learn world-class Ashtanga Yoga and if it's your first time to try other yoga classes it's best learned here from the experts. I give Yoga Manila 4 and a half out of 5 Lotuses :-)

Article: The Quiet Strength of a Woman's Body by Kino MacGregor

The yoga world sometimes makes deeply held assumptions about male and female capabilities. Contemporary dogmas of what’s possible for men and women contribute to what every yoga practitioner believes is possible for male and female bodies.

In yoga there is an unfair assumption that all men effortlessly perform gravity-defying lift-ups, and all women snake their way into all manner of flexible positions. While the mindset of teachers, students and traditions often perpetuates some very traditional gender roles, the reality of yoga practitioners tells a different story. There are men who are hypermobile and unable to lift their butts off the ground, and there are women who are stiff as a board but able to balance unwaveringly in a handstand. One of yoga’s greatest lessons is that there are no universal standards for bodies, and that all bodies, genders, races and ages have the ability to benefit from and master this ancient practice.

That being said, if you’re a woman it’s still easy to discount yourself when you peer into the lexicon of masterful yoga DVDs from strong, skinny men like Rodney Yee, David Swenson, Richard Freeman, Chuck Miller and Sharath Rangaswamy. Your child-bearing hips and soft curves may look nothing like these master teachers’ sinewy legs. When you look for evidence that women can actually be strong in the yoga world, you dig into the very essence of femininity. Sometimes it seems like women who can perform gravity-defying feats and achieve political success have overcompensated in toughness to excel in a male-dominated world.

My personal journey into yoga led me to ask the very difficult question of whether there is a natural strength in a woman’s body that is different, but not less, than a man’s. I began my journey into yoga nearly ten years ago as the stereotypical flexible girl with no strength. In awe of the mysterious lift-up, arm balances, handstands and vinyasas, I looked critically at my extra cushioning around the bum, small arms and petite frame, and blamed my shape and gender for what I could not easily do. Male teachers in the Western world, meaning well, simply let me slide, saying that they did not expect women to actually match men’s strength. Movement-based, scientifically-backed anatomy books state that women’s bodies have a lower center of gravity and therefore have a different set of rules to work with, thereby casting women as the physically weaker gender. Science, stereotypes and points of view could have created an artificial limit, but I dug deeper.

My ninety-three-year-old master teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, said one day in a group conference in Mysore, India in his iconographic broken English: “Yoga changing. Now some women very strong. Correct asana performing possible. Before, not possible. Now possible. All women doing all asanas o.k.” Krishnamacharya, all of our teachers’ teacher, was the first Brahmin to allow women into the secret study of the Indian sacred texts and is also quoted as saying that women are the future of yoga. In the arena of a quickly equalizing realm of power, it is fitting that women’s role in yoga also changes and evolves. The basic teaching in yoga is the unification of extremes, and in that light it is appropriate that both men and women are asked to move towards a balance between strength and flexibility.

After years of practice and mastery over seemingly impossible postures, there is now no doubt that women have an equal type of strength, too. A true woman’s power is magnetic, attractive and visionary. A woman’s body receives, nurtures, gives, produces, holds, bears, bends, grows, shrinks and sometimes even breaks, only to rebuild. In the heart of every female form rests a womb that is a great, silent and dark potential for life. Where a man’s body has muscles to push, thrust and engage, a woman’s body beckons, seduces and contains. It is in this crucial difference where women must find their strength in the yoga practice and in life: not in emulating the deep belly thrust of a man’s world, but in tapping into a uniquely feminine way to engage the world will women touch the mystery of true female power.

Having practiced the challenging Advanced Series of Ashtanga Yoga continuously for the last five years, I find that endurance, pragmatism and grace are well within the domain of my woman’s body, strength and soul. A man’s strength is louder, directed outward, striving, reaching and sometimes fighting. It’s not to say that women don’t fight or aren’t violent, but that in a woman’s body violence takes on another form. A woman’s sometimes smaller body cannot simply mimic male form in the physical world to succeed. In order to perform the same feats of strength with the graceful heart of a woman, the female body must learn to access its natural reserves of strength by honoring the female form in and of itself. This strength lies not in forceful thrusting, but instead in determining exactly how and where to work, with a perfect mix of strength and grace.

