Consistent practice over a long period of time…. the Way of Ashtanga if you will. The important thing to remember is the HOW of practice. How much is too much and how much is too little. We want to drive the mind throughout the body and deep into the subtle layers so as to awake latent energies. This requires a lot of exertion and the benefits are well worth the effort. However, we want to be available to our people, our loved ones and we want to fully participate in the roles we have assumed in the world as husband, wife, mother, father, employer, etc. Too often people attack practice and get run down. They feel defeated and quit. Ashtanga is a slow slow steady climb. There is no rush and there is no agenda. We at Ashtanga Portland are committed to working with you as an individual and meeting your individual needs, giving you the guidance from over 20 years experience. There will be times when you come up against a major roadblock in practice. This or that refuses to budge. Huge amounts of determination will be needed to make the slightest headway. You have the time and space to dig in and go for it??? Great! That means you can take a nap later and eat a nutritious homemade meal. Perhaps you are strapped at work and there are complicated family issues. Now is not the time - you need your essence and energy to deal with daily life. And practice can assist you here too - , a place of refuge where you embody your physicality and redeem your breath and life force to face the challenges.

The key is paying attention and surfing the wave of practice and life, monitoring energy levels, knowing when to dig in and do some heavy lifting and when to back off. When we practice this way, we look forward to coming in the room and our practice supports and provides. It’s a big conversation, probably the biggest one as student of hatha yoga, and one we look forward to helping you explore.