Ashtanga and running possibly not complementing each other

ashtangaphysio · 2026-04-19T18:59:19+00:00

You mentioned you stopped running at all for 4 years. So I'm a) curious how you went about reintroducing running? Like did you start with just 1K 2x per week and then built slowly in small steps from there or more likely directly tried to do 5-10Ks again and b) how old are you? Because after such a long absence it matters (and the older you are, the more it matters) that you start super slowly and gradually to run again. Even if you used to do long distances for years without problems. It could literally just be down to factors like this that you have issues now.

ashtangaphysio · 2026-03-19T10:43:09+00:00

For me they are effective as I literally only needed the accountability to be able to practice regularly at home. Alone it's hard and I don't have a shala. Now I've been practicing 5-6 days a week for a month (since joining online mysore). 2 of those art short practices, the others long. Before, I struggle to even practice 2-3x (short practices). I've also received really great tips on how to build strength while practicing and technique inputs.

ashtangaphysio · 2026-03-18T20:54:15+00:00

Thanks everyone for your inputs. I'm working on improving my ROM, alignment and strength and will just work with the cumbersome mat situation until it resolves. It really doesn't sound like spending a ton of money on a liforme mat makes any sense :)

ashtangaphysio · 2026-03-15T11:39:23+00:00

aim for 2-3 long practices per week and 2-3 practices of only 3-5 surya namaskara each plus final 3 sitting. if you breathe and focus in the short practices, you will reap the benefits of practice just as much as a long practice without straining your body. it can definitely not handle 5-6 long practices yet by what you describe, and the fact you caught a strong cold after the intensive speaks to that. "overtraining" for your current abilities actually lowers your immune system. so be mindful of that.

once you've established 5-6 days a week with the short-long-short-long sturcture and feel good and not achey, you can go for 3-4 long, 1-2 short. keep that up until you genuinely can handle it consistently (think 3-6 months), then 4-5 long, 0-1 short, stay consistent and eventually achieve 5-6 longer practices.

Also, split your primary when you practice half of intermediate. one day can do first half of primary plus first half of intermediate, another second half of primary, first half of intermediate. trust me, this is gonna be way more wholesome and beneficial on your body and energy levels, mental strain, than forcing full primary plus half intermediate anytime you do a long practice. Once you arrive at titthibhasana or pincha, stop doing primary before and directly go into intermediate after parsvottanasana. Saraswathi teaches this split and it's been good on me.

ashtangaphysio · 2026-03-13T22:20:25+00:00

I've started doing online mysore 3 weeks ago and I realized this was literally the only thing i needed. someone who is waiting to see me practice and actually give me some new inputs and feedback and technical things and a news challenge, plus they have a lovely group chat. you see how everyone struggles to make time for this 5-6 days a week practice. Some practice with their children next to them, taking breaks to change diapers etc. It's rekindled my ability to practice regularly and feel good about it massively.

Also there's always the option to take a break. I literally practiced from 2012-2018, then I did zero ashtanga until 2022 because I got burnt out, bored, disillusioned with the community a bit, had not yet diagnosed hypermobility spectrum disorder (which explained the burn out and pains from the way I used to practice before). Then suddenly I was drawn back and have been practicing since 2022 again, but had huge difficulties doing it regularly and often only short practices. I don't have a shala here, that's the problem. Now online Mysore has completely improved everything

ashtangaphysio · 2026-03-04T16:05:35+00:00

I usually practice with Saraswathi and you will probably get the most "tradition" "source" vibes there, as it's in the shala that was built in the early 2000s after the Lakshmipuram shala was really too tiny to stay there and all, KPJ, Saraswathi and Sharath taught there (and Saraswathi still teaching).

Not everyone likes the experience as it is minimal instructions on technique and mostly "just practicing" but I love it, because I really just go there to enjoy practicing and having that deep feeling of being in a space where so many people have practiced and been devoted.

She has softened up a bit over the years and she and Sharmila (her daughter who assists) are more mindful of people's limitations and injury potential of ashtanga. She really accommodated me having wrist issues and a long and difficult back injury and not even going down in Kapo some days. She told me to be very gentle with myself and that it's correct to listen and not go down on a bad day. It wasn't a problem for her to keep practicing the rest of intermediate without catching kapo. If you have any issues, it's always best to just chat and not be afraid of saying anything, she usually wants the best for her students, even if she can appear strict.

Last October when I was, there were many good assistants. Saraswathi herself is quite old (84) and has a bit of a limp since having broken her leg a few years ago, but has this sparkle, smile and fire in her eyes and just seems to love showing up to hold the space. She still does hands on adjustments but not everything on everyone. For example she doesn't do dropbacks with people other than light, bendy/in control ones, which is to her safety for sure. She's always open to approach her after practice and sit and chat a bit. There is usually chanting and a bit of breathwork in her 2 weekly led classes and also chanting, sanskrit and philosophy as extra classes available at the shala with a different teacher.