In every handstand, arm balance, backbend, and gravity-defying lift-up, I do not seek to replicate the male form, but instead to allow the flow of my female life to course through my veins, muscles, body, mind and soul.

In our ability to choose, to gather and to draw, we find our true empowerment: Not in emulating the boisterous strength of men, but instead shining like the full moon on a clear night, we are graceful, iconic, powerful, beautiful, mesmerizing, enchanting and captivating. In the yoga practice strength must come for women as well as men. When it comes, it is not at the expense of the graceful female form but as an enhancement of it–for it is a quiet strength that lies within every woman’s body.

© 2008 Kino MacGregor (article condensed from Fit Yoga, June 2008)

JON CAGAS: On a mission to Mysore

En route to India, Jon Cagas is in town for a stopover. We yogins over at UP have been very fortunate and privileged to have him back even just briefly. For those who don’t know him yet, Jonathan Cagas implemented and taught the yoga program at the UP College of Human Kinetics some years ago which he relinquished in 2006 to teach at a private university in the Emirates. Last year, Jon enriched his training with a 200-hour intensive in the Centered Yoga Institute in Thailand under Paul Dallaghan and Neil Barker plus a 100-hour advanced course on hatha yoga and pranayama with Sri O.P. Tiwari. In August, he will begin practice at the pre-eminent Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) which was established by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois who has put Mysore on the world map. Tim Miller, David Swenson and John Scott are some of the high-profile products of AYRI. Before the end of the year Jon, along with Tesa Celdran of Pulse Yoga, will join the ranks of Bela Lipat who have trained directly under Pattabhi and will now most likely also learn from Sharath, grandson of Guruji and heir apparent.

While here, Jon has been refining and polishing our practice. In the Mysore tradition he began Day 2 (first day was Saturday, June 28th) with a chant then started counting and calling out the poses in Sanskrit. He emphasized the relevance and relation of proper breathing, root locks and gaze to executing the asanas. We must experience tristana, he says, or the union of ujayi, the bandhas and dristi. He also scrutinized for us Suryas A and B making adjustments in the way we performed every single vinyasa in both Sun Salutations. In the past two days under his guidance, I have already deepened my practice beyond what I thought I could achieve.

I fell in love with Ashtanga Yoga when I first tried it during the Summer. The nature of my job makes self-practice almost impossible. So I have been feeding my interest in Ashtanga with research. I may be familiar with the techniques in theory but in practice, I had been clueless about, for example, how to negotiate my arms past my back or knees to bind and maintain the twist for Maricyasana. Not anymore.

We all received individualised instruction from Jon who honed our skills and gently coaxed us, boosted our confidence and with smooth, swift adjustments eased us into the poses. This naturally extended our class past the requisite 90 minutes, much to our luck. What seemed daunting before now made perfect sense as he revealed the steps to get there. That, for me, separates a great teacher from a good one.

Jon also has much more to impart than many other instructors. Having obtained a Masters degree in sports education from UP, he is well-versed on human anatomy and the key muscles of yoga. He is also a professional trainer certified by the American Council of Exercise (ACE). In short, Jon brings to the table a combination of Eastern philosophies and Western science which basically makes him well-equipped for Mysore.

Back to class at UP. Jon helped one of the senior Psych professors execute Maricyasana B, and as for me, he got me past that all through Maricyasana D. Whew! For a newbie, that should qualify as a major milestone (right?). Not even an Indian yogi at a popular shala could assist me with that set of asanas. Maybe next time we don’t have to skip Bhujapidasana all the way to Supta Konasana hmmm?

