As always, please feel free to reach out to me with questions or comments. I appreciate your feedback. My goal is to make this incredible practice available to as many people as possible. If there’s something that will make it easier for you to do your practice, I want to know about it.
<3
Karen
1. The new shala!
Doors to the new shala open on Sunday, June 2nd. We are moving one door to the left of our current shala. Same building, same parking lot, new shala! 3302 N 3rd Street, in the Lexington Building. There is parking behind the building, as well as the spots out front.
2. Ashtanga Summer School
To welcome new practitioners to our shala, I’m offering a three-month (June, July, August) unlimited package for $99/month.
So what does the schedule look like?
Sunday, June 2nd
- 7:30-9:00 AM Led primary
- 9:00-9:30 AM Pranayama and Meditation (Bring a meditation pillow, thick blanket, or throw pillow)
- 9:30-10:45 AM Led intermediate
- 11:00 AM Brunch at Phoenix Public Market
Monday, June 3rd
- Moon day No morning Mysore practice.
Tuesday, June 4th
- 5:30-8:30 Mysore practice
Wednesday, June 5th
- 5:30-8:30 Mysore practice
Thursday, June 6th
- 5:30-8:30 Mysore practice
Friday, June 7th
- 6:00-7:30 AM Led primary
Saturday, June 8th
- Rest day. Shala is closed.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SUNDAY
What time should I arrive for led primary on Sunday?
If you’re new, arrive between 7:00-7:15 so we can get some paperwork sorted out and have a quick chat. If you’re a regular, do your usual thing!
Should I do the led primary class?
A: If you have done led primary class before, jump right in. If you haven’t done led class, go ahead and give it a go. Some people do the whole class, and some do not. You can stop at any point you want. You can sit on your mat and observe (which is quite fun). Or you can take a little rest once you feel you’ve had enough and then get up and get on with your day.
What will happen during pranayama and meditation?
I’ll offer some instruction on how to sit comfortably, and then we will do breathing techniques (pranayama) that calm and focus the body and mind. Following that, we’ll sit for a short meditation period (~20 minutes).
Can I do intermediate led class?
Intermediate led class — despite being called “intermediate” – is quite advanced. If you have a long-term daily Ashtanga practice and think this might be for you, contact me so we can chat. People are welcome to observe led intermediate.
Where’s brunch??
We’ll be going to Phoenix Public Market for brunch. Everyone is invited, and spouses, significant others, friends, and family are welcome to join.
Do I have to do everything on the schedule on Sunday?
Nope! If you want to do one, or two, or three things, that’s fine. And you are welcome to observe any of the things you decide not to do. Except brunch. It’d be creepy to observe brunch. 😉
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT MONDAY
What’s a moon day and why is the shala closed?
Ashtanga is traditionally practiced six days per week. It is part of the tradition to rest on the new and full moon. So we always take Saturdays off, and then two additional days per month (whichever days the new and full moon fall on).
What does the word “shala” mean?
“Shala” is a Sanskrit word. It means a “house” of yoga. It’s often associated with the Ashtanga style of yoga. A yoga shala is a place where the physical practice of yoga – asanas – is taught, but it also provides a nurturing and supportive environment for yogis to gather, share experiences, and grow in their practice.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
The time window is 5:30-8:30 AM. When am I supposed to show up at the shala? I’m not going to practice for three hours, right?!?
Here’s a link to a description of Mysore practice. https://mysorephoenix.com/mysore-practice/
For people who are brand new to the practice, come in between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM. Figure total time from the moment you walk into the shala to the moment you leave to be about 40 minutes.
Do I need to know the sequence of poses?
Nope! If you are brand new to the practice, think of this as a perfect blank slate. One of my favorite things is starting from scratch with a brand new practitioner. You are very welcome at the shala!
If you know some of the sequence, if you used to know and now you’re rusty – no worries! I’m happy to guide you along through the practice.