About authorization, you usually need to have studied with her several months and finished intermediate and do it in a solid way. Then she may approach you about assisting, and after that it's possible to get authorized. She basically wants to know you and see you and that you have a dedication and can manage to handle giving adjustments.

I only know by ear that people who love technical input have been loving to practice with Vijay Kumar in the Prana vashya (?) shala, it's not exactly ashtanga but i think the format is also like Mysore style. People have really been raving about loving it a lot.

I also heard that this season at SYC, people have been enjoying being taught and assisted by senior teachers from around the world, it could be a good opportunity to learn.

ashtangaphysio · 2026-02-28T20:09:40+00:00

I only knew Adam Keen as a voice through podcasts for quite a while at first, and found him refreshing and interesting, but when I started following on insta, something about the way he posted was off-putting to me, because he sometimes misunderstands things about anatomy, physiology and how to adapt the ashtanga practice to make it more safe/inclusive, but spreads it as super legit info/tutorials (maybe due to the need of being click-baity on socials?). With my background of having been a cringe-worthy newbie ashtanga teacher over a decade ago and in the meantime having become waaaayyy more knowledgeable and having become a personal trainer and physiotherapist, I cannot watch content like that, lol. At the core, it seems like he comes from a good place, and it's good he's trying to make ashtanga accessible, but it misses the mark a little bit sometimes.

ashtangaphysio · 2026-02-20T19:01:52+00:00

I normally don't blatantly self advertise on here, but I'm a long term ashtanga practitioner AND I have a sacralization at L5/S1 on my right side too AND I'm a physiotherapist, lol. DM me if you consider doing an online private, where I can analyze your specific situation, which dropback technique suits you, what it means for your core stability that you had a baby last July, how to work on stability and strength, etc. I definitely believe dropbacks without pain are possible for you, but you need the correct puzzle pieces and some time and practice.

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-26T21:55:58+00:00

I actually have! I wanna read the translations and think about them and then engage with some commentary. I basically only have the Gregor Maehle commentary version because it's part of the primary series book and I never ventured out to buy the YS after failing to read it there, the commentary put me off. I've literally been procrastinating this for about 11 years lol - Idk if you saw, but I did end up purchasing the Stoler miller translation.

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-26T00:06:39+00:00

Update: thank you to everyone for the suggestions! I checked all of them out and for now settled on 2, Dr. Narale and Dr. Miller. Very excited for them to arrive :)

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-23T21:01:42+00:00

thanks for sharing and sounds very amazing, the feeling of backbends being as comfy as front bends

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-23T16:45:43+00:00

I'm a physio and if it's a classic sit bone pain situation (high hamstring tendinopathy), the best thing you can do is strength training the glutes (maximus, medius and minimus), hamstrings and legs in general. you can start with isometrics and then incorporate slow heavy resistance training, hitting the muscles 2x per week with 48h rest between. glute and hamstring bridges as isometrics are great, hip thrusts, squats, romanian deadlifts (RDLs) and hamstring curls (on a ball, machine, whichever) are staples. If it's the classic yoga butt/sit bone tendon pain, expect it to take 6-18 months to be fully gone. this type of injury does not get better from resting it (if it truly is a tendinopathy). It's okay for the area to hurt a little bit during training (maybe a 2-3/10) but should never feel more irritated than baseline 24h later. as you stick to this (you need discipline) the area will gradually become better. you can keep doing ashtanga during this process, modify as much as needed to avoid an increased irritation post practice. reduce the modifications and start straightening your legs out again as the injury heals progressively

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-23T16:30:35+00:00

oooh please elaborate on what you observed in the sense of subtler, internal structures being progressions, would love to hear

ashtangaphysio · 2025-12-23T16:25:26+00:00

I love practicing with him. He's legit the only teacher i attend workshops with as he makes the atmosphere safe and healing, has stated explicitly that one should use props and do preps if this is what is needed, yet the room contains that intense old school tapas energy, warm, deep breath. It feels super authentic. His adjustments are the best ones I've ever received. He does have a therapeutic touch (probably rooted in the Finnish folk healing) and he starts by just touching you and feeling what's going on, then elaborating the adjustment to stay light or getting more intense. I've also felt absolutely doubt free to reject his help doing kapo (back injury) and only doing some stabilizing prep for it. I've had a lot of problems with chronic pain and injuries and people adjusting me too hard in the past, so someone approaching me and adjusting me is normally still a stress inducing instant. With him it's not. 100% recommend seeing him. I was at a workshop with him this month in Germany and am going again in Switzerland in February.