Before I get ahead of myself...watching Jon Cagas demonstrate the full primary series including Pashasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana and other poses from the intermediate series truly inspires awe and respect. Looking back at the journey of this 31-year old Ashtangi, he has also made his mark as a member of the flagship Team Yoga Philippines which sought to bring the yoga boom beyond exclusive Makati to places like the UP gym. With its pared-down, no frills quality UP has attracted university professors, mountain climbers, former ballerinas and Elsa, my classmate, who is a monk. Should he come back to the country and to UP after AYRI, then hopefully we will see more aptly-trained Ashtangins north of the capital.

Jon ended our session with a chant which was offered in gratitude to both teacher and students to celebrate mutual learning. I went home with a sense of tranquility, suspending all apprehensions that tomorrow I would have achey, “Mysore” muscles.

Jon with his students in U.P. and current teacher Joji Balcita whom he trained.

Mysore Workshop with Cathy Broda at Yoga Manila

Cathy Louise Broda, the first female authorized ashtanga teacher will conduct a Yoga Hands-On Adjustments Intensive at the Yoga Manila shalas in Makati and Alabang from September 26th to 28th.

Cathy Louise Broda has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga for 18 years and was authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2000. She teaches Mysore-style ashtanga as well as Pregnancy and Mom & Baby yoga at her studio, Purple Yoga Hawaii in Honolulu. She has three young daughters, including twins. Cathy Louise previously taught at Triyoga in London, and assisted John Scott before leading her own Mysore classes at Ashtanga Yoga London.

During her 18 years of teaching Ashtanga, Cathy Louise has become known for an intuitive touch that can transform your practice. For this weekend intensive, she will teach how to give and receive safe and sure adjustments. Cathy Louise will also share her perspective on the three types of students and the different ways to work with them.

This workshop is open to teachers and students of any style of yoga (students who wish to understand more about their own practice will benefit greatly from learning about hands-on work). It will be broken down into the following modules: dancing with the sun: Suryanamaskara A & B, from the ground up: building energy in standing poses, moving into stillness: vinyasa & the seated asanas, including a Mysore class with Cathy on September 29th.

The hands on workshop costs USD240 which also covers lunch on Saturday and Sunday. PhP700 will be charged for her Mysore class. Please visit the Yoga Manila website for more details.

Yoga for Bloggers at Vinyasa Yoga Center

In the words of Pattabhi Jois: “Practice, practice, practice and all is forthcoming,” Guruji said referring to the secret to perfecting the Ashtanga Yoga series. I am an Ashtangi trying to cultivate a daily practice amidst the demands of work and mommy-hood. I attend a Led Ashtanga class every weekend, but the closest I have come to practicing the asanas everyday is viewing them on YouTube, posting the Ashtanga mind maps on my blog then mentally executing them. So you could say I have developed a “practice”, albeit a theoretical one. Enter the Yoga for Bloggers event held at the Vinyasa Yoga Center in Ortigas last Saturday evening, June 28th. I have been frequenting the blogs of Jane a.k.a The Yogini from Manila and Chona (The Journey of a Yogini), without announcing myself until last week when they whipped up this one of a kind event together with the dynamic Blog and Soul team of Juned and Jayvee--Yoga for computer-based professionals (bloggers)—brilliant! I think I was the third blogger to sign up and qualify for the free class.

As I stepped into the VYC shala, I was warmly greeted by Jane who handed me her personalised Yogini business card and Chona who like myself uses a Gaiam mat. I also met Juned, Minna the lovely VYC directress, VYC regular Trin, and fellow bloggers and shutterbugs Carl (thanks for the photos you sent me, Carl), Cookie and Chat. All in all, there seemed like almost 20 participants.

Jane introduced the group to resident VYC instructor Pio Baquiran who launched us into a yoga routine tailor-made for bloggers. He had us stretching our necks, shoulders, backs, hands and had us do eye rotations while prompting us to breathe “in and out”, and within minutes I felt like I had just spent an hour at the spa! It was amazing how relaxed I felt especially coming from a week of chasing after deadlines at work. What was so gratifying for me was the realisation that I could actually perform this short set of exercises at a quiet spot in the office.

