Ashtanga Mysore: Whether you’re 18 or 88, it may be for you!

Almost daily I get questions about how things work in the Mysore room — where we practice daily the Ashtanga Vinyasa method of yoga.  There are many misperceptions and quite a bit of false information out there in the yoga world about this practice, so I thought I’d try and provide some clarity.

You may have noticed on Flow’s website there is a “Mysore” page where you can submit your application to the program. We don’t reject applications, rather we use this to gather some basic preliminary information about you, your yoga experience and your intended commitment. Most importantly, we use it to schedule your first day of Mysore so we can know when to expect you and make sure we have time and resources just for you.

Yes, it’s a commitment. At Flow we attempt to lessen that a bit by offering a 2-week intro option, but beyond that it’s a 3-month minimum commitment. This is purposeful because we, as a community of practitioners, put a lot of time and energy into cultivating the community through study, practice and teaching. As such there is a deep appreciation for the practice and a recognition that it takes time for that to develop.

On your first day, after a brief discussion about your practice, we’ll get you started with samasthihi and surya namaskara A (sun salutation). We will guide you through it — you don’t need to know anything coming in — this is the ideal way to learn Ashtanga. After five or so of those we may then move you on to surya B. And then likely wrap up with the last three seated postures and rest (śavasana). Your first few weeks will be more about you learning the sequence of postures and the basic forms and less about the nitty gritty of alignment. Our aim will be to keep you safe and support you in this process of settling into the rhythm and routine of a daily Ashtanga practice. We’ll add new postures purposefully and slowly so as not to overwhelm you. It’s a gradual, cooperative, partnership-based process that varies from person to person. We work from the traditional Ashtanga Primary Series using props, modifications of the postures to tailor the practice to you. The more regular you are with your attendance, the stronger your relationships (to the community, the teachers, the practice and yourself) will grow.

The Ashtanga method is based on three principles:

1. posture - the physical embodiment;

2. breath - the means of accessing your energetic body and deepening concentration; and

3. drishti (looking place) - a means of lessening the distractions of the world around you and honing your attention inward.

We use this as a foundation for working with you to develop your practice. This allows for the progression within the series (or sequences) of postures that we implement as a framework for the movement practice. This is a process that unfolds differently for everyone and is offered without expectation other than to show up. Our time together is so valuable and serves to help us build, together, on this foundation.

As teachers we draw from a toolkit of techniques to provide guidance, including verbal, demonstration and touch-based assistance. The relationship between student and teacher is built gradually and based largely on communication.  Students are encouraged communicate with us to let us know what is and isn’t working for you. . One of our intentions as teachers is to provide unspoken support through simply being present and aware of what is going on with you from day to day. This particular aspect of the Mysore student-teacher relationship isn’t often spoken about, but in my experience — from both sides — it is incredibly valuable and meaningful. There will be days when you will not receive any direct attention from the teacher, but you (and the teacher) will leave feeling the benefit of the connection made that day. Again, this is purposeful, so that you have the opportunity to move and breathe and settle deeper into your experience without interference — yet another incredibly valuable aspect of practice amongst the devoted energy of the community.

I hope this is a helpful bit of information for those that may be interested in exploring the Mysore practice. As the title suggests, through patience, persistence and communication, this practice can be established for anyone that is willing to commit!

5 Ways To Give + Community Celebration

Warmest holiday wishes and special thanks for all the presence, care and love you bring to Flow. You're at the center of so much of the goodness that abounds in our community, and we want to take a purposeful moment to share our thanks. Thank you!

At the heart of our core values at Flow is to uplift the lives around us - especially by being proactively kind, and service-oriented. In the spirit of creating common good this season, we'd like to celebrate some good that has happened and share with you (below) five ways we can work together to care for the communities around us.

This Fall we’ve been busy spending time cultivating relationships with non-profits close to our hearts to raise awareness and more than $20,000!!!! via special events, raffles, class donations (including Deb's new Wednesday night community class), and volunteering for Together Rising (along with our friends from Extend Yoga & DCCY),  One Common Unity, Martha's Table,  and Yoga Gives Back. Thank you to everyone including our teachers & staff who lent their hands and hearts to support these amazing groups!

Let’s keep the great momentum going. Here are 5 super easy ways you can get involved.

