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Ashtanga Yoga beyond numbers: Practicing for Life, Not Numbers

Alexandra Molnar

Updated: Oct 10, 2024


After a recent Ashtanga yoga class, one of the practioners asked me how often I practice and if I practice every day. This question always brings little anxiety but I also appreciate it because it touches on a very important topic.


The frequency and duration of practice is just a number, and reducing Ashtanga Yoga to a mere count of days and hours can be misleading.


I truly believe that Ashtanga Yoga is a complex and deeply personal journey that cannot be measured in simple terms.



The Tradition of Six-Day Practice


According to tradition, Ashtanga Yoga is practiced six days a week (except moon days, lady's "holiday"), usually in the mornings, following a set sequence of asanas. This structured routine is designed to build strength, flexibility, and mental clarity over time.


Daily Life


However, life is dynamic and ever-changing. We have jobs, families, and various responsibilities that demand our time and energy. 


Our health, energy levels, and mental states fluctuate throughout the year. It’s important to acknowledge that these factors can and do affect our daily practice.


Ashtanga Yoga Beyond Numbers


The essence of Ashtanga Yoga cannot be quantified.


Whether you manage to do five Sun Salutations or complete the entire primary series, or practice 20 minutes or 120 minutes, you are practicing Ashtanga Yoga. Whether you modify asanas (if needed) or perform them without any adjustments, you are practicing Ashtanga Yoga. 


The practice is here for us; we are not here for the practice. Its purpose is to enhance our lives, support our well-being, and bring us joy. In my opinion, the essential aspect is to keep a consistent and sustainable practice that supports our every day life.


Sustainable Practice


From my aspect, sustainable practice means adapting to your current life situation, health, and mental state. It means also practicing in a way that avoids injury and burnout.


Here are some of my key aspects of a sustainable Ashtanga yoga practice:


  1. Adapt to Your Life: Your practice should fit into your life, not the other way around. If it is necessary, adjust the frequency and duration of your practice based on your current responsibilities, life situation and energy levels. For example: business travel, pregnancy, broken limb, other life responsibilities that take precedence.

  2. Listen to Your Body: Respect your body’s signals. Some days you might need a gentler practice. That’s perfectly fine.

  3. Quality Over Quantity: Focus on the quality of your practice rather than the quantity. A mindful, shorter practice can be more beneficial than pushing through a longer one when you’re not fully present.

  4. Avoid Guilt: Don’t let missing a practice (if you cannot practice for a reason) or modifying poses fill you with guilt. Remember that the goal of Ashtanga is to support and enrich your life, not to add another source of stress.


Although, some practioners may question whether we can truly experience the effects of ashtanga yoga, if we practice sustainably?


Embracing the Journey


Practicing Ashtanga Yoga is a lifelong journey, I think.


And also is a powerful tool for personal growth and well-being. By integrating it into our lives in a way that is sustainable and joyful, we can experience its profound benefits without the burden of guilt or injury. 


I am deeply grateful that Ashtanga Yoga has shown me a new path. No matter what has happened to me in the last 10 years, one thing has always been constant: the ashtanga yoga (and here I not just think about the asanas). It has provided me with safety during many challenges and difficulties. It helped me reopen my heart, to love and to receive love, and it has helped heal and rewrite my traumatic emotions.


To me, this means so much more than counting how many days and minutes I practiced.



Let’s practice with dedication, but also with compassion and wisdom, remembering that the practice is here to serve us and enhance our lives.



I often wonder if the practice was strict and dogmatic in the past, with so many rules, or was it perhaps more free, enjoyable, and a natural part of life without guilt?


I'm not saying that's the only truth what I'm writing. This is just my experience. You are always welcome to share your thoughts.




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