Pio then moved on to a simplified Hatha Vinyasa Yoga routine that I could instinctively follow being an Ashtanga practitioner. Having been thrown into the athletic Ashtanga practice initially because of proximity (the gym nearest my house offers Ashtanga), I lacked the critical foundation that the moderately-paced Hatha Yoga—the origins of many yoga forms including Ashtanga—provided. Pio’s abbreviated Hatha Vinyasa workout focused on achieving proper alignment as much as possible while breathing in the ujayi manner inherent to yoga. By the close of the finishing sequence I sat on my mat, completely calmed and decided that with Hatha Vinyasa yoga I would be well-grounded for my long-term Ashtanga practice.

That said, I knew I would come back to VYC not only because the organisers gave everyone three more free yoga sessions at VYC, nor because my husband works in the building across the street, but because I am eager to learn more from Pio and soak up the warm and welcoming atmosphere at VYC. I mean, where else can you find a shala that teaches yoga then hosts a delicious vegetarian dinner after complete with an eggless leche flan dessert (meal prepared by the in-house yogi Pio), and finally sends you off with a health and wellness loot bag??? Now that’s service de luxe! With the talents and efforts of Jane, Chona, Jayvee, Juned and VYC collaborating on this unique event, I’m really looking forward to what they’ll cook up next.

Salut guys!

(some photos courtesy of Carl Valenzona)

I can’t wait to get a copy of Enlighten Up! (note: bootleg DVD, as I doubt the movie will ever screen on Philippine theatres) For those who haven’t seen the trailer yet, click the play button on my earlier post dated June 20th. The film stars Nick Rosen who plays guinea big to filmmaker Kate Churchill’s quest to prove that Yoga can transform anyone, even a skeptic and New Yorker like Rosen. The two travel to India visiting different shalas, including Mysore, where Nick is immersed in Ashtanga Yoga and meets Patthabi Jois.

Midway in the movie tensions mount and Kate’s plan falls apart. Ultimately, what they discover changes them both forever—so the film’s synopsis says. Ashtanga enthusiasts will be thrilled to see scenes of Mysore: Pattabhi, Sharath, the Mysore Palace. David Swenson, Beryl Bender Birch and other Ashtangis make cameo appearances.

Enlighten Up! premiered this week in tropical Maui. Perhaps silently endorsing the movie, Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams--Ashtanga pioneers in America who brought Guruji and the practice to the Western world--were in attendance. The movie is the first feature documentary for Churchill who has also produced documentaries for PBS.

FILM: Enlighten Up! A skeptic's journey into the world of yoga

OM Life

Ashtanga Yoga has been life-changing for me. This site is dedicated to Ashtangis in the Philippines, like myself, who find "nirvana" in asanas and enlightenment in research and resources which I will faithfully post on this site.

Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of Yoga that was taught by Vamana Rishi and was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900's. It was later passed down to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois during his studies with Krishnamacharya in Mysore, India beginning 1927. In the Philippines, Ashtangi trailblazers include Hoze Arando, Sandy Carmona and Bela Lipat. Yoga Manila and new studios like Pulse Yoga are pioneering Ashtanga classes, including traditional Mysore classes.

Events: Fundamental Asanas with Hoze Arando at Yoga Manila (Makati)

6 Days in June

After a long absence from teaching, Hoze Arando will soon be back, energized and fresh from London. He launches straight into Fundamental Asanas, a series of six classes that explores, in detail, breathing and the alignment of basic yoga postures. Hoze, who has been teaching yoga longer than pretty much anyone in the Philippines, will highlight a specific type of pose in every class, such as headstands or backbends, and discuss its benefits. (The half-bound lotus pose has a powerful effect on the liver and the spleen, for example.)