1. Through Dec 15th: Support our in studio donation drive for the DC Coalition to End Domestic Violence. You’ll notice donation baskets at both studios. Kara, who is organizing this drive shared, "Survivors often receive toys for their kids, but not those important other goods for the house and for self-care." So, we're collecting gifts for survivors and their families: grocery store gift cards, metro cards and movie passes or passes for other fun activities. You can get gift cards from Wholefoods, CVS etc on your way to class!
   

2. Wednesdays at 7pm: Join us each Wed night 7pm, for our by donation community class, led by Flow’s founder, Debra. This pay-what- you-can class is perfect for beginners to yoga, and anyone looking to strengthen the foundations of their practice in a supportive community. Each month we’ll donate all class proceeds to a non-profit working to uplift lives. This month and next is One Common Unity - which brings peace, art and yoga into DC’s public schools. February -April we will donate funds to N Street Village!
   

3. Sunday Dec 9th: In the spirit of shopping local - join us for our Open House Celebration & Holiday Marketplace where we will feature local makers - visit this link to see who is coming and to let us know if you can make it!
   

4. Sunday Dec 9th: Join us for Mimi’s Holidayasana: Gift, Soar and Groove...  and…bring along a toy for Toys For Tots! Can’t make it to her workshop? You can drop your toy afterwards during our Open House!
   

5. Monday December 24th: Attend our Christmas Eve fundraiser with Cory & Mike. All proceeds will go to Plastic Pollution Coalition - an organization that works to end single use plastics. We will post the sign up shortly. Save the date: Monday Dec 24th at 10am.

   
   warmest regards & happy holidays,

   Debra & Ian

   ps: check out the partial list of vendors at Sunday’s Open House & Pop Up Holiday Marketplace:

   Apothekary (magical elixir blends, adaptogenics, herbs and more)

   Mezam Apparel.com (Come and see our African inspired fitness apparel!)

   Nourish & Refine (natural self care products)

   Fire & Bloom (gorgeous candles)

   Dare Daily (essential oils lotions and potions)

   Vegetable & Butcher (Yum!)

   Antler Alchemy (herbal teas)

   734 Coffee (Ethiopian fair Trade Coffee with proceeds to Sudan)

   Bee Sweet Lip Balm ( protects lips. protects bees.
   organic. vegan. biodegradable)

   Lila Organics (our favorite yoga pants & tops) 

   Lisa Marie Thalhammer (cards and art!)
   
   

Teacher Spotlight: Chris Anderson

Meet Chris! A dedicated Ashtanga practitioner & teacher, he has been a longtime Flowgi. Learn more about him below :)

What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?

I currently practice Ashtanga yoga, which traditionally involves a daily morning asana practice five or six days a week. It always starts with sun salutations and standing postures like triangle and side angle pose, followed by either primary, second, or third series. Then backbends (which I think are super important for people like me who spend the rest of the day at work hunched forward over their computers!), inversions, and seated meditation. Finally, I seal in the practice with a nice long rest (the longer the better, at least 5 minutes). All together it’s about 90 minutes. Getting it done first thing in the morning lets me do my practice with a clear mind, free of the accumulated distractions of a long work day. Then I come home and walk my dogs, Cookie and Chance, before heading off to work

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

The community spirit at Flow inspires me to practice here. I’m lucky enough to live just a few blocks away from Flow, so the studio is literally a part of my community. It’s a part of my daily life. I practice every morning with the rest of the Ashtanga practitioners in the studio’s “Mysore” program. Even though it’s usually pretty quiet—no music and not a lot of talking—there is truly a sense of community in the room. We see each other every day so we notice the little things like when someone has the sniffles or even a new haircut. And of course the big things like having kids or other major life changes

What was your first yoga experience like?

Well, my very first yoga experience was back in high school. I had a friend who said she knew some yoga postures and so we would stand on one leg and stretch and then hang out and smoke cigarettes and listen to music (it was a different time!).
Then in the 90s I went to a yoga class in a Gold’s Gym in Cleveland Park taught by a woman who must have been 75 if she was a day. Her name was something like Ruby or Rosie and she was tough as nails. I thought I was doing really well but then she would come over and tell me stop doing whatever it was I was doing before I hurt myself (this was followed by more cigarettes—it was the 90s!).
Then I gave up smoking and found Flow and have been here ever since.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

Before I started practicing Ashtanga I took a lot of classes with Jessica Lazar, who teaches Prana Flow, which is pretty different from Ashtanga. But she was one of the first teachers I consistently practiced with and I learned so much from her about the importance of regular and consistent practice and having a community, for which I’ll be forever grateful.
And of course, my main teacher for the last few years has been Jen René who started the Mysore program at Flow. She has always had confidence in me even when I was doubtful and a vision for my future as a student and teacher even when I didn’t know where I was headed.
And Peg Mulqueen, who started the Ashtanga Dispatch with Jen René. Peg helped “recruit” me and convinced me that Ashtanga would be a good practice for me. I love how the Ashtanga Dispatch media empire she created has grown and now provides a community for Ashtangis around the world.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I think Bridget Jones’s Diary is a Top 10 Movie. What can I say? I love rom-coms.

