Comments on: Starting Third Series (Again) – Reflections on an 11 year relationship

By: Iain Grysak

Iain Grysak — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 05:56:41 +0000

In reply to Troy.

Hi Troy,
I’m happy to hear that you enjoy the articles. I haven’t written about my last few trips to Mysore, because I felt like I covered most of what I had to say about the Mysore experience in the articles that I wrote about my first two trips. I may write more about future trips, if I feel like something important comes up.

By: Troy

Troy — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 22:28:25 +0000

Always enjoy your articles, this one in particular! Will you be writing one about updated trips to Mysore?

By: Trent Bonneau

Trent Bonneau — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 19:01:46 +0000

Lengthy article yes, but fascinating and teaching. Wondrous!

By: Iain Grysak

Iain Grysak — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 16:33:39 +0000

In reply to jea.

Hi Jea,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is easy to say in hindsight “I wish I would have understood this before, or listened to the people who told me this before”, but the reality is that a truth is only a truth when we directly experience it ourselves. It is very common in this practice to have to go through this type of experience, before we learn more appropriate ways of engaging with ourselves and with the practice. It is part of the transformational and growing process. I’m happy to hear you have experienced that and learned well from it!

By: jea

jea — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 20:03:44 +0000

thanks ian for these words. it cannot be said enough!
i think you can neither skip nor fake a solid daily practice even if it looks like that from the outside.
i’ve heard advices like yours many times but never truely listened. or excluded myself. i‘m mostly a homepractitioner who travels to a qualified teacher as often as i can. but it was a non traditional teacher at home, who instead of stopping me, pushed (which my own mentality tends to do as well since im a former climber) and i ended up injuring myself (spine and si joint)
i wish i would have known before how much space to explore and growth opens up when you stop (in my case i had to, for months)
with a new teacher i am working hard on the ability to slow down and i am amazed by the discoveries even in the first half of primary. my body had to soften in order to heal so did the practice. which brings new sensations in asanas i‘ve thought i’ve mastered years ago..
stepping back or slowing down can be much harder than a bunch of advanced poses. hella more difficult.
its a experience thats hard to tell to someone who haven‘t experienced it. i wish i would have truely listened (or trusted).
and i wish more teacher would dare to do so instead of doing whats favourable (or fashionable).
thanks for sharing – its inspiring for my recovery exploration which still is a fight between i-should and i-want.

By: Iain Grysak

Iain Grysak — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:53:20 +0000

In reply to Brice. Hi Brice, Thanks for sharing your own experience. I'm glad to hear it resonates with mine!

By: Brice

Brice — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:45:15 +0000

Thanks for your great insight. I’m a student of Sharath, and I love this article and everything you’ve said. I found out a few years ago that I have an autoimmune disease. This disease has cause me to fracture my sacrum, fracture my wrist twice, and rip and ligament in my shoulder all during my practice and at the hands of inexperienced “newer” teachers (not Sharath- sharath has been great, loving, and super careful with me). It’s been a huge lesson for me as a student of ashtanga. Aggression and collecting postures quickly doesn’t work for me and really, for most in the long run. This is a whole life practice. There is no finish line to get to. I now try to be super selective and careful with who I practice with in between my time in India. I agree with your comment above, broken bones and surgery is not liberation (I’m paraphrasing). Thanks for sharing your experience. I for one, really appreciate it. All the best!

By: Iain Grysak

Iain Grysak — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 08:01:08 +0000

In reply to daniel.

Hi Daniel,

I am glad you enjoyed the article. Regarding full vinyasa, I practiced it on two occasions for about six months each time. When one’s practice is in a stable place and one is feeling strong, it can be beneficial. It increases the awareness of how the breath and vinyasa generate a deeper experience of bandha and it will build more strength. I don’t personally feel it is sustainable as a long term practice though, especially when one is going through phases of deeper change or instability.

By: daniel

daniel — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 01:08:22 +0000

Hi Iain!

I liked very much your article, Thanks! lt brought a lot inspiration for my practice. I was with Rolf and Marcy in 2015 and it was an amazing experience. I would like your opinion about practicing with whole vinyasa (or full vinyasa). I practice this way most of my daily practices. I had my first contact with this way of practice in 2004 from an hawaian teacher in a workshop in Brazil. His mother learned to practice with full vinyasa from Guruji (Pathabi Jois) in 1985 and her husband, Brad Ramsey. In 2009 I was with her in a workshop here in Brazil and she explained to me a little about this way of practicing. She practices this way for 25 years and for her is very good. When I was with Rolf in Goa I asked him and he told me that if it was good for me, this was not a problem. He liked this way! There I practiced intermediary with whole vinyasa. I saw some early videos in your website and noticed your practice was with full vinyasa and that now you have stopped, is that correct? Can you give me your oppinion and experience about this, please?

thanks and hope to hear from you soon!

By: Laine

Laine — Thu, 19 May 2016 19:28:53 +0000

I appreciate your in depth response to my opinions! I agree that some may never need to move beyond primary or even perhaps half. I personally don’t believe in judging another’s practice. Perhaps we need to work through the impatience in our practice rather than in our daily lives?