With a stress on maintaining the integrity of every posture throughout one’s practice, he will also teach the prescribed number of breath-transitions (or “vinyasas”) that takes us from one pose to the next. Through this close examination of vinyasas, continuing students will deepen their personal practices, while new students will have a chance to experience yoga in an informative, no-nonsense setting.

P500/class. Students may also avail of a discounted package rate of P2,700 for all six classes. This is to be paid upon registration, and is strictly nontransferable, nonrefundable, and cannot be applied to any other classes. Familiarity with the sun salutations is required.

Tuesday, June 10 930 to 11a standing poses
Thursday, June 12 930 to 11a seated poses
Tuesday, June 17 930 to 11a closing sequencefocus: inversions
Thursday, June 19 930 to 11a restorative poses*
Tuesday, June 24 930 to 11a backbends
Saturday, June 28 1040a to 1210p headstands

* In this special class honoring the full moon, Hoze will teach restorative poses and lead a discussion on mantras and their role in purifying speech, body, and mind.

Road to Mysore

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF YOGA: Devotees from around the world head for Mysore, India, home of the vigorous yoga form Ashtanga By Savita Iyer, BusinessWeek

At 5 p.m. on a breezy Saturday, the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in the southern Indian city of Mysore is buzzing. Students from around the globe are thronging the steps of the three-story, light-gray concrete building. Clad in light-colored cotton pants and T-shirts, their backs ramrod straight, their eyes and skin aglow, they are queuing up to greet Sharath Ranga-swamy, 35, a master of Ashtanga yoga, and his grandfather, Guruji K. Pattabhi Jois, the institute's founder. Some are there to inquire about their classes, which start at 5 a.m. the next day, and some are still hoping to enroll.

While there are numerous yoga centers in Mysore, a two-hour trip by car or train from Bangalore, Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute is the most well-known and the one that attracts the greatest number of visitors from overseas. Ashtanga, which means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, is an extremely active form of yoga. It combines "vinyasa," or flowing breath, with "asanas," or poses. The rigorous mix heats the body in an intense workout that some say is equal to a grueling session at the gym.Russell Smith, a New York entertainment lawyer, says part of the attraction of Ashtanga yoga is the physical rigor. When he first took classes in New York, "I couldn't do any of the poses, and I felt awful," he recalls. "Even so, I was on a cloud. The class really opened me up—the combination of movement and breathing was amazing. I'm hooked." Since 2004, Smith has spent at least three months a year studying in Mysore.

Perhaps because of the physical challenge, Ashtanga appeals to "type-A, overachiever kind of people," says Andrea Varalli, a freelance graphic designer from Maui and student at the Institute. Yet even people who push themselves, he says, soon realize that, as in all yoga practices, "the physical part is just an entry" into enhanced mental well-being.Classes start at 5 a.m., but many students arrive earlier to find choice spots for their mats. Five days a week, sessions are "Mysore-style"—that is, students work at their own pace while Sharath, who goes only by his first name, and his mother, Saraswati, move around the room, correcting students' poses and demonstrating new ones. On Fridays and Sundays, classes are taught to the group as a whole. Beginners get separate instruction for part of the day. Class ends at 8:30 a.m., after which many students adjourn to nearby cafés. Whatever they order must be vegetarian. Alcohol, too, is off-limits.

The strict regimen doesn't seem to be a problem for the students, according to Marcus Fontoura, a senior research scientist at Yahoo! Research in Sunnyvale, Calif., who is on his first pilgrimage to Mysore. "I practice at 5 a.m. in California, too. I'm used to it. Everyone is."A month's tuition is 26,900 rupees (about $600), with additional months 17,900 rupees (about $400) each. There's no weekly rate since the school requires a one-month commitment—no refunds if you leave early, either, and some students do. The Institute is open from January through March and June through December, except for a short break around yearend.When the school is closed, Sharath travels abroad. His workshops in New York, London, Sydney, and elsewhere have been attended by a host of celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, and Mike D., drummer for the Beastie Boys. Sonya Jones, wife of hedge-fund magnate Paul Tudor Jones and a close friend of Guruji and Sharath, has made a few low-profile visits to Mysore, too.

