Your first month of Ashtanga
What to expect in weeks one to four, from sore hamstrings to remembering the order.
Why we rest on moon days
Saturdays, new moons and full moons are off. Here is the thinking, and what to do instead.
Ashtanga has a tradition of not practising on new moon and full moon days, as well as one day a week. Students ask whether this is science or superstition. Our honest answer is that the reason matters less than the habit: a practice six days a week needs regular days off, and a calendar everyone agrees on keeps the room together.
The moon days fall roughly every two weeks, so you get about six rest days a month. We publish the dates on our WhatsApp list at the start of each month, and the shala stays closed on those mornings.
What should you do on a rest day? Walk, sleep a little longer, eat a proper breakfast. If your body wants movement, gentle stretching or a short sitting practice is fine. What we discourage is doing your full sequence at home anyway; rest only helps if you actually take it.
Many long-time students say the rest days are what kept them practising for years. Muscles and joints recover, small aches settle, and you come back on the next morning with a little more patience.
