Mysore Program

The Mysore Program is a method of practice for the Astanga Yoga sequence, a series of postures connected by purposeful movement, breath and attention.

Mysore is the name of a city in south India where Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois studied with his teacher T. Krishnamacharya and taught this yoga practice for many decades to students from his own home. This is the traditional method for learning Astanga, which allows one-on-one instruction from the teacher. Practitioners come in and work at their own pace and ability with the instructor. New postures are slowly added to enable students to memorise the sequence and form a daily practice aligned with their individual needs. It is a safe class for all levels, from beginners to long term practitioners.

New students may find their first visit is only 20-30 minutes long but will increase each visit as their practice grows. We are here six days a week. Benefits come from regular attendance, and we encourage you to commit to a few days a week, working up to six days if and when possible.

The Mysore Program is on the schedule at the level of “self-practice.” Please do not let this hold back your enthusiasm for learning the Astanga method traditionally with us in the Mysore room. No prior knowledge is needed, and the sequence does not need to be memorised before you start.

If you are curious and would like to observe the Mysore room before committing to practice, please email the teacher at the location you will be attending. We will be happy to have you.

There are also a few Mysore Beginners classes on schedule, which you might like to attend to get a little more guidance at start. Please note that the Mysore Beginners classes are limited to 75 minutes, as they only serve the purpose to introduce you to the basics of the Mysore practice. After a couple of these classes, you are more than ready to join the regular program.

Advice for practice

• Practice for a maximum of six days a week. Make sure you observe one day of rest. In our programs rest is taken on Saturdays.
• There is no Mysore practice on the new and full moon each month.
• If you have an injury or sickness, practice with the intention to heal, and let your teacher know so you can adjust your practice safely.
• During your menstrual cycle (ladies holiday) we traditionally rest from Mysore practice on the heaviest days. This observance is both for the physical and the subtle body.
• Don’t practice if you have a fever. When in doubt, try a few surya namaskara on your own. If you are contagious or very weak, please stay at home. There is always tomorrow.
• Avoid wearing strong and synthetic fragrances as it can be irritating to fellow practitioners.
• Take a shower in the morning or the night before so that you can remove oils and lotions, and come to practice clean.
• No warm up is necessary in the room. Keep your energy and intention up by entering and beginning the practice.
• Drop-ins are welcome for regular practitioners visiting from out of town or from other schools.
• Once you start fostering a regular practice, you might appreciate having your own mat. There are racks in all locations where you can store your mat, space permitting. Keep your mat clean.
• To make efficient use of the space in the room, we ask you to come and practice at the stated schedule times. There is a bit of flexibility around the starting time, so you can start up to 15 minutes before or after the stated starting time. Make sure your practice ends before the end of the shift.

Led class

You may see the “experienced” Astanga led class offered on Fridays in Den Haag and at the Nieuwe Achtergracht in Amsterdam. This full led primary class is for those with some experience with the Astanga sequence as there is less verbal instruction. However, once somewhat familiar with the beginning of the sequence, students are encouraged to attend this class weekly and simply follow along until they reach their final Mysore class posture in the series or are instructed to stop.

For questions regarding the mysore program:

De Clercqstraat:

Eva Ugolini - eva@delightyoga.nl
Claudia Pradella - claudia@delightyoga.nl

Nieuwe Achtergracht:

Sasha van Aalst - sasha@delightyoga.nl

The Hague:

Jurre Twijnstra - jurretwijnstra@gmail.com
Megan Riley - yoga.megan@gmail.com