Do I need to be advanced to do self-practice?

No! No! No! If by advanced you mean capable of full lotus or getting your feet behind your head, absolutely not! The beauty of self-practice is that everyone can practise together, no matter how skilled or unskilled they may be in asana. As soon as you have learned the basics of ashtanga and know the sequence up to the point you are capable of going to, you are ready for self-practice. The sooner you can start, the better. Through self-practice, the true power of ashtanga manifests.

Do not worry if you are a bit unsure. Everyone is at first, and I am there to teach you. In my experience, it is only through self-practice that students really learn the sequence. And only with the sequence flowing from your centre can you experience what ashtanga is truly about. In self-practice, your own breath establishes the rhythm and flow of the practice. The shala is quiet, except for the ebb and flow of everyone's breath. Your practice becomes a meditation, with breath, bandhas and dristi (all gateways to the subtle realms) the focal point. With sustained focus, the deep transformative power of the ashtanga practice can penetrate to the cellular level and beyond.

In fact, this focus is what really determines whether or not someone is "advanced" or not. The real yoga happens inside. Only through the silence of self-practice can the voice of the inner guru become audible and lead you to this higher level of awareness in your practice.

Om shanti

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