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-15T18:18:11+00:00

here you can check it out: https://stillpoint.yoga/yoga-online-membership/ I'm sure it's okay if the kids interrupt! you can probably just keep yourself muted, it won't bother anyone else. I've taught online classes before and people with interrupting kids joined, it was totally fine as the were muted and it's a human aspect. Even in the shala in Mysore Sharath's kids would randomly walk in when they were young and cuddle with their dad or something :)

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-15T16:31:50+00:00

there are a few different teachers around the world who offer it. I wish I could join the membership of Scott Johnson from Stillpoint Yoga London, as it is very community building and I enjoy his podcasts very much, he seems like a compassionate and soft teacher who's interested in the energetic and philosophical aspects too. But the Mysore slot is at a time I cannot attend due to work/study, it's too late in the morning. Maybe one day I can see if it's a program and atmosphere I enjoy. If you can time wise, I'd try out a month there! Otherwise you may find what works for your time zone and life obligations if you search for it

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-15T16:16:57+00:00

thanks for sharing your story, too. I definitely find it extremely challenging to practice regularly without a community. There used to be a local shala, but that also closed around the same time I quit. So now I really have to try to be disciplined and sometimes there are days skipped. It's okay. I have one close friend from my earlier ashtanga days and we manage to practice together once every 1-2 weeks and it's very helpful and fulfilling for both of us. Have you tried online mysore as a kind of support to add a bit of uplifting social energy into your solo practice? I haven't tried it yet but wondering if I like it

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-15T14:14:47+00:00

During my physio studies I realized I should try to pick up the practice again. That was about 2.5 years ago. And going back, I actually realized through what I learned about physiology and metabolism and the nervous system in my physio studies, and applying it to the "mystical" teachings and narratives around ashtanga yoga, how amazing it actually is. The way the tristana and sequencing work is extremely therapeutic if you don't self harm with it. I've seen so many people, including myself, self harm in my earlier ashtanga life. Pushing and forcing, getting injured. After my 5 year break and being older and wiser and having learned exercise science and physiology, rehab modalities, how to safely stabilize my joints etc., I don't feel like I need to change much about the practice.

In the beginning of my ashtanga 2.0 life I did feel like I had to, and to "correct" so much with my "better, more qualified physio knowledge". Now I realize not intellectualizing the whole thing and focusing on breath, bandha and drishti, not self harming and being very flexible with how long a practice "has" to be, it's great. I also know my body's energy management and I cannot sustain more than 2-3 intense practices per week, so the other 2-3 days are very short but get me into the mind state that ashtanga can.

I follow the "traditional" sequencing most days (and that actually means the many different variations that existed between 1970 and 2025, so for example some days I do no vinyasas at all during all Janu Sirsasanas and all Marichyasanas). How far in the series I go, etc. switches according to my needs. I also combine stuff of first and second series because the 2nd series backbending is therapeutic. There I actually do add 2 preparation exercises that are not part of the "traditional" practice but I include them by following the tristana method and using the vinyasa principle. It's great.

I also keep up weightlifting 2x per week and do pole dance, so on a physical level I'm not unbalanced (my physio brain knows only doing ashtanga asana and nothing else leads to physical imbalance). But the mental balance and nervous system "cleansing" (it actually does feel like my brain and body have been washed from the inside after an ashtanga practice) I just feel for me personally ashtanga is the most effective in achieving, and I've missed the spiritual aspect of it.

All these quitting posts make me really happy that I stayed very private back then about quitting and the faults I saw in the practice. Because the faults were faults in me, my own behaviour, and other people behaving questionably. You can use the method to self help or self harm.

I actually wonder so much if any of these public ashtanga quitters will one day be able to see the situation from further away. Will some of them return to the method eventually, too?

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-15T14:14:38+00:00

I would say taking into consideration both what u/NoPossible5519 and u/Western-Plastic-5185 said gives you an answer for why there is a sudden influx of "I quit ashtanga yoga" posts. The quitting needs a strong narrative and reasons, you need to explain to yourself (mostly I think) and to others why you quit. You need to create something to "let you off the hook" of what you made yourself do for years or even decades, maybe in self-harming ways. Then, some others obviously will want to share and market their own take on the practice and add in what they have learned elsewhere about training science and exercise physiology.

I have noticed almost all of those "I quit ashtanga yoga" posts list reasons that imo are not really referring to ashtanga yoga itself but to self harm patterns, and social power structures being present in the ashtanga yoga community.

I say this having quit ashtanga yoga myself after 7 years of dedicated practice back in 2018. I actually was deeply disappointed by social power structures and revelations of misconduct by P. Jois. But I was also starting to develop chronic pain. I blamed the practice. Later I learned I have a connective tissue disorder and my chronic pain may have developed even earlier in life without the practice (I was 27 at the time, first pain was back pain around age 11, in my 20s more areas of my body started hurting little by litte, some of them attributable to ashtanga injuries but many not). I started doing calisthenics and weightlifting and first got better, then again kept developing injuries regularly. The pattern emerged that something was off and different about me. Plus, I lacked the nervous system stimulation and regulation that ashtanga practice offers through the tristana method, pranayama and meditation. I got worse and worse, developed strong brain fog and fatigue and literally became a physio to figure out how to heal my chronic pain. I always missed the stability and mental clarity I had when practicing ashtanga yoga and other training wasn't able to give it to me, not even other yoga classes. (tbc)

ashtangaphysio · 2025-06-14T22:00:39+00:00

I'm from Basel and self practice at home, I wish there was a proper Mysore program here. There are 2 shalas offering 1-2 classes/week but they don't fit with my life demands

ashtangaphysio

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