Mysore-style or a led class: which suits you?
Self-paced practice with a teacher at your side, or the whole room moving to one count. How the two differ and who each suits.
Your first month of Ashtanga
What to expect in weeks one to four, from sore hamstrings to remembering the order.
The first week is mostly about learning to breathe while you move. Ujjayi breathing, a slow and audible breath through the nose, feels strange at first. Do not worry about getting it perfect. Keep the breath even and let the movement follow it.
In the second week most people feel it in the hamstrings and shoulders. This is normal soreness from new work, not a reason to stop. Come in, practise more gently, and tell your teacher what you feel. They may shorten your practice for a few days.
By the third week the sun salutations start to feel familiar, and your teacher will begin adding standing postures. This is when people often want to rush. Resist it. A posture you can breathe in is worth more than three you are straining through.
At the end of the month, take stock. Most students are practising for 35 to 45 minutes, know their sequence without prompting, and sleep noticeably better. A few find that early mornings are not for them, and switch to the evening courses. Both are fine. The point is to find a practice you will keep.
