Sharath Jois U.S. Tour 2019 at Stanford University in April 22-27, 2019
I signed up for a one-week workshop with Sharath Jois, the grandson of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois who founded Ashtanga Yoga. I was not a regular Ashtanga practitioner and had never done a consistent six-day-a-week morning Ashtanga practice before. It was a challenge, but I looked at it as a new opportunity to discover myself. My heart opened and transcended all my questions and doubts. I surrendered to the teacher, to myself, and let the knowledge flow in.
The daily practice of yoga with hundreds of other people from all over the world was very reassuring. I had a real practice and just enjoyed the moment. I feel very lucky to have been graced with everything I needed to make it happen and see it through.
I woke up on the second morning of our six days with aches and pains in my deltoids, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi. This let me know that there is always further and deeper to go in the journey of strength. That's why it's important to practice with a teacher. There are things that I will only do in the presence of the teacher. If left to my own devices, I will slowly become gentler and kinder to myself. I often shorten my practice at home because I have a thought in the back of my mind about my to-do list for the day. I wonder if I should go deeply into backbends because I have to teach in the evening, or if I should cut the practice short so I can prepare for work or meetings. Also, in self-practice, it's easy to make the breaths quickly when those poses become your challenges. For me, this is so obvious in Navasana. It's a classic avoidance of struggle and aversion from pain.
Sharath's count is steady and strong like a metronome that never misses a beat. It shows me how much I lapse into cheating. It's just a little too easy around the postures I like the least on my own. There are so many things to improve. Patience is gold and practice is key.
Sharath mentioned a lot of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois's famous quotes, such as "99% practice, 1% theory." Whatever theory we learn, read, or hear, we should put the time to practice and apply it to our lives. Through practice, the theory becomes useful for us. He also addressed the importance of the fundamentals of yoga. Whether it's asanas or spiritual practice, we should take it step by step. We should learn how to behave and act in accordance with the yamas and niyamas. These fundamentals make our spiritual foundations strong.
Always be a student, never stop seeking, and keep practicing. Things will happen naturally.