The Institute is closed in April and May because it's just too hot, even for those who seek to transcend the physical.

Asana: Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

First you bind, then you bend.

By Beryl Bender Birch

article condensed from Yoga Journal

The four preliminary postures we will explore that lead up to Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana are Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose), a variation of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose), a modified version of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, and Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend).

In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition I practice and teach, Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana is one of the basic standing postures; Janu Sirsasana and Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana actually follow it in the standard sequence of poses. Over time, however, both of these latter postures are important in developing Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana; they help us a great deal with the challenging work of "binding" the pose—reaching around behind the back to catch the foot in Half Lotus—and bending forward. They do this by assisting with the hip opening and hamstring stretching required for Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana.

Prior to practicing the work recommended in this column, it's a good idea to spend ten or 15 minutes warming up your body. If you are familiar with Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath) and the energetic locks Mula Bandha (Root Lock) and Uddiyana Bandha (Upward Abdominal Lock), I strongly suggest you use them throughout your practice of this sequence. If you're not familiar with these practices, simply breathe in the manner prescribed by your teachers.

1. Janu Sirsasana

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Inhale, bringing your right foot to your inner left thigh. As you exhale, contract your left quadriceps, twist to center your torso over your left leg, and grasp the left foot with both hands. Inhale again, looking up, extending your spine, and lifting your chest. Then exhale, folding forward from the hips; bend your elbows and use your arms to lengthen over the extended leg. If your abdomen and chest press into your thigh, take your chin to your shin. If you can’t fold so deeply, don’t round your back to bring your chin down; instead, just draw the head and spine forward. Hold for at least 5 breaths, release the pose, and repeat on the other side.

2. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Variation

Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right knee forward to the floor at your right hand, and your right heel to the floor in front of your left hip. Keep your hips as level and as squared to the front as possible, and keep the left kneecap pointing straight down. Maintaining these alignments, stretch through your left leg, sliding it back and lowering the groin toward the floor. To keep the stretch at a manageable intensity, you may place some of your weight on your hands. Continue to release and relax as you hold this posture for up to 30 breaths.

3. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana Variation

Stand with your feet together. As you inhale, draw the right knee up and slightly out to the side, grasping the ankle or shin with both hands. Make sure you contract the standing-leg quadriceps to lift the kneecap. As you exhale, pull the right heel toward the lower left quadrant of your abdomen. Rather than pointing the knee out to the side and down, work to point it forward and up. Use your arm strength to lift the right leg. Take 5 breaths, then release the foot to the floor and repeat the pose on the other side.

4. Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend the right knee, grasp the right shin or ankle, and draw the right foot in toward the lower left abdomen. Place the ankle as high on the left thigh as you can; hold it in place with the left hand. On an exhalation, reach your right arm behind your back to grasp the top of your right foot and reach your left hand forward to grasp the outer left foot. If you can’t reach your right foot with your right hand, keep the left hand on the right foot and grasp your left forearm with your right hand. Take 5 breaths. Release and repeat on the other side.

5. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

Stand with your feet together. As you inhale, lift your right leg, taking hold of the shin or ankle with both hands and drawing the right foot up to the level of your left hipbone. Pull the right heel in toward the belly with the left hand, place the ankle on the upper thigh, and reach your right hand behind you to grasp your right foot. As you inhale again, lift the left arm overhead; as you exhale, bend forward. If possible, place the left palm on the floor, fingertips in line with the tips of your toes. Without forcing, draw your chin toward your shin. Take 5 to 10 breaths. To come out of the pose, inhale while looking up and lifting your chest. Exhale here. Then, as you inhale, press firmly down through your standing leg and draw your torso back up to vertical. (Bending the standing leg a bit can make this easier.) Release the lifted leg to the floor, then repeat on the other side.