Guest Spotlight: Anna Connolly

photo credit: Claire Packer

Meet Anna! She is a long-time Flowgi, who also writes & sings her own songs. Learn more about her below :)

What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?

Sigh... I cannot tell a lie... My daily practice varies... But at minimum I sit and meditate for even 5 minutes. I do this in the evening, after my shower, in order to continue winding down from my day and clear my mind (or try to!) before going to bed.

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

My practice at Flow is like soothing medicine for my mind, body, and soul. I discovered Flow a number of years ago... Has it been 6 or even 8 years? I immediately fell in love with Flow, and when I would try other places, they didn't measure up for me.... I love the variety of courses and teachers at Flow. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach, which is just great. I can always find a class that fits my mood or physical state... slow or active, hot or not. But what I really love about Flow is the warmth and the welcoming atmosphere. When I enter the stairwell of the P Street location (which is still my favorite!), I immediately feel a sense of calm....

What was your first yoga experience like?

My mom introduced me and my sister to yoga when we were in elementary school! I remember she would have us all do a morning practice together on TV -- it was a practice and show led by Richard Hittlema. (I just googled him, and his practices are on YouTube!) I did gymnastics when I was in elementary school, so I enjoyed yoga right away.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

The teachers that resonate most with me are Cory, Brittanie, Angela, and Catherine. I was also a big devotee of Shawn Parell's when she still lived and taught here. I will never forget the time I was in her class, and I thought to myself, "I hope Shawn doesn't move away because I love her class so much!" and at the end of the class, she announced she was moving away!

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I just released my first record--yes on vinyl (and CD)! A long time ago, when I was a teenager, I was into punk music and the punk scene in DC. I've always had lots of musician friends, but I never thought to play myself. Only after my kids were born did I start taking guitar lessons--but only because I thought I would entertain my kids by playing guitar! They didn't care about that at all, but I liked the guitar, so I kept playing. Eventually I wrote a song, and then some more... I've been playing shows around DC regularly for the last two years, and I just set up my first show in NYC on 1/31.

Manager Spotlight: Carmen Harris

Meet Carmen! She is a dynamite manager at Flow, creating a wonderful sense of community on every shift. Learn more about her below :)

What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?

Most recently, I started going to evening Mysore which is something my first dc-based yoga teacher, Kalah Hill, suggested to me. It’s not something I ever thought I would try but it’s been fun and a challenge. I very much appreciate Cory’s approach to Mysore - it’s a very accessible way to practice for any student which works well for me.

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

I was initially drawn to flow because of the different class offerings, particularly there were a lot of options for practicing Ashtanga at Flow. I stayed at Flow because I really liked the teachers and of course, the people. I remember Amber was the first person that ever called me by name at Flow and now I work with Amber on Thursday evenings to make other folks feel as welcomed and known at Flow as she made me feel. It’s a full circle of community.

What was your first yoga experience like?

My first yoga experience was in 2001 in Texas while I was an intern at Johnson Space Center. I was coming off of tough junior year of college and I decided to take a beginners yoga class at a local studio. It was great. We had a typed up curriculum and everything. I was very fortunate that my teacher was a black woman so there was someone I could identify with in my class. I remember she taught us how to breathe. We spent a lot of time on breathing which is what always stayed with me.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

In terms of yoga, Kalah Hill was and still is pretty influential in my yoga journey. As divine nature would have it our paths crossed at just the right time. She taught me how to be aware of my body and breath as well as the beauty of mutual benefit of a student-teacher relationship. It’s really important to build the trust and I think she learned as much from me as I did from her. My “losses” have taught me a lot over the last few years since I’ve been here. I’ve learned that I’m pretty resilient and nothing is ever really a loss. I appreciate my family and friends as teachers and reflections of who I am as a woman.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I have a twin sister that also lives in DC and we were born on our dad’s birthday - 2/2. My sister is fraternal so you don’t have to worry about seeing double :)

Anything else you would like to share?

“God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.” -The Black Church