Ashtanga Yoga in India

The drops fall around me like it's raining, but the rain hasn't fallen from the sky in a long time. I am sweating in the heat of India doing asanas, which are exercises in Ashtanga Yoga. I left the greyness of January in Finland to enjoy the sun's warmth, relaxing lifestyle and be cleansed through yoga exercises.

People come from all around the world to the Mecca of Ashtanga Yoga: Mysore, India. Many have come to the guru of western yoga practitioners, Sir K. Pattabhi Jois' shala at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute.

There are many of us here. The first ones start their exercise at half past four in the morning, and the last ones end their exercise just before noon. The exercise takes about two hours. When one finishes the exercise program, the person next in line steps in. Some are beginners; others have been practicing yoga for decades.

Our energies flow freely, but everyone is concentrating on his or her own asanas.

The toes of the person next to me slam down on my mat, because we are doing our exercises side by side, as close to each other as possible. Sometimes we have to arrange ourselves carefully on the mat, to ensure we don't tickle the person next to us with our fingers or toes.

I stretch out and bend into the movement deeper than before and my body reaches a new dimension. The warmth has clearly softened the muscles that were tense from the Finnish cold.

I do an extreme contortion in the Marichyasana D -asana, which has also been called the "extreme Ashtanga knot". At one point I thought that I would never be able to do this movement, but now doing it is surprisingly easy. It's as if everything just fell into place.

Flowing through the movements I continue onwards in my exercises and go further than ever before: my mind is resting in a deep peaceful place, my body is gliding from one movement to the next. I feel present in the moment, my mind isn't pointlessly wandering. I pass from one movement to the next with the waves of my breathing.

I am awoken abruptly by a stern demand: You there! What you do? You stop!

I look up. Is Guruji Saraswati yelling at me? Other heads are turning as well. The command is for my neighbour, so he has to end his exercise and move to the finishing sequence. I continue furtively because I've never made it this far in the series of asanas. I am waiting for the judgement that will tell me to stop as well. Soon I will have finished the entire first series, and I feel the joy of success. Today I did it, tomorrow I might not be able to, but I won't worry about that now.

Sometimes the Guruji helps you with the movements and presses you deeper into the stretch. Then you need to just relax and let go. Resisting might cause you to hurt yourself when the helper is applying pressure to your back.

If you have any special ailments, such as sciatica, back pains or if you're pregnant, it is wise to tell the instructor about this, and he will then treat you more gently. Since as many as a few hundred people attend the exercises daily, the Gurujis can't remember everyone, so it is important to remind them of your special needs.

In Ashtanga you go from one asana to the other in a specific order and you can't go any further than you are capable of. Every movement is preparation for the next; trying to advance before you've mastered the current move will most likely stop your progress - or in the worst-case scenario result in injury. It is important to listen to yourself and not force your body into an uncomfortable position. One of the most important principles of Ashtanga is non-violence and that starts with the kindness you show yourself.

Physical exercises strengthen you mentally. The difficult movements require perfect concentration and letting go of any worries or grievances. Yoga is not about religion, but the overall well being of the person practicing it.

Ashtanga yoga gives you control of your mind and body. It also gives you balance and the same feeling of well being you get from spending time outdoors / in nature. It cleanses both your mind and body. The exercise is meant to support other aspects of your life, and not restrict them.

It is a clear January morning and the sun is shining bright and hot as I step out of the room/hall. I buy a green coconut from a street vendor, and the coconut restores my fluid balance to finish off my exercise.

Life in India seems easy and nicely healthy. For breakfast I enjoy a large smoothie, a bowl of fruit salad, hummus bread and some ginger tea.

You get a very comprehensive experience of India; life is colourful, the foods are spicy but balanced and the scents are strong but gentle. The locals receive the westerners with a smile, and swing their heads in a funny way from one side to the other. This strange gesture means: yes, maybe, or "what a funny tourist".

In Mysore the locals are doing fairly well, and you see very little beggars. The Hindus believe that everyone deserves their fate, and they don't see helping the unfortunate as something necessary. Westerners see things otherwise, so after a two-hour practice you still have time to do good deeds by working at the orphanage, the hospital or the school.

Many people go to the pool to work on their tan after yoga, but you can also help by donating. Operation Shanti (www.operation-shanti.org) help the people living on the streets and they are happy to accept in addition to monetary assistance things such as old yoga mats, a towel or clothes.

Text by Aksana Kurola
Images by Antti Kurola