Laura and K. Pattabhi Jois in New York City in 2001.

Mr. Jois (called Guruji, meaning "revered teacher") is the master of the Ashtanga Yoga system.  He has been actively teaching yoga for over 60 years.  He now teaches classes six days a week at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) in Mysore, India.  In 2002, Guruji opened a beautiful new yoga shala (school) in the Gokulum area of the city of Mysore. The spacious new shala accomodates three times as many students and has changing rooms for men and women students. Students came from all over the world (including eight students from Kentucky) to celebrate the grand opening. 

About 
Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga in the tradition of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois combines a precise sequence of postures with Ujjayi breathing. Ashtanga Yoga builds strength, flexibility, and radiant health and well-being.  Many Ashtanga Yoga students have experienced improvement or total healing of old injuries and chronic conditions.  Many students have shared that Ashtanga Yoga has changed their lives, freeing them from old patterns of depression, worry and anxiety.  Ashtanga Yoga builds confidence, courage, enthusiasm and joy. 

Click on the image to order Sharath's Primary series DVD. 
$25 + shipping from CA.

What are the benefits of Ashtanga yoga?  Your body becomes strong, flexible and light.  More importantly, your mind becomes strong, flexible and light, too.  Yoga brings the ability to be at your best in any situation, no matter how difficult.  Yoga makes you steadfast, courageous, compassionate, and light-hearted. 

About Ashtanga Authorization and Certification

Yoga East teaches Mr. Jois's traditional, correct method, exactly as taught in India.  Laura Spaulding, the head of our Ashtanga Yoga program, is the first teacher in Kentucky to be authorized to teach by Mr. Jois and is currently the only authorized teacher in Kentucky.  All of Yoga East's Ashtanga teachers are required to have studied with Mr. Jois or his grandson Sharath.  Yoga East teachers and students are encouraged to study in Mysore and to take classes with his authorized and certified teachers. A list of such teachers is maintained at www.ashtanga.com.

About Mysore-style Ashtanga Classes

We teach our classes in the same method used by K. Pattabhi Jois in India.  Students practice progressively at their own pace, are given individual attention and  assistance.  Any person of any age or fitness level can learn Ashtanga Yoga when it is taught in the correct way.  Our students are all ages, fitness levels, and levels of experience.  

New students are not expected to know the sequence or be able to do all the postures.  Mysore-style classes are the best way to learn  - the teacher is there to help you and remind you of postures.  

The most important aspect of Mysore-style practice is not the ability to do postures - it's making the commitment to attend classes regularly and establish a dedicated practice.  The benefits of yoga come quickly when you develop a steadfast, dedicated practice, even if you cannot yet do the postures correctly.  If you cannot attend Mysore classes regularly (at least two times a week), you should attend led classes.  Ideally you should come to class six days a week. New Mysore-style students should come to the morning Mysore class at 7:00 a.m.

Class Formats

Ashtanga Basics Level 1 classes teach sun salutations, basic standing postures, and deep (Ujjayi) breathing. These classes are recommended for students at all levels including seniors and students with challenges and injuries. Beginning Ashtanga Level 2 classes teach the first half of Primary series and are recommended for all students in normal health.  Led Ashtanga classes Level 2-3 practice Full Primary Series and are challenging. If you have never done yoga, have not exercised recently or have injuries, you should start with afternoon Mysore classes or come to morning Mysore classes after 7:00 a.m. 

A CD of Sharath Rangaswamy leading a primary series class is available for purchase at our studios ($14).

Tips for Your Practice

Maintaining a regular practice is the most important aspect of Ashtanga Yoga. On days when you're tired or don't feel well, you should still do a practice, and it's fine to do a shorter, slower or less intense practice than usual.  

Ashtanga yogis should get enough sleep, eat a healthful diet and avoid stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs and excessive caffeine.  Ashtanga Yogis are encouraged to complement their asana practice with meditation, japa (mantra repetition), chanting, study of yoga texts, and contemplation.  In the Ashtanga tradition, practice is traditionally done in the early morning hours when one is fresh.  Most students have found they are more likely to maintain a practice if it's done first thing in the morning.

Moon Days

New moons, full moons, eclipses, and some religious holidays are not suitable for yoga practice, and Pattabhi Jois advises students to rest on those days.  Students who practice Ashtanga Yoga 6 days a week notice the beneficial effects of these twice-monthly rest days on their practice.  If you do not have a daily practice, you can attend a led class on those days.  Moon days and eclipses are always shown on our Calendar.