QUESTIONS ABOUT FRIDAY
What time should I arrive for led primary on Friday?
If you’ve never practiced with us before, arrive between 5:30-5:45 so we can get some paperwork sorted out and have a quick chat. If you’ve been practicing at the shala, just be sure to be here and on your mat by 5:55 AM. 😊
Should I do the led primary class?
A: If you have done led primary class before, jump right in. If you haven’t done led class, go ahead and give it a go. Some people do the whole class, and some do not. You can stop at any point you want. You can sit on your mat and observe (which is quite fun). Or you can take a little rest once you feel you’ve had enough and then get up and get on with your day.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Do I have to practice every day?
No. Ashtanga is traditionally a six day a week practice. Many people start by practicing fewer days, though. In order to keep your learning fresh, I ask that people commit to practicing three days per week for the first month. Bear in mind that your practice will be short to start off with. So the three days per week commitment will not be physically or mentally overwhelming. The goal is to build a practice that is sustainable for many years to come. Of course, if you want to practice six days a week, you are more than welcome to go for it!
Where can I learn more about the shala and the practice?
Still have questions?
Ping me via email ([email protected]), social media, or text or call me at 480-316-4509.
3. Evening Mysore Program
I realize everyone can’t make it to early morning Mysore practice. I think Ashtanga has huge benefits and want to make sure it is accessible to everyone who wants to practice. And so… we’re going to launch an Evening Mysore Program.
I did some outreach and a handful of people have said they’d like to take advantage of evening Mysore. I’m really excited to try this out, and am committed to keeping the program running through June, July, and August. My dream is that there will be enough interest that we can keep the program going, and even add some additional evenings.
If the idea of evening practice appeals to you, make it a point to come practice! We can make this happen!
Schedule will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, starting Monday, June 3rd.
There’s an interesting twist to this program: most Mysore programs close on moon days. We will *not* close for moon days. The reason: well, there are two Monday moon days in June. We already have a limited number of opportunities to practice per week. If the evening program expands to become a six day per week program in the future, we will begin taking moon days off.
QUESTIONS ABOUT EVENING MYSORE PROGRAM
The time window is 5:00-7:00 PM. When am I supposed to show up at the shala? I’m not going to practice for two hours, right?!?
Here’s a link to a description of Mysore practice. https://mysorephoenix.com/mysore-practice/
For people who are brand new to the practice, figure total time from the moment you walk into the shala to the moment you leave to be about 40 minutes. If you show up anywhere between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, we’ll be able to fit your practice in.
Do I need to know the sequence of poses?
Nope! If you are brand new to the practice, think of this as a perfect blank slate. One of my favorite things is starting from scratch with a brand new practitioner. You are very welcome at the shala!
If you know some of the sequence, if you used to know and now you’re rusty – no worries! I’m happy to guide you along through the practice.
4. A few thoughts on this practice
If you hang around with Ashtangis, at some point you’re going to hear the practice described as: “99% practice, 1% theory.” Ashtanga is an experiential practice. You learn it by *doing* it. In Ashtanga, you get full credit for doing practice and zero credit for talking about it.
We live in a world where surface appearances are polished and marketed with a million pretty words and shared on social media. We’re encouraged to look for new things to consume before we’ve even finished with what we already have.
Ashtanga is the opposite of that. Ashtanga is about doing the actual work of practice. It’s about focusing on the pose you’re working on. It’s about dedication and discipline and determination and devotion. It’s about doing poses you don’t like and being okay with that. It’s about developing a humble attitude toward the poses you love and do well. If you are bendy, the practice will challenge you to become stronger. If you are strong (often misnamed “stiff”), the practice will challenge you to become more flexible. Ashtanga will not let you think you’re better than anyone else, and it will teach you that you are as good as anyone else. Ashtanga will make you think it is about poses, until you realize it is about who we are, about who YOU are.
At the end of our practice, we pray: Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. “May all beings everywhere be happy and free.”
