Your first pranayama and chanting class
Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.30: what happens in the room, what to bring and what you need to know beforehand.
How a teacher decides you are ready for the next posture
In the Mysore room, new postures are given one at a time. What our teachers watch for before they add the next one.
One question we hear in the shala every week is, when will I get the next posture? In Mysore-style practice, each student is given the sequence one posture at a time, and the teacher decides when to add the next. It can feel mysterious, so here is what Raghu and our other teachers watch for.
The first thing is breath. If your breath is steady and audible through the postures you already have, and you are not gasping or holding it, you are ready to learn more. If the breath breaks down by the middle of your practice, adding another posture only adds strain. The second is memory. You should be able to move through your sequence without stopping to think what comes next or looking around the room. That usually takes a week or two of regular practice after a new posture is added.
The third is the posture itself. Some postures prepare the body for those that follow. Marichyasana C, a seated twist, is one where many students stay for months, because the twists that come after need the same rotation and shoulder opening. The teacher looks for a reasonable approach to the shape, not perfection.
The last is consistency. A student who comes four or five mornings a week progresses more steadily than one who comes twice. If you have been on the same posture for a long time, that is not a judgement. It is part of the method. Ask the teacher what to work on; they will always tell you.