Ashtanga Yoga is excellent for women.  Women students are advised to rest on the first three days of the menstrual flow (ladies holiday).  Women should not practice yoga or do other strenuous activities during these three days.  There may be a connection between practice of yoga asanas and development of fibroid tumors on the uterus.  Fibroids are benign growths whose exact cause is unknown, but it is known that fibroids are fed by hormones and blood.   Practicing yoga asanas during your menstrual period might put more blood into the uterus and accelerate fibroid growth.  In any case, practicing yoga asanas during your menstrual period can cause heavier blood flow into the uterus, dilation of uterine blood vessels, and heavier bleeding.  Do not practice yoga asanas during the first three days of your period or at any time in which you are experiencing a heavy blood flow. 

Pregnant women in normal health who have regularly practiced Ashtanga may continue to practice up through the sixth month of pregnancy.  The twisting postures should be avoided.   It is not advisable to begin yoga practice or any new activity in the first trimester. Pregnant women should have a physician's permission to attend class.

Information about Yoga East Appalachia - Classes in Blacksburg, VA

Days & Times:
7:30-9:00 a.m.
Fridays September 28, October 5,
Mondays November 19,  26, December 3, 10, 7:30-9:00 am. 

Location:
Y Thrift Store Conference Room
North Main Street
Blacksburg

For more information:
Phone Karen at 540-558-9554

To Register:
Register in person at 
Lancaster House, 402 Washington Street SW, 
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
or phone 540-961-9622

These classes guide you through the primary series of ashtanga or “yoga chikitsa,” yoga therapy, in the tradition of K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. 
Karen is a direct student of Mr. Jois.

Please dress comfortably, bring a mat, and a small towel (if you would like to use it as a “prop”).    

Karen Cairns with Mr. Jois at his 2007 92nd birthday bash.

Information about travel to Mysore, India

Study at AYRI

All students are urged to take advantage of the rare opportunity to study with Sharath and his grandfather Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, a master who has devoted more than 70 years of his life solely to teaching Ashtanga Yoga. 

Registration for Classes at AYRI: See Guruji's website for requirements. You need to submit an application two months in advance of your visit. Take a copy of your passport and a passport-sized photo for registration.  Cost of one month tuition for the first month is Rs 26,900 (about $625), and for the following months Rs 16,900 (about $390).

Mysore Experiences: read about student's experiences in Mysore.

Courier-Journal feature about our Mysore, India trips

Traveling to Mysore

You will need: a passport and a tourist Visa for travel to India.  If you plan to travel frequently to Mysore, you should consider obtaining a 10 year visa.  Most YE students use a service to obtain visas. Passport & Visa Experts, www.passportexperts.com 1-800-483-1475. 

Innoculations: See Centers for Disease Control website for useful and up-to-date information about health concerns: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/indianrg.htm.  Most inoculations can only be obtained locally at The U of L International Travel Clinic, 252 E. Liberty Street, Suite 604. Make an appointment at least one month prior to your departure or you may not be able to get an appointment. Phone 852-3691. 

How to Get There: Mysore is located in Karnataka state in South India. The closest airport is located in Bangalore, the state capitol of Karnataka.  Several airlines fly to Bangalore, which is an international center of technological development and a major outsourcing center for many U.S. businesses. You can travel to Mysore via train, auto or bus.  From the airport, you can obtain a prepaid taxi inside the airport to Mysore or to the train station or bus station.  Taxi fares to Mysore run about Rs 2000. Train and bus tickets are much less expensive, in the range of Rs 300. 

Changing $$ to Rs: In the Bangalore airport you can change a small amount of dollars to Indian Rupees to pay for transportation to Mysore, bottled water or snacks for the trip. The State Bank of India next door to AYRI will give advances on credit cards and change money for you.  ATM machines are also available at several locations in Mysore.

Mysore Retreat Center

We maintain a fully-furnished house in Mysore within a short walk of AYRI.  The house has a beautiful view, 3 bedrooms, window screens, a porch, both Indian toilet and Western toilets, a shower room with hot water, a fully-equipped kitchen with fridge, laundry facilities and capable, helpful staff. For information about staying at the house, please phone Laura Spaulding during business hours at the Main Office. Go to the About Yoga East page for contact information.  

Note: the house is only for the use of Yoga East students and teachers as a quiet retreat center for the practice of yoga. 

Study Music and Sanskrit in Mysore

You can also study Bansuri, Indian Classical Flute, with Ravi Shankar Misra and Sanskrit with Lakshmish Bhatt.  As us for more information.

Ashtanga Yoga Links

www.ashtanga.com
Official website of Ashtanga with list of certified and authorized teachers and news of the Ashtanga community.

www.ayri.org
Website of Guruji's yoga shala.

www.rsharath.com
Website of Sharath Rangaswami

www.saraswatiashtanga.com
Website of Saraswati, Guruji's daughter.